Click image to enlarge.
6. Cut the main stack and all the other waste lines
feeding the bathroom about 3 ft. below the floor. Unhook any strapping and
remove the entire plumbing tree.
7. Drain any water in the supply lines, cut the hot
and cold lines feeding the bathroom, and solder in two ball-valve water
shutoffs. Shut off the valves, and then turn the water back on to the rest of
the house.
Click image to enlarge.
8. Nail the bottom plate to the floor and the top
plate to the ceiling. Then mark the positions of the shower base, toilet and
sink. Lay out and toenail the wall studs into position (Fig. B) and the
top plate for the low wall. On the opposite end of the shower, frame a matching
35-in. wide wall (see Photo 14) 60-1/4 in. (or the length of your shower base
plus 1/4 in.) away from the first wall.
Click image to enlarge.
9. Tie all the short studs to the existing studs at
the top and bottom with 6 x 11-in. plywood gussets screwed to every stud on the
short wall. Keep gussets on the outside of the chair carrier space so they
won’t interfere with installation. Install backer boards as needed to
support cement board or drywall.
Tip
Resist the temptation to reuse or
reroute existing piping. If you have easy access, it’s much easier to rip
out all the old supply, drain and vent lines and start with a clean slate
(Photos 5 and 6).
Click image to enlarge.
10. Position and connect the new shower vent (see
fig. B). Then position the sink and center the drain behind it, 19 in. up from
the floor. Connect the drain to the main stack with a 3 x 1-1/2 in. tee. Drill
3/4-in. pilot holes and saw out a 4-1/2 in. hole for the toilet
drain.
