How to Create Fall in Bathroom Floor | Learn Everything You Never Know

This article is meant to orientate and educate us on how to create falls on the bathroom floor, installing a floor drain in a bathroom, creating shower drain, and other relevant topics discussed in the articles.

How to Install a Shower Drain

Whether it is a renovation or new construction, linear shower drains choose to create fall on any bathroom floor. Installing a linear shower drain, particularly from Easy Drain, is easier than you might think. This article gives you a brief explanation of how to install a linear shower drain in 10 steps.

To get the best possible result, read the installation guide, as the exact instructions depend on the type of linear drain. We recommend that installation be carried out by experienced professionals who comply with building regulations.

Read More: How To Install A Shower Drain In A Concrete Slab

Step-1: Choose the location

A linear shower drain can be installed in 4 different ways: on the wall (on one side or three sides) or the floor (free on the floor or between two walls). Make sure to install the appropriate shower drain model for the location you have in mind. Regardless of the shower drain location, the floor should be sloped slightly towards the gutter to ensure that the water is drained. When the slope to the drain is insufficient or non-existent, the water accumulates and causes flooding in the bathroom.

Learn More: How To Clean Shower Floor

Top: wall installation – bottom: floor installation

Step- 2: Prepare the work area

Before starting the installation process, check that the floor and work area is clean. It is also essential to ensure that no dirt comes into contact with the shower drain during assembly. You can protect the drain using the pre-installed (folded) sealing membrane or a cloth. Before installation, the assembly process and its unique features should be clarified with the installer. After assembly, make sure you know the complete assembly together with the installer.

Linear shower drain with the folded sealing membrane.

Step-3: Calculate the height of the shower drain

It would help if you first determined the size of the shower drain. Don’t forget that the tiles should be leveled or 1mm above the shower drain’s highest edge to ensure optimal water drainage. When calculating the total depth, consider the thickness, the tile adhesive layer, and the leveling layer.

Read More: How To Waterproof A Shower Without Removing Tiles

Tip: Consider the installation depth when choosing the right shower drain for your project.

Total installation depth.

Step-4: Place the integrated set

After creating space for the shower drain, the built-in set should be inserted, aligned, and leveled. This can be achieved using the height-adjustable legs.

Tip: wall models include a special bracket for wall mounting

Height-adjustable legs for easy levelling

Step-5: Connect to drain pipe

Replace the old drain pipes with ones that have a diameter of no more than 50 mm. Renovation projects where a shower tray has been added may experience it. Prior to ensuring an appropriate slope, the shower drain has to be connected to the drain pipe. There is no need for adhesive since the connection provides sufficient sealing; just slide the drain onto it. To avoid leaks, examine the shower drain’s waterproofing and the connection to the drain.

Tip: Place the base on the anchor clip and provide adequate ventilation to the drain pipes.

Check the waterproofness to avoid leaks.

Step-6: Create a sloping floor

Create a proper slope on the floor to ensure that the water flows into the shower drain. To avoid gaps under the drain, make sure enough material is used to connect to the drain frame’s top edge.

Tip: The slope to the drain should be at least 2% per linear meter.

Step-7: Waterproof installation

Once the base of the floor has hardened, it’s time to waterproof your shower drain. It can be achieved using the Water Protection System (WPS). The pre-installed sealing membrane can be unfolded and glued onto the screed using flexible sealing paste such as Easy2Seal 2K Rapid, which can be worked on after about 90 minutes.

Slope towards the shower drain

Step-8: Lay the tiles

When tiling, be sure to create a slope with a minimum of a 2% drop to the shower drain. It is essential to ensure that the tiles are not placed directly into the drain, as about 5mm must be left free to apply the flexible sealer.

Tip: use our tiling guide to make sure you leave enough space between the tiles and the drain

100% waterproof with the Water Protection System

Step-9: Seal the shower drain

After laying the tiles, the joint between the tile and the drain must be sealed with an elastic sealant (maintenance joint). Adhesion surfaces must be clean, free of materials that can reduce adhesion.

