AS HOME PRICES SKYROCKET AND BECOME LESS AFFORDABLE, IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT ALTERNATIVES FOR YOUNG ADULTS OR RECENT GRADUATES. For homeowners looking to improve the value of their homes – and cope with the needs of multiple generations living under one roof, garage or basement renovations make sense. Both enhance home value and add much-needed living space for less than one might spend on building an addition. That being said, adding a bathroom, kitchenette and laundry room in spaces with concrete floors can have drawbacks. The expense of cutting concrete may quickly deter you, not to mention the extraordinary amount of noise and dust breaking through concrete generates. Here are three ways to convert your garage or basement into an additional living space for your grown-up child affordably and easily.
BATHROOM Opt for macerating, or above-floor, plumbing systems that do not requireinstallers to cut through concrete or dig. The system can be installed right on top of the existing floor. Wastewater from a toilet, tub, shower or sink is pumped up or horizontally through smalldiameter piping, rather than flowing down conventional plumbing. The up-flush system doesn’t store waste like a sewage ejector system. Wastewater immediately moves to the septic tank or sewer system with every flush. Saniflo’s Saniaccess 3 is one example of a macerating pump unit used for a full bathroom. It has a ½ horsepower pump system and macerator whose stainlesssteel blades rotate at 3,600 RPM to reduce incoming water and organic waste matter into a fine slurry. Homeowners can install the pump system 15 feet below the sewer line or 150 feet away from a soil stack.
KITCHENETTE Above-floor plumbing solutions, such as the Sanivite drain pump, can be used to create a small kitchen, complete with a sink and dishwasher. Designed to sustain the toughest applications and capable of handling very hot water and even grease, the Sanivite will pump gray water from up to three fixtures in residential applications. Waste water from these fixtures enters the unit via two, 2-inch inlets on either side of its housing or through an additional 1-1/2″ inlet on top. Featuring built-in check valves to prevent backflow, the system then discharges this waste up to 16 feet vertically and/or 150 feet horizontally. The Sanivite can also be installed in small spaces, such as inside a kitchen cabinet.
LAUNDRY ROOM Saniflo’s Saniswift drain pump is an easy and affordable solution to adding a small laundry room, equipped with a sink and washing machine, virtually anywhere. Powerful, yet economical, the unit is compact enough to fit neatly beneath a laundry tub, while its attractive design makes a stylish addition to any space. The Saniswift can even handle gray water from a washing machine through an indirect connection, such as a laundry sink. www.saniflo.ca
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