Small Bathroom Question

[hpinson]

Maybe someone can answer this.

Is there any [code related] reason why a bathroom needs a sink, if it is directly adjacent to a kitchen sink?  I.e. can the bathroom have only a toilet and shower, with a single sink in the adjacent kitchen?

[hpinson]

Here is a detail:

[MountainDon]

From the IRC 2012

SECTION R306 SANITATION

R306.1 Toilet facilities.
Every dwelling unit shall be provided with a water closet, lavatory, and a bathtub or shower.

LINK

That does not indicate that the toilet, lavatory and shower/tub must be in the same space.

The IRC code does not list lavatory in the definitions section.

Google has a variety of definitions for lavatory .


?

[rick91351]

This subject has been kicked around the block here three - four years ago.  Pretty well agreed that a sink was the lav and needed to be included.  'Nother thing that was decided back then was having the lavatory anywhere around where the kitchen is - is pretty freeeeekkkyy weird!    Being so I just had another birthday and have decided I am now an old guy I can say stuff like that.

Full Definition of LAVATORY
1
:  a vessel (as a basin) for washing; especially :  a fixed bowl or basin with running water and drainpipe for washing
2
:  a room with conveniences for washing and usually with one or more toilets
3
:  toilet 3b

[UK4X4]

I'm trying to squeze in a small toilet in my UK house, and am looking at mini closet sinks, not sure you have them in the US due to your usual mc mansions...

365mm x 185mm wide, so it will fit between studs too, so I can even set it into the stud wall to maximise the available space



Theres also this.....but I think its a bit odd...

[hpinson]

I guess code interpretation is involved so there's no telling how an inspector my call it. I'll ask a friend who is an inspector in another county how see this.

Given what you are saying, the small sink is probably the way to go.  I looked at the toilet with the sink on top too, and it also seemed odd to me - mainly in having to lean over the toilet to wash hands. In practice, I don't really know if it would be a problem or not. I guess it fulfills the requirement of lavatory though.   

It seems a lot of tiny houses on trailers take this one sink in dwelling approach, but they are not so much under code restrictions... yet.  Commercial RV trailers all seem to always opt for a tiny sink. 

>> Bathroom near Kitchen

Good point - having watched the Mythbusters expisode on how far fecal coliform travels from splashing...  which is pretty far.

I'm not sure what the answer is - the floorplan is 20x20 which is a very small space - bathroom has to go somewhere.  An argument for them being close together is the clustering of water supply and heating services for simplicity and because of the cold winters.  The little utility closet where the pressure tank and water heater would go can be highly insulated and independantly heated so that it does not freeze in winter - is a design element I rather like.