Anyone have steps down into their bathroom?

[Somuddled]

We have bought a house in which the family bathroom comes off the hallway and immediately drops down. The first step down you take takes you to basically a wooden block they have put some carpet on and the second step down puts you on tiled floor of the bathroom. It is really scary to open the door and have nothing under you foot. I've fallen down it twice in the night. Hoping for other people who have found a way to resolve this issue with just raising the floor. Or having old lady style handle bars to grip on to. Will attach a photo.

We are replacing the whole bathroom but are stuck on how to make this work.

My friend had similar, but down one step, she turned it into a wet room utilising the fact it was a 'step down' to have an angled floor to drain, and added underfloor heating, with everything plumbing-wise hidden under the new floor Think it was quite expensive, as basically whole floor was replaced at a higher level but is this something you could do?

Could you raise the floor, not completely to the door, but halfway so it's less of a drop?

Or maybe a slope?

I think you'll have to share a photo /floor plan!

Mine is like this, it's a strange old Victorian conversion, the flat above has the same. The step runs right across the wall and under a radiator though and I think some of the pipes are hidden within/behind it.

I've got used to it now after many years but if a visitor (when they were allowed) asks to use the loo I always tell them 'up the stairs and down two!'

Looking at your picture, the fact that the step is narrower than the width of the door would be what would add to my worry about falling.

Here is the floor plan but it's all coming out. My initial idea was a top 'step' that was actually level with the hallway floor. So that at least when you open the door it not an instant drop. I don't hate the idea of a wet room. Could work.

I don't want to raise the full floor to the hight of the hallway as it would make the ceiling pretty low in comparison.

@marriednotdead

Mine is like this, it's a strange old Victorian conversion, the flat above has the same. The step runs right across the wall and under a radiator though and I think some of the pipes are hidden within/behind it.

I've got used to it now after many years but if a visitor (when they were allowed) asks to use the loo I always tell them 'up the stairs and down two!'

Looking at your picture, the fact that the step is narrower than the width of the door would be what would add to my worry about falling.

Could I be very rude and ask for a photo? I love the idea of the step extending across to both walls. That might feel more sturdy. And could almost be used as a bench?

Can't help on the levels, but if you do need steps, to save guests falling at night fit some small lights at skirting height that work with a motion sensor. We have them in all bathrooms, mainly in either side of the toilets to aid boys and aiming in the night!

That would terrify me. What about raising the floor level for the whole area from door up to the bath; putting banisters at the edge of the raised area and handrails at the edge of the stair descending from the raised area. It would feel safer if the stair(s) is not straight ahead of the door. Can you move the sink and have the stair leading down from where it is currently located? Can you install sensor lights to come on when the door opens?

I have a slope rather than a step in the hall outside my bathroom . I like it but other people hate it and are scared of tripping on it.

Ok... I thought long and hard about posting this as it's well overdue for a revamp
The hall carpet finishing where it does is pretty bonkers but the only practical way of getting a neat finish...
Bath is to the right of the picture top to bottom, actual bathroom is pretty big so anyone who did fall has room to land flat on their face

@marriednotdead

Ok... I thought long and hard about posting this as it's well overdue for a revamp The hall carpet finishing where it does is pretty bonkers but the only practical way of getting a neat finish... Bath is to the right of the picture top to bottom, actual bathroom is pretty big so anyone who did fall has room to land flat on their face

Thank you for sharing. It had made me feel like there is hope for ours yet. I can just imagine twisting an ankle as sleepily get ready in the morning. It makes he whole experience quite stressful!

@ItsDinah

I have a slope rather than a step in the hall outside my bathroom . I like it but other people hate it and are scared of tripping on it.

It had not occurred to us to have a slope so thank you for that. I would probably be okay with it DH pulled a face.

Thanks to all the various posters suggesting lights, that's an easy fix to make things less scary.

Could the door open into the hallway?

Possibly, we are removing the current door. But it would be a bit awkward in the landing

We had a similar issue in a Victorian terrace where the room.at the back was over the utility which stuck out from the rest of the house and the floor in the upstairs room.was lower like yours. We had a landing inside the door with bannisters and the steps went to one one side rather than straight into the room. It did make the usable space in the room much smaller though. (I don't have a picture)

@Bimblybomeyelash

Could the door open into the hallway?

But the door opening inwards means that you can hold onto the handle until you’re down the first step so I wouldn’t want to change that!

We have the same. Put a sliding pocket door in and it's really helped. If you're removing the current door it might be worth considering - would obviously depend on your space around the door though.