Endless Possibilities

Easement Challenge Produces Award-Winning Bathroom Bathroom Addition - Spokane, Washington

Bathroom remodel by Hanson Carlen Construction Company, Spokane, Washington

The Geberit system fits with ease in a master bathroom with a stepped footprint.

The Challenge

When Hanson Carlen Construction Company, a residential design/build firm in Spokane, Washington, was hired to update a master bathroom, the company started with concepts for an addition that would expand the cramped space. Then a property easement got in the way.

The original master bath was only 36 square feet, with barely enough room to move around. The client wanted to update a 70’s ranch-style house with a larger, more modern master bathroom. Staying within the existing footprint, the remodel would require using space in an adjacent guest bedroom. The only other option was to add a bump-out off of the master bedroom.

“When we discovered that our proposed addition would overlap a ten-foot side utility easement that included a major drainage line, we had to come up with an alternative idea,” said David Hanson, builder/owner for Hanson Carlen Construction Company.

Bathroom remodel with Geberit in-wall system by Hansen Carlen Construction Company, Spokane, Washington

The Solution

“We wanted to get as close to the easement as possible to create the large, modern master bathroom desired,” said Hanson. “A stepped addition off the master bathroom with a European contemporary design was our proposal – producing what the client loved and meeting the county’s easement requirement.”

The new addition was 115 square feet but, because of the easement, still had space restrictions that made it very narrow. The Geberit Concealed Tank and Carrier System with a wall-hung toilet and dual-flush actuator fit with ease at one end of the unusual stepped footprint. Taking the toilet off the floor and placing it on the wall gave the bathroom more space. The Geberit system makes it possible to position fixtures in any part of the bathroom while concealing the functional components behind the wall. All internal components remain accessible, though, for easy maintenance.

“There have been wall-hung concepts out there for a long time,” said Hanson. “We did our research and liked what we saw in Geberit’s product. There are more options for toilet bowls and actuator styles. It’s a good product.”

And installation is easy. The process involves bolting the carrier to the floor, placing it within the studwork, and bolting it to the wall studs – only four connections in all. The carrier system fits in a standard 2” x 4” or 2” x 6” wood or steel wall. Engineered for long life and reliability, the Geberit system utilizes a rugged steel frame. “One of the things we’ve been doing on our installations is adding an LDL framing member to hold the carrier in place to make sure it’s straight,” Hanson explains.

Bathroom remodel by Hanson Carlen Construction Company, Spokane, Washington

Hanson came across several interesting considerations on this project while using the Geberit system. “We wanted to put the toilet on the outside wall, but having the water piping on the outside was a concern. In the North Pacific the temperature can occasionally get to twenty below zero. If you have wind pummeling on exterior walls it’s tricky. In order to maintain the temperature, the pipe had to go down into the wall and hit the foundation top. To better accommodate, we widened and thickened the wall to allow the toilet to go down straight — like it was designed to do — without hitting the stem wall of the foundation. The starting point was the outside wall, building in from there. The finished double-wall system was about ten inches thick.”

The Geberit Concealed Tank and Carrier System with a wall-hung toilet provides endless possibilities and gives bathroom designers much greater flexibility than is possible with traditional toilets. The Geberit system provides additional space in the bathroom, for easier cleaning and accessibility.

“It’s been successful for our business to use Geberit,” says Hanson. “We show prospective customers this project, and then they want it in their bathroom. This project has led us to two more.”

For more photos of this project, visit Hanson Carlen's website .