Since the pandemic, working from home has increased exponentially, but now it’s been a few years, many people want to be able to escape the family home and ‘commute’ to a garden office. These garden rooms however are not necessarily close to the house, therefore, toilet facilities are required.
To add a toilet to your garden office it is necessary to have fresh water from the mains, the removing of wastewater and electricity for lighting, water heating, and ventilation.
We have recently installed one of our Rowington Garden Studios in Henley with toilet facilities. Take a look at the care study here: Garden Building with Toilet
Electric Hookup
Nearly every project we are involved in includes the installation of electricity for your garden office. This is normally connected from the house via the mains and is necessary for all buildings to operate. Cables are run back up to your home through a trench dug beneath the garden.
As an alternative, you can go with solar panels, which are an environmentally responsible option. You can install them in your garden or on the roof of the garden building. Before beginning any build, you would need to thoroughly investigate and think about this.
Adequate Airflow
If you plan to add a toilet or washroom to your garden office, you will definitely need ventilation. Windows will let in some natural light, but you’ll need to install an extractor fan to keep moisture, mould, and mildew away.
Mains Water Connection
In order to add a washroom or toilet to your garden office, we will need to be able to tap into the waste drainage of your home. There are other methods, mainly if you are using a camping style toilet, but these aren’t the best solution.
Naturally, this technique would require you to dig a deeper trench through your garden than usual, so be ready for a little more disruption than usual. It’s crucial that all water pipes run below the freezing point of the earth. The sewer will have to be used to remove the waste, thus connecting to the closest one will be necessary. All of this will need to have the ground verified, function properly, and be approved by building regulations.
Adding Hot Water Where Necessary
A hot water tank will need to be installed, similar to the one you already have in your house, but on a much smaller scale, in order to heat your water. Although there are several sizes on the market, it is always advisable to ask a plumber for guidance and recommendations.
Other Toilet Options
You may go for more environmentally friendly solutions if you lack the necessary resources, access, or if your house is far from your garden office or garden room and you don’t want to cause too much disturbance to your cherished garden. You might actually provide your own water supply for free and with little effort by gathering your own rainwater.
This could be gathered in water butts or huge tanks above or below ground. It’s unfortunate that this wouldn’t be drinkable, but you could use it with your shower or toilet system. For the water to enter and be able to be drained out, you will need a pump.
Composting is a different alternative for a toilet because it functions by absorbing the waste that is generated. The waste is composted into a different area after the urine passes through filters to create an odourless liquid that can be used as fertiliser. It is possible to “flush” an electric toilet with a single button press.
A Toilet for your Garden Office Conclusion
So with the options listed above, there will always be a way around adding a toilet to your garden office. For more information about our garden buildings and what extras you can have, please get in touch today.
