Creative Plumbing

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Your renovation plans deserve more attention and thought than simply basic drains and faucets. Get creative with your plumbing plans - does that sound like an oxymoron?

There are indeed many creative and highly functional additions that you can add to your renovations with respect to the plumbing.

Start in the laundry room. Take an idea out of the architectural archives and add a drain to a closet to create a drip closet.

This closet space will become a functional space to hang wet, rainy clothes to dry and for drying all of your 'drip-dry garments.' You will obviously need to plan for a water-friendly flooring material such as ceramic tile for the base of the closet floor.

The kitchen, a mega plumbing zone, provides still more opportunity. Consider a pot filler - a faucet installed on the wall behind your stove that you will use to fill large pasta or lobster pots, a small second sink in the island that will be used for food preparation, a bar sink in an adjoining dining room or family room, plumbed in coffee and espresso makers.

Other considerations are trough sinks (these generally sit in an island top) used while entertaining to hold ice and drinks, seafood, etc. (imagine a buffet or salad bar in a favourite restaurant).

These sinks generally do not have a faucet but will need a drain (for water from melting ice) and are becoming very popular with those who love to entertain.

In the back entry and mudroom, consider a shower stall with a lower wall-mounted wand and sprayer that can be used to wash the dog. A dog shower is a necessary must-have for new homeowners with four legged family members.

Wall-mounted, low hung shower wands are also convenient in tub/shower situations for rinsing a child's hair. It is best to have all your plumbing fixtures selected before the plumber initiates his rough-in, so that he can accommodate accurately for specific fixtures.

Feature areas, such as fish tanks and water walls are a lot easier to maintain if you have a water line and drain incorporated into your plumbing/renovation plan.

Think ahead; if you are building a new home this fall, have all future plumbing plans roughed-in by the plumber. Anticipate where you might require bathrooms, showers and a wet bar, complete with its own dishwasher in the future.

You will save yourself considerable future expense and grief if you have the plumber rough-in these lines and drains in the appropriate areas when prepping the foundation floor and during the framing stage phase.

Plumbing extras are not just limited to the homes interior; you should also plan for sprinkler systems, green houses, outside showers, hot tubs, and exterior kitchen/BBQ areas.

Future ponds and water features should also be considered. For example, I had a breezeway wall plumbed for a water feature that would run along the wall and into a planter at the base of the wall. A water "fall" feature will certainly be much more aesthetically pleasing than the plain 24 ft. wall that is covered with vinyl siding.

You will need to discuss all these plumbing extras with your renovator/plumbing contractor prior to the onset of any construction, so that plumbing lines and drains can be fitted in a cost-effective and efficient manner. It is far more cost-effective to do all your plumbing during the construction phase rather than bringing a plumber back to do the small jobs after the new home or renovation project is completed.