Tip: Easy Silicon has a stainless steel color that goes perfectly with the drain and tiles.

Apply an elastic sealant between the tiles and the shower drain

Step-10: Place the rack

When the seal has dried, you can clean the drain. After the cleaning process, the adjustable-height grid can be placed, adapting it to the tile’s thickness.

Tip: Easy Drain TAF (Tile Adjustable Frame) models can be adjusted at the time of tiling, facilitating work, creating a perfect finish, and ensuring a total fit with any thickness of the flooring.

Easily adjustable to the thickness of the tile

The siphon should be cleaned periodically to remove any dirt that may have accumulated. We recommend using the Easy Clean Set for weekly maintenance and for cleaning the shower drain.

Tip: The Easy Clean set removes stubborn dirt and other hard-to-remove stains by returning the shine to the drain.

Tips on Bathroom Drainage Installation

The installation of a bathroom drain is a work of great importance for your home. However, if you are thinking of doing the installation yourself, you must bear in mind that it is a project that requires specific plumbing knowledge to guarantee a correct installation.

Likewise, it would help if you considered a series of elements before installing a bathroom drain. Installing a bathroom drain is not a complicated task; however, we recommend that you seek plumbing renovation professionals due to the number of details present. In the same way, here are some elements that you should consider:

Follow these steps to install a bathroom drain:

Read More: How To Install Towel Bar On Glass Shower Door

Make a model or sketch

To begin installing a bathroom drain, make sure you have a model or design of the pipes and connections you want to place.

Select location

In the space of your bathroom, locate the place where the toilet, the sink, and the shower or bathtub will be since you will be able to determine precisely the location where the pipes will be installed. Also, locate the clean water lines and the drain.

Prepare the area

Make sure to close all the water valves to avoid any leak. Protect the drains with some mesh or cloth that prevents any dirt or work instrument from falling.

Install the water lines

Install the water lines coming from the wall or the floor, depending on your bathroom plan. For the shower and sink installation, you will need two water lines, one cold and one hot, for the toilet only requires the installation of a cold water line.

Quality of materials

Sometimes, when installing on your own, you seek to save as much as possible, using low-quality materials, without considering that an installation of this type should last at least 20 years or more.

Type of Installation and Route of Pipes

A linear-type pipe is recommended for installing a bathroom drain, whose route is as short and straightforward as possible.

Modifying the bathroom

If you are doing a bathroom renovation to install a new drainage system, we recommend removing the tiles or ceramic to work on new work. Likewise, it evaluates the current conditions of the pipes.

Building permits

Although it is a minor work, to carry out this type of reform in the USA, it is necessary to have the corresponding building permits. Among them is the notification of the book to the city council.

Degree of inclination of pipes

The drain pipes need a proper inclination to guarantee their flow. You must bear in mind that the tilt varies about the diameter of the line.

The slope of the floor

Similarly, the floor’s slope or inclination is essential; for example, for the shower drain, the floor must be slightly inclined to avoid water wells’ accumulation.

Connect the drain lines

You will need several pipes to connect the drainage lines; the toilet pipes have the largest diameter, which ranges between 3 and 4 cm. These should have the proper slope towards the main drain.

Similarly, the tubing for the shower and sink should have the correct slope for optimal drainage.

The final layout of the drain pipes depends, in large part, on the location of the existing bathroom pipes, as well as the new toilet, sink, and shower designs.

How to Give Bathroom Floor Slope to Drain

When installing an indoor floor drain, the floor must have a slight incline so that the water flows to the drain efficiently. If the proper slope is not achieved, problems such as water stagnation will appear; steep, a hill will create an unpleasant sensation and cause the unsettling feeling that the room is crooked or downhill. The correct pitch will give the room a more professional and clean touch.

Step 1

Remove the existing floor covering in the room that will be sloped for drainage. When you’re ready to begin the slope generation procedures, the remaining floor area should be wood (such as plywood or wood) or concrete.

