# Handicapp tile shower floor



## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Have a remod customer (contractor) I do lots of work with. 
He wants me to do a handicap shower floor of sorts that will have no dam or threshold to speak of. Wants the tile floor to simply pitch down towards drain from entrance into shower. No door as this shower will be aprx, 7 feet long, 4ft. wide.
Have any of you done this? I don't like having no dam or threshold. 
I know I wouldn't want to use vinyl pans so hopefully good suggestion such as KURDY OR LIQUID membrane? Lead and vinyl is all I have experience with.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

It's fairly simple. Make sure your membrane extends beyond the where the curb would have been. The hardest part to get it right is a smooth transition where you enter the shower.

Mark


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

I do at least one per month. I use the the Kerdi drain and make my own pan out if stucco mesh and aqua defense


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

I'll up load some of my pics for you in a bit when I get back


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Check out the John Bridge Forum too. A lot of good info there. I like the liquid membrane alot better. I do 3-4 coats and reinforce the the horizontal and the change of plains. Kerdi will have a steeper learning curve if you never used it before and will require special tools like a 3/16th v notch trowel to apply the unmodified thinset. The liquid membrane requires a paint brush, fiberglass(I use stucco mesh), and scissors to cut the fiberglass mesh, and fan to help speed up the drying of the membrane between coats. PM if you got any questions, I do this all the time.


http://www.plumbingzone.com/f2/liquid-membrane-shower-pan-16872/


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Very interesting. How much of a challenge is the depth when trying to match floor surface of the rest of the bathroom?


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Epox said:


> Very interesting. How much of a challenge is the depth when trying to match floor surface of the rest of the bathroom?


Not hard. Recess the floor after demo. Then slope your mud bed to match the height of the bathroom floor. Liquid membrane or Kerdi is a surface applied pan, meaning one slope coat and you tile directly to the pan.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

Ive done plenty of ADA showers , but the Tile guy installs the floor . I'm only responsible for the plumbing, drain and supply.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

By stucco mesh are you talking about metal fabric or a fiberglass fabric.
Edit: Sorry I missent


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Did this shower on a recent custom. I don't have any photos of the rough stage. It's done with Kerdi. Tile guy took care of getting the floor slope right and doing the membrane. Has about 3/4" of slope to front "threshold".

It's not for handicap. The owner (one of my regular GC's) wanted to have a shower with no door, so we made this. Works great and looks pretty good too.


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## JPL (Feb 8, 2013)

We've done three handicap showers. The first was a disaster where we hot mopped the whole footprint of the bathroom. Water traveled through the mortar bed and caused dryrot in the doorway areas. We ended up doing alot of repair work a couple years later.
The second job we put down a piece of SS angle iron where the outside of curb would be. The top of the angle iron was just below finish floor hight and was hidden in a grout line. This was also hot mopped. It's been a little over 8 years and its held up well.
In the third shower we used a Quick Drain where the curb would be (in addition to a standard drain.) They're expensive and a bit of a PITA but seem to work well. You really need to keep the tile sub on it for it to come out looking good. The Quick Drain website has pics where they use a trim piece around the drain top. IMO that's the only way to go if you want a clean look. We've done a few of these drains in other applications. 

http://www.quickdrainusa.com/


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Oh ya, just remembered this one too. Another fancy custom. Same construction details as previous one.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

So I would recess sub floor about 1/4" or maybe 3/8" for the membrane so that tile will be same as floor level?


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## JPL (Feb 8, 2013)

Nobody has had any issues with water traveling through the mortar?


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Epox said:


> So I would recess sub floor about 1/4" or maybe 3/8" for the membrane so that tile will be same as floor level?


Are you not also installing new tile in the rest of the bathroom? The mud bed should be the same height as the concrete slab or sub floor.


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## Relic (Sep 30, 2012)

Glad I'm a plumber and not a tile guy. :laughing:


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Will said:


> Are you not also installing new tile in the rest of the bathroom? The mud bed should be the same height as the concrete slab or sub floor.


True, but the rest of the bathroom does not have membrane thickness. Which is why I'm thinking when I pour the concrete back to recess so membrane ( that tile man will set tile to right?) will be same height as the house slab.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

No. The odds are the tile in the shower and tile on the bathroom are not the same thickness, tile guy will have to figure that one out. Your mud bed will match up with the slab or subfloor, and I'd ideally you want to carry to pan past the shower and into the bathroom floor. The liquid membrane or Kerdi is not thick,


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

If you got the money in the job Schluter makes premade bases that will make your job alot easier


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Epox said:


> True, but the rest of the bathroom does not have membrane thickness. Which is why I'm thinking when I pour the concrete back to recess so membrane ( that tile man will set tile to right?) will be same height as the house slab.


Kerdi membrane is very thin. Maybe 1/64" or less? Not enough to even notice when transitioning from membraned to non-membraned floor.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Will said:


> If you got the money in the job Schluter makes premade bases that will make your job alot easier


Never heard of them. Will look into it.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Epox said:


> Never heard of them. Will look into it.


Schluter makes Kerdi.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Cool, I see that.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

Schluter has a training class where they will pay for your hotel and meals while you go through training. You just have to get there. The class is free too. Obviously.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I will most likely use this system. Would love to go through the official training but Youtube and PZ will have to do.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

This one is not handi cap, but I just did it not too long ago. I went with redguard liquid membrane. Diffently not as good as Aqua defense. Takes alot longer to dry.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Another one, The Kerdi Drain on this one is different from a standard kerdi drain. Bolts up to a standard FHA shower drain, which is nice feature when doing a remodel, as you don't have to install a new kerdi drain or jack hammer the floor.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

...


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

We work with concrete slabs and will chip up 2 inches of concrete and then slope our pan liner accordingly


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm planning to pour the grade into the shower when I pour the floor back after excavation and replumbing. I'd like to use the kirdie drain if there is a advantage to it. And Kirdie system on top of that.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Have you watch the videos on Schuleters website yet? Alot of good info there.

http://www.schluter.com/8_2_kerdi_drain.aspx

Here is Laticrete Hydro Ban's

http://www.laticrete.com/contractors/products/hydro_ban_drains/productid/146.aspx


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I watched several of them on YouTube and on their web site. Really cool how the system works.


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