Re: [Chevelle-list] Garage Bathroom

[Craig Ellis]

If you live in an area where freezing is not an issue, it is a great idea. The commode and a sink is all you need and they add value to a home. It is a simple matter to plumb for both and buy the fixtures at a later date when more money is available. Just putting in the Schedule 40 sewer line should be a matter of a couple hundred bucks, tops.   You can also install fittings for a floor drain that is NOT connected to your sewer - run them to the outside for later connection to a line leading to a perforated 55 gal drum buried underground and it's perfect for washing cars inside. To avoid problems with the inspector (garage drains were outlawed years ago because people dumped engine oil, etc., down them) install the fitting about 1/4" below the finnished floor grade and measure where they are EXACTLY in relation to the outside edge of the floor. After inspection, a light tap with a hammer will break away the thin cement and, voila', you've got a drain fitting. Completing the drain is simple - the parts mate easily with 1/4 inch of "play". Avoid sloping the floor to the drain - inspectors aren't that dumb. And NEVER dump anything you would not want your dog to drink down it....a little soapy water is harmless but antifreeze ain't. When/if you move, plug it so some non-car-guy doesnt abuse it.   BTW, this system is often used for hunting cabins in Michigan - a 55 gal drum for a septic tank is sufficient if it's only in occassional use - like a cabin.   Craig E. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Schaefer To: Chevelle-list@chevelles.net Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 3:23 PM Subject: [Chevelle-list] Garage Bathroom   My garage project has been on hold for a while, but I finally have footers dug <G> .    My wife suggested that I install a bathroom.   I was all for it til I got 3 bids that were way more than  I could afford ( and more than I thought reasonable).    Today I got 2 comparably reasonable estimates ( is $2600 reasonable?) for a comode, utility sink and water & sewer connections.      $2600 otherwise spent would get me a  4-post lift or LS1 for the camaro.     I could improvise a sink install and could live without the comode.   So for the long term is the bathroom a good investment?    -- Rick Schaefer 72 TPI El Camino