Noble Freestyle Linear Drain - PVC or ABS?

In the 48" size I need, both PVC and ABS are available - with the ABS cost being about $100 over the PVC.

The ABS would perhaps be less likely to crack and potentially more impact resistant - is there something else that would warrant this much difference in cost?

Thanks!

Maybe volume? They're pretty equivalent and I can't see much reason why one would cost more otherwise. It may be that ABS is harder to mold into the desired shape...sorry, just guesses. Worst comes to worst, even if you have abs, buy the pvc one and connect using a banded coupler (no-hub). While there is an approved cement, I'd rather just use the coupler.

Cost of shipping (weight)

Just getting done with framing ...went with Noble drain in 48" and didn't do the outer wall till I got the drain in and could dry fit ...48" is 48" with Noble. Came with tube of 150 and a couple of feet of their membrane - not enough to do any size shower,p so not sure why is there unless it is to do the drain and then overlay the remainder with 150 sealant. Beautifully machined PVC, but still not sure it needs to be this expensive. Although, there isn't much difference in pice between Nobles and the other options, including homegrown stainless fab.

The next stressful thing will be during glue up ... There is a lip inside the drain that 3/4" of pipe fits (above rough floor) and since my installation is hard against a wall, and it must be installed from above (I don't want to tear into living room ceiling), am not going to be able to twist pipe after I apply glue - hard to break a habit, but it is just water flowing straight down

You could access it from above if you leave a space open in the sub floor. If you wanted you could attach a no hub fitting and then pre attach a short tail piece to the drain.

Yes - understand ....wouldn't make sense to do otherwise - good videos on the product install. Looks pretty well thought out, but yeah, without the 150 sealant, it certainly looks like it would leak. I plan on using one monolithic piece of their material and following the directions.

Example of some of the design work I do for my remote clients.

Thanks, John ....the drain came with a small roll of TS membrane ...not sure what it is for, unless the intent is to attach it to the drain (with 150), then to seam it to a larger piece of TS with 150. Right ...no thinset with the membrane!

I was going to just attach drain to floor (3/4" plywood with 1/2" plywood, both glued and screwed)' then put tar paper on other deck of the shower, mesh on top and dry mix mortar, with Quick Pitch sticks to set the pitch ... would CBU on shower floor be better?

Ref setting drain and glue up ... Was avoiding cutting hole for access either through plywood or the ceiling below ....is there really any serious chance of issue if I am careful on aligning drain and lead pipe to trap? The profile of the drain where it connects to pipe is such that it will fit flush to the edge of the pipe ...ie lip is same thickness as the pvc pipe ...lots of cement so that it squeezes out and follow up with some silicon?

Ref the drain, the grate is adjustable up and down and the edges appear to align just about right if using 1/2" CBU on the walls (yeah, I'll put poly behind it) ... If the TS wraps up the sides of wall under the CBU, what would Schluter profile do?

Hi John,

Rechecked their instructions ...was going to do exactly as their thin bed instructions say. Attach linear drain to raw subfloor with screws they provide, attached tarpaper and meta mesh for the dry mix (4:1), then screed, then lay single piece of TS over that with 150 sealant per their instructions, running TS up the sides of the blocking I have in place, then follow one of the many ways folks finish out the shower walls (I usually use poly over the studs, then CBUs, then thinset the tile.

Ref the subfloor - 3/4" and then 1/2" - when I say glued and screwed, I mean every joist, screws every 6 inches, and then 1/2" with screws through to joists, with glued all over, and field screws, as well (I know some don't like field screws, but others do).

Remember expansion and blocking.

Install complete and seems to be working OK ...used single TS piece over entire dry pack base (plywood, tar paper, then galvanized mesh) with slope set by Quick Pitch sticks, covering the linear drain, with recommended processes and sealant (stainless sealing ring is screwed over the TS and then cut out later), running TS up the walls 12-18". Thinset the TS to the base, then thinset the marble to the TS after usual CBU install and poly overlapping the TS from the base.

Other than the usual discoloration of the marble, noting unusual so far.

What's going on with the marble?