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When I bought the house, it was a 4 bedroom, 1 bath rancher with basement laundry. We have since "converted" the smallest of the 4 bedrooms to an upstairs laundry, and took the closet out to accomodate a larger master bath on the other side of the wall.

In the very near future, we would like to split the current laundry room into a second bathroom, with tub, and a small laundry space. I am confident in doing all of the work DIY, but am unsure about the structural side of things. My floor joists are 2x8 beams 16 inches on center. What do I need to consider from a structural standpoint before proceeding with this plan?

Thanks in advance.

clwhoops44
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2 Answers2

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It should be fine as-is, after-all a bath full of water weighs about as much as a waterbed, and there are no special requirements for framing under bathrooms. (unless you want to lower the floor)

Jasen
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Structurally, in a word, you need to consider support. The joists alone will likely not be enough to support the added weight over time. They will start to sag. You may be able to get away with a single pillar support, and double up the spans. Or you may be able to put in two or even three supports in the area. It is hard to say without seeing the layout.

One way to consider it is this: how much weight will there be with both tubs full of water and the washer going? Doubtful that scenario would happen but it is what you need to plan for. Also, the floor under the washer needs to be very solid so that it doesn't vibrate a lot when it's running.

badfun
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