Low Or No Curb Shower Framing

JohnHomeMatters

Hi.

Client has MS and needs to reduce the curb to zero if possible on the new shower in a bathroom remodel. Floor trusses below, so I don't see how to modify the framing to lower the section under the shower floor to allow slope to drain. Ideas?

Thanks. Hope you're busy.

John

precisionbuild

Can you raise the rest of the floor by putting sleepers or something on it?

Mike Finley

Is it a tiled shower floor or can you use a receptor?

davitk

If you can't modify the floor framing, Swanstone has barrier-free and transfer- shower floors, low threshold and/or with ramps.


http://www.theswancorp.com/index.php?prod=224

JohnHomeMatters

Thanks for your ideas...

1. raise bathroom floor -- not a good option here because would create raised threshold elsewhere and require door mods.

2. Is a receptor same as an acrylic base? If yes, no.

3. Haven't see swanstone....will look...thanks much.

Mike Finley

Yes a receptor is what a shower pan is called.

If it's a tiled base, tile the whole bathroom floor after you water proof it. Make the whole room a shower. Then make kind of a mini curb, basically a bump, a little slope to keep the water flowing back toward the drain. It's rare you can raise the rest of the floor in a remodel.

neolitic

Perhaps drop the sub floor in the
shower area to the level of top of
joist.
Run ledgers to support 2X blocks
as sub floor to support a receptor.
(2X flatwise, and flush with top
of joist)
Have seen it done in old houses
(with 1X) under mud base tile
floors.

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red_cedar

Haveing the whole room a shower is how I have seen it in Rome Italy.

I personaly did not like it, but for special needs, seems like a good solution to the situation.

jarvis design

I did a doorless entry shower last summer and built a "bump" going into the shower - was about 3" high and probably 12-14" deep. I cut out forms out of plywood and used drypack to build the bump. Used Kerdi and a 1.5"x3" brick style mosaic that fit the curve perfect.

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Wendt

Well, since this is my first post, I guess you will have to search "Best Bath" and see the product that I used...It has a corner unit with 2 open sides and ramp mats that make break the transition...

I have used this company in the past for a home with two roll in showers. I actually recessed the pan in the concrete slab, but it looks as if you can build up the transition with their ramp pads. They are a bit expensive, but good products.

I have also built a roll in shower in the same situation that you are in. We built a house on a basement and then had to convert a bathroom to be wheelchair accessible. It really depends on the size of the room that you have to make the transition. In this situation, you really need a good tile person to waterproof the whole area and then build a curb and ramp the floor to it. then you can get a shower curtain rod that forms a "right angle". It is about 48" x 48" and has a support anchored to the ceiling at the elbow to support the shower curtain.

Mike Finley

I've only seen one roll in shower base, it's by Musttee I believe, it is 1/2 tall off the subfloor at the entrance, so if you tile the floor you can easily make it perfectly even from tile to base, however the bad thing was it was only 40"x40", not really big enough for wheel chair use which I would think is the main reason for have a zero barrier shower.

scuba

Florestone has aout a dozen models with barrier free use. You'd have to ramp up approx. 2" above the subfloor. You could reduce the ramp by the thickness of the subfloor by framing down to the top of your joists and adding in the proper supports. Approx. $1,500.00 gets you the stall (all different sizes), faucet with handheld and slide bar, grab bars, soap, seat and drain assembly. Never used the Swanstone, will have to check them out.

scuba

Hey Mike, I checked out the Mustee unit. I don't know how their getting the slope they need including the thickness of their material, but if it works, good. Have you ever used their product? If so, is it worth looking into? Bathrooms are our specialty and we are doing more and more of the accessable bathrooms, modifications, safety issues, etc. It's a great niche market.

Greg

Mike Finley

Greg I have used a ton of Mustee products but not that one. It's just so small I can't see the point.

I would be greatly concerned with the thickness of that thing too: Doesn't look like there is any room at all even for any mortar under it.

Winchester

Schluter makes a shower base and ramp if you want to tile the floor. I'm installing one this week.

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JohnFRWhipple

I have been reading a great "White Paper" on the cost of a curbless shower constructed with large format glass panels and a channel drain compared to a standard hotel shower.

The reduced servicing and savings in repair times is impressive. Like many of these new Green Options these investments in better construction practices and smarter design actually don't cost anything in the long run but in fact save money over standard building practices.

The trick is to not think in 3-5 year cycles but 15-40 year ones.

Less waste. Better design. Safer showers...

JW

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cbreeze

I use a lot of the Sterling products and have had good luck with them. They are a low threshold shower (About 1 inch) and most times I build a small ramp for the customer to get over the "bump" of the threshold out of composite decking and attach it to the floor with stainless steel screws. These units sit on top of existing floor. No mud needed.
There are other companies that offer a low threshold and a factory made ramp but the factory made ramps typically take up 10"-12" of floor space. The ramps I make take up 3"-4" of floor space. Just enough to take the curse off the bump of the threshold.

go dart

http://www.onyxcollection.com/onyx-s...-base-pan.html

bluebird5

i would slope the whole area around the shower essentially where ever the water can spash while taking a shower. tarpaper wire mesh and 4 parts sand to one part portland then some smaller tile to follow the contour

Bluemoon1

For those still interested. Using a drain like the flush drain from prodrain would work well. Attached pic.
The drain can be set at the threshold location in this example and the shower tile can be sloped outward. The prodrain is installed flush with the subfloor and some modifications might need to be made to the floor joists, but minimal. It has worked great for us.
Hope this helps for an idea in the future

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