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Adding a half bathroom can be worth it for two reasons: you want to increase the livability of your home and increase its value. While a value increase is more likely for a smaller home than a larger one, smaller houses with a large number of occupants can see a drastic increase in the ease and flow of daily life with the addition of a half bathroom.

Some older homes have toilets in the basement to combat sewage backups. This type of toilet, also known as a Pittsburgh potty, acted as a safety valve over the incoming sewer line. If a line backed up, it would back up into the toilet because it was the lowest fixture in the home, keeping it out of sight and away from the finished areas of the house.

Basement toilets were also used by workers with messy jobs, like those who worked in coal mines or steel mills. This way, they could clean up and avoid tracking dirt through their home.

If you experience the telltale sign of wax ring failure, which is leaking water, replacing the faulty ring takes one to three hours, depending on accessibility. This is an exacting and time-consuming job, as several components must be removed for the plumber to access the ring. Once replaced, however, wax rings require little to no maintenance and last 30 years or longer.

Most toilets have a 12-inch rough-in or hole, but some have 10- or 14-inch holes, which means that not all toilets fit all setups. Knowing how to measure the rough-in is essential, so you purchase a toilet that fits the existing drain hole. It can be costly to have the rough-in moved, and most stores don’t accept toilet returns.