Big Dreams, Limited Space: How Saniflo Can Help You Achieve Your “Dream Home”

Whether staying in place or planning to take advantage of an improving real estate market to sell your home, spring and summer are upgrade seasons. From adding a bathroom to creating an outdoor kitchen, certain improvements pay off for homeowners — whether they are selling or staying. And while plumbing challenges, such as breaking through concrete or opening walls, may discourage some people, savvy homeowners know a tried-and-true option solves such problems.

SANIFLO is the only manufacturer in North America offering a complete line of macerating toilets, grinders, and drain-pump systems for above-floor residential drainage applications. The company’s goal has always been to provide solutions that allow for simpler and easier plumbing installations, especially where it is impossible or cost-prohibitive to install conventional plumbing fixtures that require below-floor drainage.

Let’s look at four affordable home improvement projects that will pay off, using Saniflo’s above-floor plumbing solutions.

Upgrade a Guest Room Closet

An innovative way to better utilize your space is by upgrading your guest-room closet into a half bath. This creates a private setting for your guests, provides a more aesthetic space, and helps promote hygiene in the home. Housing the toilet in an enclosed area prevents particles and microbes from spreading.

That was the case for a Prince Edward Island bed and breakfast owner who recently converted a number of guest-room closets into half baths. The proprietor chose to move forward with the Sanicompact macerating system, rather than conventional plumbing, to eliminate the need for the guests to share facilities.

The Sanicompact is a one-piece toilet expressly designed for small spaces, because its macerating pump system is built into the fixture. This modern-looking, dual-flush toilet is engineered to use as little as one gallon per flush.

Create a Pool-Side Cabana

Outside bathrooms don’t have to be large or fancy. Most of the time, they can be easily incorporated into a niche or alcove on a property. All you need is a small space, such as a storage shed, with three connections: an electrical outlet, a water-supply line and a connection to any sanitary system: septic, holding, or city sewers.

Outdoor bathrooms are also a great way to keep the mess out of the house! When you are involved in outdoor activities, such as playing in the sand, swimming in the pool, or even gardening, cleaning up without bringing the dirt inside the house becomes easy.

Once again, an outdoor bathroom is easy to build using Saniflo’s above-floor plumbing products, which make installing a bathroom anywhere outside simple and affordable. One product to consider is the Sanicubic 1.

The one-horsepower Sanicubic 1 grinding system handles wastewater from the outdoor enclosure's toilet, sink, or shower. The effluent enters the unit, which grinds it into slurry before pumping it up to 36 vertical feet and/or 328 horizontal feet to the drain line.

Create an Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor cooking areas with sinks and wet bars are in-demand improvements that boost home value. These spaces can be a fun way to entertain guests while having a BBQ.  An indoor kitchen can become crowded due to the limited room. However, by having a kitchen outdoors, guests can more easily gather around the grill or the counter while dinner is prepared and cooked.

Often, the improvement starts with an existing concrete or brick patio, or a wooden or composite deck. Traditional plumbing would require a contractor to break up patio material or cut into decking to accommodate pipes.

Saniflo’s drain pumps, like the Sanivite, make it possible to easily and efficiently install a fully functional sink without the need to disturb existing outdoor structures. When adding a new structure, above-floor plumbing can help reduce construction time — and therefore costs — when installing a sink and its drainage.

Second-Floor Laundry Room

With kids home for the summer, loved ones visiting from out of town, or guests attending a summer party, the laundry pile can quickly mount. Unfortunately, home laundry facilities are typically located in the basement, requiring the homeowner to go up and down stairs to do the wash. Beyond the physical wear and tear, all that running up and down stairs limits the time you can enjoy with your family throughout the summer season.

That’s why second-floor laundry rooms are a hot trend in new-home construction. But it’s also possible to renovate an older home and move the laundry upstairs.

Traditional plumbing drainage will often require a homeowner to locate a second-floor laundry room adjacent to or even within an existing bathroom to stay close to existing plumbing pipes. But above-floor plumbing technology like the Saniswift drain pump makes it possible to locate laundry facilities away from the piping to wherever a homeowner needs them the most.

For more information, contact Saniflo at 1-800-363-5874. Or visit the Saniflo website at saniflo.ca.