Step 2

Lay a waterproof floor covering the floor surface so that the floor below is impervious to water. Make sure to fold the siding edges so that water cannot flow through the body’s folds underneath. Most siding packages contain detailed instructions on how to accomplish this and how to glue any large room seams.

Step 3

Identify the drain (either an existing drain or a drain that will be added later), which may be in the center of a bathroom or a slightly offset drain in a dressing room. Now measure the distances between the drain location and the surrounding walls

Step 4

Cover the floor with wire mesh as tightly as possible against the waterproof floor covering. Be careful not to cut or tear the waterproof floor covering with the wire mesh. Leave a 6-inch hole in the screen where the drain is.

Step 5

Calculate how much slope should be created from each wall. The correct slope is calculated as one-fourth or one-eighth of an inch per foot of the floor-length. As a general rule of thumb, all areas around the drain should have a similar slope. To calculate, multiply the length in feet of the wall farthest from the gutter and multiply that result by 0.125. This will be the height in inches of the added flooring surface at the farthest edges of the drain. Mark this position on the walls surrounding the drain. To transform the value of inches obtained into centimeters, you must multiply by 2.54.

Step 6

Attach the bottom flange of the drain to the drainpipe if you are installing a new drain. If an existing drain is used, remove the current drain cap.

Step 7

Mix the cement in a wheelbarrow according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spread the cement with a hand trowel across the floor’s surface, starting from the room’s outer edges and working toward the drain. Be sure to cement down to the lines you’ve marked on the walls at the outer edges of the room. Near the drain, the cement should rise to just below the drain.

Step 8

Smooth the cement’s surface with a trowel to have a uniform finish throughout the room, with a gradual slope towards the drain. Allow the cement to dry completely before installing floor finishing products, such as tile, cement, or paint.

What Should I Change in the Bathroom to Make it Safer?

Each person has specific needs to which their bathroom must adapt to be comfortable, functional, and safe. Some of the changes that may be interesting to you are:

Change of bathtub for shower

If in those seconds in which you lift one foot to get into the bathtub, you notice that your balance is failing, change it for a shower tray or, even better, for a built-in shower, at the same height from the floor is an idea to have considered.

Suction cup bars and grips

You may not consider a total change necessary, but you think it would be good for you to have some point of support so that that moment when you are leaning on one foot is safer. Fixed bars on one of the walls surrounding the bathtub or the practical handles set to the wall with a suction cup system can make your entrance to the bathtub not a moment of risk.

The floor of the bathtub or shower must always be non-slip.

If your slips, you can put a suitable mat to avoid it, although before entering, you must confirm that it is perfectly stretched and adhered to the surface (the remedy could be worse than the disease). The banquettes shower (better still) is also an excellent solution to sit while bathing if needed.

Non-slip floor

It is essential in any bathroom. In this room, it is normal for a drop of water to escape, and the danger of slipping is evident. A tile with sufficient roughness or even relief is recommended, at least in the areas near the shower and toilets.

Furniture at your height

 If you are going to reform and plan to change the toilets, before placing them, make sure they are at a size that is comfortable for you. Also, in the bathroom, you may need bars or risers that serve to make sitting and getting up easy for you, preventing you from losing your balance.

Cleaning and cleaning products 

Take extra care so they don’t spill in the bathroom, and they can become as dangerous as a banana peel.

How to Lay Tiles in the Bathroom

Take bathroom measurements

You have to do the first thing before putting tiles in your bathroom to choose the model you like the most. Once you have it, it is essential to take the bathroom measurements to know how many tiles you will need to buy. To do this:

• Measure the height by the width of all the bathroom walls and add it up.
• Subtract the height by the width of the door or window measures if you have one.
• Divide the result by the size of one of the tiles you have chosen, and the result will be the number of pieces you need.
• Add the equivalent of + 10% tiles to compensate for those tiles you have to cut, or any piece breaks during the installation.

It must be borne in mind that each manufacture has a different caliber and tone, so the excess tiles will also help you so that if you have to make repairs in the future, they are the same. With this step, you will solve the mystery about how many tiles you need to tile the bathroom.

