Hey everyone, I'm considering adding a second bathroom in my basement since there's no space left on the main floor. The basement is pretty much gutted, and since my house is built into the side of a small incline, the septic line runs level with the ceiling down there. My main question is: will we need to cut into the concrete foundation to install a pump to get the waste and water to the septic line? Or is it possible to encase everything within drywall instead? I'm not planning to DIY this, but I want to understand my options before I bring in a contractor.
2 Answers
Macerating toilets are a great option for basement bathrooms – they usually have the pump built right behind the toilet, which helps lift waste out without needing extensive renovations. If you’re just adding a half bath, you might not need to break the concrete at all. However, if you're planning to include a shower, you probably will need to cut into the floor to install the proper plumbing.
If you're set on having a shower, yeah, you’ll have to cut the concrete. The macerating toilet setup can pump the waste from the shower as well, but you can't just raise everything slightly; the connections need to be properly aligned and secured underground.
So basically, cutting the concrete is unavoidable for a shower? That’s a bummer, but good to know!
If we're going with a shower too, does that mean just connecting the shower to the existing system? Or is it more involved? How does the plumbing work for that?