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Shower drain info

Mic25 | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 26, 2007 08:28am

Hi All,

I have a plumber coming to remove an old shower base and set the drain for a new shower in the bath that is being remodled. It is a stand up shower and I won’t be going with a premade base for the shower. I want to know the correct procedure for setting the shower drain so I have some knowledge as the plumber is very “short on words” if you know what I mean, he doesn’t explain himself very well and it frustrates me when I try to have him explain something, anyway if I could get a little info it would sure be appreciated.

The bath is on a concrete slab and there will be a base constructed for the shower, no premade.

– What is the procedure for the handling the base and drain?

– How high does the plumber set the drain off the slab? What kind of drain is preferred?

– Is this considered a “clamping drain”

– Is the sloped mud base brought up level with the installed drain? Set below? Above?

BTW, if anyone might have a picture of how this go’s that would be great.

Thank you so very much.

Mick

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Replies

  1. User avater
    McDesign | Aug 26, 2007 08:46pm | #1

    Here's one I recently did - this is over wood subfloor, but I do concrete ones the same - just pour that section of the slab ~6" lower.  The PVC liner goes on a surface that is also sloped toward the bottom (clamping) ring of the drain; the top mud bed slopes toward the top (grill) of the drain.

    http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=91677.1

    Picture -

    View Image

    Forrest - not a plumber or tile mason

    1. mick182 | Aug 26, 2007 11:59pm | #4

      Terrific pix and thanks for replies.

      This shower will be a neo angle shower. The curb is being made of 2x4 material (I believe there will be 3 stacked on top of each other). Then sloped mud and covered with kerdi membrane and tiled over. Does this sound right?

      Would the drain in the picture be the same type used for a concrete floor?

      Would the mud floor come up flush with the top of the drain (the blue part)? Or would the finished tile come up to that part?

      Does the finish trim of the drain just screw right into the drain shown on top of the tile or does the tile run up to it and get grouted?

      really appreciate your time guys and thanks again for pix, btw, any pix of a concrete floor :)

      Mick

       

      1. inperfectionist | Aug 27, 2007 12:12am | #5

        Mick,

        If your doing a Kerdi shower, you will use a Kerdi drain.  You can get info from the Kerdi site, or there is a John Bridges Tile site w good info. Also, there are a couple of recent threads on this site. Look in the picture/photo section for a thread called "Kerdi Shower w Niche". This thread is like an E book on Kerdi showers.

        As you'll see, your plumber will not be setting the drain. He will leave a 2" stub w an annular space around it. The tiler w build the shower floor around the pipe, and set the drain on top of the floor/ membrane.

        Harry

      2. User avater
        McDesign | Aug 27, 2007 12:15am | #6

        Okay - searched out a  slab-on-grade one from way back -

        http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=70699.4

        And a pic from it -

        View Image

        I tend to run the threaded top piece of the subdrain down about 3/16" - 1/4" engagement, then bring the mud bed up to just under the lip of the blue-covered area - leaving that space for tile and grout to make it all level.  The top can still thread up and down until you set the level and lock it all up with matching caulk.

        Forrest

        <edit>  Ah - see you're doing a Kerdi deal - got no experience there!

        Edited 8/26/2007 5:17 pm by McDesign

        1. mick182 | Aug 27, 2007 01:30am | #7

          Thanks again.

          In case I didn't explain it clear enough, I'm not having a kerdi shower done, just using the kerdi membrane instead of a pvc liner.

          It's going to be neo angle and shluter system doesn't have a neo angle base so it is not going to be a premade base with the kerdi drain deal. So as the shluter premade base would get covered with the kerdi membrane, I will be having the sloped mud covered with the kerdi membrane instead.

          So McDesign are you saying that the plumber will just set a pipe for the drain and it gets cut down afterwards, maybe I'm not understanding you correctly?

          Appreciate your time, nice to have this info

          Mick

  2. DanH | Aug 26, 2007 09:07pm | #2

    Who's doing the shower for you? He should write up specs for how he wants the drain done.

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
  3. plumbbill | Aug 26, 2007 11:23pm | #3

    McDesign is spot on.

    I pretty much only do concrete floors. We set the body so the top lip is flush with the concrete, & then the clamping ring will be set over the sealing membrane wether it's a coating or liner.

    Finish height all depends on customer specs.

    The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.

    -- Albert Einstein

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