Peel off the old tiles

In case you previously had tiles on the bathroom walls, remove them with the help of a chisel and a hammer, hitting the ends until they are released. Once they are out, sand the surface of the wall to make it smooth. Uniform and ready to tile the bathroom.

Time to prepare the surface before tiling!

Once the wall has been sanded, clean the surface well, eliminating any remaining dust or dirt so that the ceramic pieces adhere better. Also, make sure that the wall does not have any cracks or moldy areas since that would require another type of treatment before starting the tiling. It is advisable to moisten the walls before starting the installation, especially in the hottest months. The cement does not dry too quickly, and make sure, with the bubble level, that the floor is perfectly level.

Choose the placement method

Before placing the tiles on the walls in your bathroom, you must choose how you will put them as it will be decisive when creating different effects in the room. For example, if you are looking to develop a spaciousness feeling, it is recommended to lay the tiles horizontally or diagonally. The size of the chosen tile also plays a role in creating these effects. The larger the tile size, the more spacious it will feel.

Prepare the glue cement

Mix the cement with the water in the proportions indicated by the manufacturer. Stir the mixture until it is the right consistency. Keep in mind that there are many types of cement -flexible, quick-drying, etc.- so buy the one that suits you best in your case. A fundamental step in the placement of the tiles, do not forget.

Time to glue the tiles!

Start applying the cement on the wall with a spatula’s help and a rubber smoothing trowel from bottom to top and left to right. Also, use the mixture to the back of the tiles that you are going to lay. Apply the cement row by row to keep it from drying out—Perg the tiles on the wall by pressing it and tapping gently with the rubber mallet. Check with the spirit level that the row is level.

Cut the tiles

Before finalizing the placement of tiles in your bathroom, it is necessary to cut those remaining tiles to cover the corners or edges of the wall or those parts that need it, such as the back of the toilet. Mark the end of the tile with a pencil along the desired cutting line and, equipped with gloves and safety glasses, cut the piece with a saw with a tile-cutting function. Place the cut pieces in the corresponding places in the same way as in the previous steps.

Place the spreaders

For the tiles to remain straight and their installation correct, it is recommended to place some spacers in the gaps between them that allow the expansion joint’s size always to be the same. Choose the size of the crosshead based on the size of the joint you want.

Grouting paste, we are finishing!

Once you have placed all the tiles in your bathroom, wait for the manufacturer’s recommended drying time, which is usually approximately 20 minutes. Remove the spreaders and begin preparing the grouting paste according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Apply the resulting paste with the smoothing trowel, distributing the material well with broad movements until all the joints are well filled. Finally, with the help of the already clean smoothing trowel, remove the excess product.

Clean the surface

Once the grouting paste is dry, clean the surface with a damp sponge’s help until all the product remains are removed. While doing this, lightly press the pieces to finish bonding them. The bathroom is already tiled, and your tiles in place.

How to Create Fall in Bathroom Floor: FAQs

How much fall should a bathroom floor have?

The suggested minimum fall of the bathroom floors must be 1:100(10mm per 1m). Moreover, shower areas with a vertical separation among the shower area with the wet area, like a shower screen, hob, set-down or water stop, the fall to the waste must be approximately 1;1000.

Does a bathroom floor need to be level?

A well-structured prepared floor should not be level rather than it should be flat. In such perspectives, you ensure the floor is not level. It must be angled toward a drainage segment. In case your floor is not subjected to water regularly, like a kitchen or bathroom floor.

How much does it cost to waterproof a small bathroom?

Generally, a professional waterproofing expense is around $500 to $650 for a usual bathroom. In case the waterproof has been made in more than one bathroom or as a part of a complete bathroom renovation, the expense can be minimal.

Article Summary

We believe you’ve learned a lot in these articles on creating falls on the bathroom floor, how you slope a bathroom floor, the recommended tools used in designing a bathroom floor drain, and other relevant topics discussed in the articles.