Zero Threshold Doorless Shower with Trench Drain - what to use? Durable?

[DIY_Steve]

Hello,

I'm hoping some of you will have experience with products such as the Proline Drain from QuickdrainUSA.com. Anyone have experience with these? Their installation instructions show a construction of plywood subfloor, thinset, quickslope, thinset, waterproof membrane, thinset, tile. How long will this last? How watertight will it be? Isn't a 1/4" tile backer always recommended? Should that be added to their recommendation? Is there a different product I should use to achieve my goal?


Thanks!
DIY SG

[johnfrwhipple]

Steve the folks at Proline and I disagree on how the floor framing should be done. I have installed many of their drains and have developed my own approach.

Your idea of the 1/4" backer board is a good one but you need to remember that the install should be "Tile Ready" before proceeding.

We often double down on the plywood and add concrete board to the system.

That and Simpson Strong Tie hardware and extra 2"x4" blocking and 2"x6" blocking below the subfloor to remove deflection.

The Proline installation technique outlining removing a section of subfloor is a scary one in my opinion. Beef up the subfloor. You do not want the floor flexing at your drain connection.

Call me if you need a little more heads up. JW 604-506-6792

[johnfrwhipple]

Placing a drain at the entry to the shower is a risky install to begin with. The reason it's appealing is because of obvious grade build ups.



We grouted my buddy's place yesterday. The drain in this picture is a Proline but it was installed over a clamping drain. We used this drain and cut it up so we could do some crazy lighting. The drain was removed from a failed installation last year. Look at the effort we took to make this bathroom a total wet room. The build up at the door is about 1.25" - we will make a custom transition for this out of wood.

SIDE NOTE:

ACO makes a flanged drain that can be waterproofed with Kerdi (Kerdi Fix) and can be installed right at the doorway as well. Without cutting a slot in the subfloor. Personally I do not like this drain much (I prefer more tradinational methods but am told this is the most popular drain in Europe of the ACO models) and prefer the ACO plain edge design.

After installing dozens and dozens of these linear drains over the past few years one thing always comes up.

Framing in North America is "Shit". These floors are to weak for these shower designs and extra care needs to be taken to beef up the floors. We like to have 5/8" of grade outside the shower to the dry zone. Not zero.

If you study some of my work pictures you will see how we do this.

ACO just launched a new point drain that has the same grills as the linear drains. So a design savvy choice would be a matching back up drain.

JW