ᐅ Installing a Walk-In Shower on the Same Level – Is It Possible?

Hello dear building experts, I hope you can give me some advice... I am currently facing the following situation:
I inherited an apartment. The bathroom is a typical 1990s standard white-tiled, boring bathroom that is functional and practical, but causes me aesthetic discomfort every time I enter it. Therefore, I feel compelled to invest in it and make it more pleasant. The problem is – I’m not sure if it can be done the way I imagine – and that’s why I need some help.
My plan:
I would like a completely walk-in (level-entry) bathroom with linear drainage and full slate tile covering (I am attaching a picture I found online as inspiration for better visualization). However, under the current tiles, there is an electric underfloor heating system, so I suspect I am limited in breaking up the screed. What is the ideal way to handle this?
Or if that is not feasible, is it possible to raise the shower area (on a slightly elevated base or a stud frame)? Or possibly raise the whole bathroom floor? What should be considered and what do I need for that?
Thanks and best regards to all who can help

Please share a photo of the current bathroom. Otherwise, the idea is quite simple: remove everything, including the screed and electric underfloor heating, and then completely renovate everything.

You should probably provide photos and drawings of the current floor plan instead.

Since a slope is needed within the screed, it can only be done by chiseling and redoing it. This becomes difficult if there is underfloor heating installed. If the surface really needs to be level, the only solution is to redo everything.

You could raise the shower area by one step (ask a trusted tiler) so it is level there, or install a shower tray – at the zero-threshold point, you can see an example of a bathtub replaced by a shower tray.

Because this is not flush with the floor, it is definitely more realistic to achieve this without damaging the underfloor heating.

Thanks for your tips... I had already feared that this would probably be a rather rough solution and that the underfloor heating would pose another problem. Therefore, I will likely follow fragg’s advice and raise the section where the shower is by one step – otherwise it simply becomes too complicated.

Is there a smart approach to doing this (the elevation)? …of course, I would ask the tiler I trust… but it’s always good to have an idea of how you want it done and not just rely on the first suggestion.

So, thanks in advance for any further ideas! Best regards

ypg schrieb:

You should probably provide photos and drawings of the current floor plan

Sorry, I hadn’t thought of that.

Unfortunately, I can’t provide photos because the apartment is currently still rented.

Dimensions: 3.46 m x 2.38 m (11 ft 4 in x 7 ft 10 in)