shower p trap 101 needed

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nc8861

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I've pulled out everything in our bath remodel, down to the subfloor & studs. We had a 60" x 32ish" shower with center drain on a 30 yr old mud bed. No membrane, and eventually the water got through.

Around the drain is really nasty - lots of concrete stuck to the flange/drain. Pretty sure it's ABS type pipe. Definitely will have to come out. I'm figuring the easiest thing to do is to cut the floor out, cut out the trap, and put it back (I've already got a hole in the floor anyway that needs to be repaired). All the details in between I was hoping to get from you all....i.e. - glue type/couplings needed other pieces?/solid p trap/level or not/how high above subfloor does everything need to finish, and so on. Also, when putting everything back, do I need to glue up everything except the top drain/flange, THEN put down the plywood, THEN glue in the drain/flange? This would keep the hole a little tighter around the pipe. Any diagrams or stuff like that you can point me to would be great.

Thanks for any help!
 

hj

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drain

You have done the easy work and now you want us to describe the hard part in 25 words or less. The drain should be level with the top of the floor, regardless of how large the hole has to be to do so.
 

nc8861

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Forgive me if I'm in the wrong place, but I thought this was a DIY advice forum. So yes, I was looking for advice on the "hard part".
 

Mikey

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I recommend the Kerdi shower. It avoids most of the classic membrane and drain problems, and IMHO is easier for the DIYer to accomplish. Schluter (the company that sells the Kerdi system) supplies kits, materials, instructional videos, etc., all available online. I'm beginning to see their line in Home Depot as well, but may be special-order only. For a whole ton of advice, as well as a book devoted to the Kerdi Shower, check out the John Bridge tile forum (www.johnbridge.com).
 

Jadnashua

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To ensure proper support around the drain, you can't install it until the plywood is down. The biggest mistake is not getting the riser perfectly plumb...the drain really does need to be level to look and work right. The next one is not getting it the proper height.

I'll second the use of the Kerdi system. You can check it out at the manufacturer's site www.schluter.com. They have some videos there as well. Nothing wrong with the conventional construction of a shower, but Kerdi is more forgiving, and has other benefits as well. Schluter has a tileable tray that may meet your needs, and is pretty easy to install - it goes down like a big tile. You do not need to use their tray to use the Kerdi system - you can apply it to a preslope. Review the site, if interested, and tiled shower construction is better covered over at John's site...
 

nc8861

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Cool - thanks....had heard of the Kerdi before but wasn't sure of the general opinion & durability of it, since it sounded so new. I'll check it out in more detail.
 

nc8861

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angle of ABS connection

Ripped out the old p trap last night, went pretty well overall. The new one fits well. Only small issue - to get the riser perfectly plumb for the drain to be level I need just a tiny bit more give on the outgoing ABS pipe. Trying to think of a good way to explain - the p trap horizontal outflow pipe and the pipe I'm connecting to I want to be right in line with each other to ensure there's no stress on the joint where the coupling will join the two pieces. But the way it currently is, I need just a tiny angle/turn to get where I need it to be. Does this make sense? I'm wondering if I should use 2 22.5 degree bends to get it just right, or just cram it in and cross my fingers.

The old drain/riser was just shoved right in, and was ever so slightly unlevel - not enough to cause any problems, it appears, but I want this one done right.

I'm on the second floor with the floor open, joists 16" on center. As it so happens, the trap rests perfectly on top of a wall top plate on the floor below, so it's got ample support.
 

Jadnashua

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Assuming you are using the Kerdi drain, it is larger in diameter than many, and will exaggerate any errors...try to get it right - you'll be living with it for years.
 

rbird7282

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I've pulled out everything in our bath remodel, down to the subfloor & studs. We had a 60" x 32ish" shower with center drain on a 30 yr old mud bed. No membrane, and eventually the water got through.

Around the drain is really nasty - lots of concrete stuck to the flange/drain. Pretty sure it's ABS type pipe. Definitely will have to come out. I'm figuring the easiest thing to do is to cut the floor out, cut out the trap, and put it back (I've already got a hole in the floor anyway that needs to be repaired). All the details in between I was hoping to get from you all....i.e. - glue type/couplings needed other pieces?/solid p trap/level or not/how high above subfloor does everything need to finish, and so on. Also, when putting everything back, do I need to glue up everything except the top drain/flange, THEN put down the plywood, THEN glue in the drain/flange? This would keep the hole a little tighter around the pipe. Any diagrams or stuff like that you can point me to would be great.

Thanks for any help!
I would strongly recommend the Wedi shower pan and wall board. This is the easiest shower pan I have ever used and the best. The pan is one piece, presloped and very easy to hook up to the drain pipe. The pan can be set in about 30 minutes and ready to tile. You need to use Wedi board for the walls, and they are not cheap, but they are 100 percent waterproof and there is no vapor barrier needed. The pan can also be easily cut and modified for a specific size if need be. A 1/2" x 3' x 5' sheet of Wedi board weighs about 7 pounds and is much better than cement board. Good luck whatever you decide!
 
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