I am building a bathroom in the basement. I will be chipping up and replacing all the drains in the room, then I got the idea that maybe I should chip up a hole and recess the bathtub into the floor. Is it possible to remove the entire slab and dig a hole without jeopardizing the load-bearing capacity of the house?
I was planning to recess the bathtub right next to an outer wall.
I was planning to recess the bathtub right next to an outer wall.
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It should go just fine if you secure the outer wall down to the same depth you dig your bathtub and handle the drainage in a smart way. There are pumps that can pump it up to the "correct level" if you end up below your drainage level.
I have some acquaintances who have a small pool buried in their basement, so it will definitely work just as well with a bathtub too. Just ensure that the outer wall gets the extra support it needs.
There is a project blog (can't remember the link) where they describe how they excavate the basement and secure the outer/inner walls in the basement. Essentially, they dig out about a 1-meter wide section under the outer wall and then fix it so they can cast a new wall under the existing one, doing this around the entire wall. They don't do it in sequence but jump between different walls to not destabilize the house.
I have some acquaintances who have a small pool buried in their basement, so it will definitely work just as well with a bathtub too. Just ensure that the outer wall gets the extra support it needs.
There is a project blog (can't remember the link) where they describe how they excavate the basement and secure the outer/inner walls in the basement. Essentially, they dig out about a 1-meter wide section under the outer wall and then fix it so they can cast a new wall under the existing one, doing this around the entire wall. They don't do it in sequence but jump between different walls to not destabilize the house.
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I would like to hear more about this. I want to dig in the basement but for other reasons. A future home theater would benefit from having a couple of cubic meter-sized spaces entirely below floor level.
I see no problem with digging out the floor 30-50 centimeters, I've already done that in half the house. Now it's possibly about digging much deeper than that and then casting a continuation of the new floor down into a recessed space.
I think you risk having drainage problems. This hole will become the lowest point and lie well below the house's drainage. Reasonably, there is a good chance that water will collect here, and that's not good at all.
I see no problem with digging out the floor 30-50 centimeters, I've already done that in half the house. Now it's possibly about digging much deeper than that and then casting a continuation of the new floor down into a recessed space.
I think you risk having drainage problems. This hole will become the lowest point and lie well below the house's drainage. Reasonably, there is a good chance that water will collect here, and that's not good at all.
have the same thoughts.
planning to lower a spa about 70 cm and lower the rest of the garage floor 30cm to create some space in the room...
however, need to dig down the entire drainage through the whole house an additional 30cm because the garage is an extension without a well or drainage...
considering casting a small square about 3x3 dm with a depth of 1dm and placing a drainage pump there.
however, I'm a bit undecided on whether to insulate under the spa tub or not. it might be good to have some ventilation through the slab. also, don't know where the stormwater level is so we'll see if it works out...
planning to lower a spa about 70 cm and lower the rest of the garage floor 30cm to create some space in the room...
however, need to dig down the entire drainage through the whole house an additional 30cm because the garage is an extension without a well or drainage...
considering casting a small square about 3x3 dm with a depth of 1dm and placing a drainage pump there.
however, I'm a bit undecided on whether to insulate under the spa tub or not. it might be good to have some ventilation through the slab. also, don't know where the stormwater level is so we'll see if it works out...
Regarding home theater: find out how they handled Filmstaden in Karlstad, the entire basement is well below the groundwater level, in some sort of basin that is anchored to the bedrock in some way. Of course, it moves a bit, so in the space between the old building and the new building, the emergency exits where you leave the cinema there are naturally large cracks in the walls, but it works.
I have no idea how they solved the drainage, with pumps I assume?
Just some trivia in connection with MathiasS's post.
I have no idea how they solved the drainage, with pumps I assume?
Just some trivia in connection with MathiasS's post.
If you are building new, it is of course no problem to solve this. You just have to dig the drainage a bit deeper from the start. Now I assume that the situation for everyone in the thread is a bit different, whether it's bathtubs or bass boxes that need to be buried. The house stands there. The drainage is at a given level.
What one can of course do is lay new drainage in the part of the basement where you are digging anyway, connect this to a sump pump and pump away any water.
The question is, however, is it necessary?
What one can of course do is lay new drainage in the part of the basement where you are digging anyway, connect this to a sump pump and pump away any water.
The question is, however, is it necessary?