ᐅ Design of the walk-in shower?

Created on: 27 Aug 2018 13:21
S
sco0ter
Hello forum,

Here’s the situation:

We want to install wood-effect tiles in our bathroom (about 10m² (108 sq ft)). Specifically, the Etic Pallissandro tiles (dark brown).

We were also planning to use them in our walk-in shower (100 x 140 cm (39 x 55 inches)).

At the time, we agreed with our sanitary supplier on a centered, round drain. We didn’t think much of it, just assumed “yes, that works, let’s move on to the important stuff.” After all, it’s just a drain.

Our tiler recently told us that with long, narrow tiles—as is usually the case with wood-effect tiles—he would advise against a centered, round drain, because you end up with a lot of ugly (especially diagonal) grout lines to achieve the slope. It looks bad and is costly.

He said: either mosaic tiles, 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inches) (which don’t require diagonal grout lines), or large-format tiles (which only need about four grout lines and look better overall).
Or, of course, we could choose a linear shower drain installed at the end of the shower floor. This way, the entire shower floor can be sloped properly, even with wood-effect tiles, without diagonal grout lines.

Inquiry with the sanitary supplier revealed: a 600 EUR surcharge if we switch from the centered drain to the linear drain. Unbelievable!

Since we don’t find that reasonable, we want to stick with the centered drain.

Our tile dealer says the only large-format tiles available (100 x 100 cm (39 x 39 inches)) are cement-effect, which doesn’t go well with the wood look (we tried it, really doesn’t match).

We were also advised against mosaics because they have even more grout lines, which are harder to clean and where dirt accumulates.

The last alternative would be a shallow ceramic shower tray again, but that will probably be even more expensive.

Do you see any other options, or what would you do?

Is mosaic really that bad when it comes to maintenance?
K
kbt09
27 Aug 2018 16:16
If the underfloor heating runs through the shower area, that is absolutely no problem. And water has never pooled in my case.
L
Lumpi_LE
27 Aug 2018 16:18
Yes, that's true. I wipe the floor after showering; it takes 5 seconds and I would do it even if there were fewer grout lines.
C
Curly
27 Aug 2018 16:56
We have a shower drain channel that has been tiled. Cleaning is really very simple: once a week, lift the grate and remove a small strainer to empty it. I would definitely choose this type of shower drain again. In the children's bathroom, we used pre-made mosaic tiles. The mosaic tiles are quite expensive, so this option did not exactly save money. I would not cut the mosaic tiles, as it definitely wouldn’t turn out perfectly.

Best regards
Sabine
F
Fuchur
27 Aug 2018 17:03
If it is really meant to be mosaic, then a new tile should be used for that. The wood look is supposed to be represented somehow. With all the leftover pieces, I can hardly imagine that it will still create a “nice” pattern if the wood grains are scattered randomly.

If this is about majority preferences: my vote is clearly for the channel drain. Attractive floor, easy to maintain.
B
bibi80
27 Aug 2018 17:04
Hello,
We have three showers, two of which are walk-in showers.

For the walk-in showers, 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 inches) mosaic tiles were cut from the floor tiles.

One walk-in shower has a wall drain; this is the main bathroom. It works perfectly—the water drains easily, and cleaning is no problem.

The other walk-in shower has a centered floor drain, which works just as well.

I believe that if it is done properly, both options function well.

However, I wouldn’t base your decision solely on a 600€ difference, but rather on what you prefer.

Otherwise, you might regret it, and the other options don’t come free either.

Best regards,
Birgit
Y
ypg
27 Aug 2018 17:11
Curly schrieb:
Lift the rail once a week and remove a small sieve to empty it.

Could you please send me one or two photos of the underside or the supports where the rail rests, or upload them here?
I want to compare if something is different in our setup, so I understand why I’m having issues.