Shower with a floor drain - a drain in the floor in place of the bath

What to check before replacing a bath with a shower

The drain needs space in the floor and a sewer connection at a height that lets the water run away. In an apartment building the floor sits on a floor slab, and the slabs are the common property of the apartment owners. If the drain would require chasing into the slab, it affects common property and needs the association's consent. That is why the drain and slope are usually formed in the floor build-up above the slab, and the floor level in the bathroom may rise.

How much the floor will rise depends on the drain model and the position of the sewer connection. In your request, describe where the bath's connection and the riser are, and what the door threshold is like.

If the bathroom is above a neighbour's living room, building code LBN 200-21 allows it where the requirements for soundproofing, waterproofing, thermal insulation, fire safety, ventilation and safety are met. If you are moving the bathroom, check whether a construction notice is needed (simplified renovation). For a shower without a tray, waterproofing is the most important layer under the tiles.

Bathrooms and shower rooms in residential buildings are ventilated through natural exhaust ducts (LBN 231-15). When planning the new finish, do not cover the ventilation opening.

Waterproofing around the drain

In the Ceresit CL 51 technical data sheet, the manufacturer recommends at least two coats, so that the dry layer is 0.5 mm. Waterproofing tape is worked into the joints between wall and floor, pressed into the first coat and covered with the second. Sleeves or membranes are used around the drain and pipes, and corner pieces in the corners.

More on this work: waterproofing in the bathroom.

The order of work, as it is usually done

1. Demolition The bath, the old tiles and, if needed, the old floor layer are removed.
2. Installing the drain The drain is connected to the sewer connection and fixed at the required height.
3. Slope The floor layer is formed with a fall towards the drain so that water does not stay in the shower area.
4. Waterproofing The floor and walls in the shower area are coated in two layers, with tape in the joints and a sleeve around the drain.
5. Tiling Floor tiles are laid with a fall towards the drain. For Ceresit CM 17, the manufacturer states that the floor is grouted no sooner than after 24 hours.
6. Joints and silicone The manufacturer requires the joints in corners, at the floor and at the sanitaryware to be filled with silicone, not with grout.

What to decide before your request

• Type of drain: a point drain in the middle of the shower or a linear drain by the wall.
• Shower enclosure: a glass screen, a door or a curtain.
• Whether the washing machine stays in the bathroom and where its connection will be.
• Whether you need grab rails or a seat. If you are adapting the shower for an older person, see renovation for seniors.
• Whether you will choose the materials yourself. Write this in your request.

How much a shower with a floor drain costs

Floor drain installation costs from €100 per drain, waterproofing in the bathroom from €6/m², tiling from €24/m², removal of old tiles from €9/m². A full bathroom renovation is from €3,000. Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: tiling 18 m² × €24 = from €432, waterproofing 5 m² × €6 = from €30, floor drain installation from €100, total from €562 (only these three jobs; a full bathroom renovation is from €3,000).

The price is affected by the bathroom area in m², the condition of the walls and floor, whether pipes have to be moved, the type of drain and the tiles you choose. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: renovation prices.