Outdoor kitchen? Second-floor laundry? How to easily achieve summer's hottest home improvements

(BPT) - Whether youre 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 both homeowners who are selling and those who are 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.

Above-floor plumbing can make it easy and cost-effective to achieve a number of plumbing-related improvements that add both value and enjoyment to a home, says Chris Peterson, Western regional sales director of SFA Saniflo Inc., a manufacturer of above-floor plumbing products. Plumbing is integral to some of todays trendiest improvements, like outdoor kitchens and second-floor laundry rooms. Choosing above-floor plumbing for these and other improvements means homeowners can make the alterations quickly, too.

Above-floor plumbing encompasses both macerating systems for toilets (also known as up-flush plumbing) and drain pumps for kitchens and sinks. While traditional plumbing may require homeowners to take the risk of cutting into a concrete foundation or endure the inconvenience of opening walls, above-floor plumbing eliminates those concerns.

Here are five hot summer home improvements that you can complete faster, easier and with less cost using above-floor plumbing:

Create an outdoor kitchen

Outdoor cooking areas, complete with sinks and wet bars, are in-demand improvements that boost home value. Often, the improvement starts with an existing concrete or brick patio, or wooden or composite deck. Traditional plumbing would require a contractor to break up patio material or cut into decking to accommodate pipes. Saniflos drain pumps 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 costs and construction time for sink installation.

Add a wet bar

What man cave or media room would be complete without a wet bar for entertaining? These rooms are not usually plumbed, and they are often in basements or on the first level of a slab-on-grade home where adding traditional plumbing would mean cutting into a concrete floor, which comes with a host of risks and inconveniences. Above-floor plumbing makes it possible to add a wet bar on a first level or in a basement entertaining area without having to cut concrete, and in upper-level rooms without having to rearrange the room to tie into existing pipes behind walls.

Second-floor laundry room

While many older homes have laundry facilities in basements or on the ground floor, demand is rising for laundry rooms that are on the same floor as bedrooms. Second-floor laundry rooms are a hot trend in new construction, but its also possible to renovate an older home and move the laundry upstairs. Traditional plumbing might require a homeowner to locate a second-floor laundry room adjacent to or even within an existing bathroom to take advantage of proximity to pipes. Above-floor plumbing makes it possible to locate laundry facilities where homeowners most need them.

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Outdoor kitchen? Second-floor laundry? How to easily achieve summer's hottest home improvements