Hi all,

Will soon be tiling the floor of a walk in shower with a concrete screed floor. Sort of a wetroom floor. The drain has been fitted and sticks out proud of the concrete screed, but has dust cover on it at the moment. The square metal drain cover bit has been left off. Should this bit be fitted before tiling or after?

Am I right to assume that the drain should be the lowest point of the floor.

At what height should the metal cover be fitted then -
1- below tile height
2- at tile height
3- above tile height.

Do I just leave a similar grout line around the drain cover?

Sorry for the vague description, not sure what the metal bit is called!!! Its the posh shiney plug hole cover!!!!!

Cheers for any help. Si

fit the metal cover and then tile to it .the tiles should be just above to allow for the water to drain downhill .then i use silicone in between tile edge and metal cover (matches grout colour).main point to remember is that the drain cover needs to be at the lowest point - and use a tanking kit in the shower area to be safe from any leaks )- good luck

Thanks for the advice bluesky, thanks for your time.

How much of a gap would you leave around the cover before siliconing?

Cheers Si

The gap between the tile and grid will be about the same as your grout lines so just grout them in the normal way with flexible grout, you do not have to use silicone, it will get hammered over time, the tanking should come just below your tile edge and out of sight when grouted.

cheers diamond.

I am thinking of tanking the floor and walls with WP1, so will need 2 lots of mesh on the floor. Do I just cut a circle in the mesh to fit around drain and the paint it with lots of the waterproof stuff?

Did you mean the tanking around the drain should be just below the tile edge?

Thanks for your time. Si

make sure that the tanking goes everywhere where any water might penetrate through, tank up to the drain/pot making sure all air bubbles are gone, re-inforce the corners with tape if using liquid tanking, give it 3 coats to be sure, make absolutely sure that you are happy with all tanking before tiling, you can bring it just below the grid but hidden with the tile, you can re-inforce around the pot with tape as this is the weakest point in any tanking situation.
goodluck buddy

Thanks for your time diamond.

The drain has a couple of inch gap around it from the screed. From the screed to the drain pot is filled with what looks like some sort of tarpaulin, plastic bag thing sealed around it!!! Good at descriptions aren't I !! Is this normal?

Thanks for your help. Si

Thats the DMP, damp proof membrane, always comes up like that, cut it at the floor around where the drain is, not a problem

Blimey your quick!

Good to hear that its a DPM and probably done properly then!! Its my sisters shower room you see and money is tight!!! Thats why I'm tiling!

I'm assuming you meant cut the tanking membrane around the drain pot, not cut the DPM!!!!

Cheers Si

Simon, Just to be sure we are talking about the same thing, your description of the plastic baggy thing around the drain is slightly vague, usually the DPM would be cut around pipework that would protrude through the newly laid concrete floor, if its gathered around the pipe then its the DPM and you can cut it down to floor level, otherwise it will always be seen after you tile, be very careful around the pipework if you use a stanley knife, you dont want to cut the pipe. A picture would have helped I think.

Yes sorry for the vague description!

It is bunched around the drain pipe as it protrudes through the screed. It is not above screed level, but bunched around it at screed level. As I said the dust cap is fitted to the pipe at the moment and I believe I will need to solvent weld the plastic joint of the metal cover to the pipe. I have placed this on top of the pipe and there is quite a gap, approx 50mm between the top surface of the metal cover and the DPM gathered around the pipe.

I have not tanked the floor yet so this would cover the DPM where it comes through the screed. I can only think I will need to cut a hole in the mesh and slide it over the drain pipe. Then fit the metal cover, then tile!

I will be round at my sisters tomorrow and I will take a couple of pics and attempt to load them on here!!!!

Thanks for your continued help diamond.

Cheers Si

It sounds straight forward enough, if you solvent weld the plastic joint of the metal cover will you still be able to lift the metal cover off for cleaning purposes? usually a lot of rubbish goes down those grids and you need to be able to pull the collecting chamber (if it has one) out to clean,

Cheers diamond.

Its a McAlpine one, I know that much! So I will need to get it spot on when I solvent weld it then, as no moving it once its done!

It has two screws on the top , that I believe you undo to get at the collecting trap. The diagrams they provide are rubbish!

Thanks for your help.

All the best Si

cant go wrong with those traps, good gear, get it perfectly level Simon and you will tile a lot easier, have you tiled around a grid to falls in the past??

No mate, first bit of tiling!!! Did a 4 day course about 12 months ago!!

My sis has spent all money she has on tiles etc, so I have been roped in to help out actually fit them. Don't know if you have seen my other posts (I have been asking ALOT of questions!) but will explain job for you.

Ground floor shower room, concrete screed floor on existing concrete floor. Walls are lovely and flat plaster on block.
Wall tiles are 600x300 ceramic and from posting on here I think I will need a 10mm square notch and will back skim them as they are large format.
Floor tiles are 300x300 ceramic and I will use the same 10mm trowel as the walls. The screed has slight falls to the drain, but I think it will be hard to maintain them due to the size of the tile. My sis choose them!

In your opinion am I ok with the 10mm square notch for both wall and floor. I have been reading I need 100% coverage in wet areas, will the ridges collapse to give that coverage, along with the back skimming? Have also been reading about solid bed trowels. I have info overload!

Especially don't want those big ones on the wall falling off !!!

Cheers Si