How to elevate the floor of existing laundry and convert to a shower/toilet?

arunsarath

Hi Everyone,

I am newbie to this group.

Planning to convert my existing laundry to a shower / toilet.  Current floor level of this laundry is  18cm below the rest of the house. 

I would like to raise this floor so that the finished floor level for new toilet is same as the rest of the house. I am thinking a timber structure so the plumber can run pipes underneath.

1). Would appreciate if anyone recommend what kind of timber frame should be used for wet area and how thick that timber should be

2).How to support the raised timber frame with existing floor.

EricL

Hello @arunsarath

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about elevating your existing laundry floor.

It is possible to increase the height of your laundry floor area, however, you might run into issues of compliance if you are converting it into a shower. I suggest checking the rules and regulations of your local council to determine the height requirements for a bathroom conversion. Adding a timber frame to your laundry area to increase its floor height is relatively straightforward. 

Generally speaking, a timber frame can be built around the floor area at a height of 140mm, if we add the height of the 3600 x 800mm 19mm Flooring H2 Particleboard Yellow Tongue and the James Hardie 1800 x 1200 x 6mm 2.16m² Ceramic Tile Underlay Flooring you would have a total of 165mm. This would leave you with 15mm for the waterproofing, tile glue and bathroom tile. 

Securing the frame to the existing substrate will be involved, I suggest engaging the services of a registered builder to make sure that it is installed to code and complies with all the council rules and regulations. I also propose speaking to the builder on the best way to lay the frame so that there will be minimal cuts in the timber to allow plumbing to pass through.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the start of your laundry/bathroom conversion.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric