Fall and floor drain in the shower

For the durability of natural stone it is important that shower water carrying shampoo and soap residue runs off the floor easily, in other words that there is a fall. But it can be hard to build a fall into the shower in a way that is both good-looking and functional. In this article we offer inspiration and information about falls in the shower and about floor drains - for a bathroom that is as good-looking, practical and durable as possible.

Building a fall in the shower

A good fall in the shower is essential when you build or renovate a bathroom. It matters because the water has to be able to run off the floor properly. It is particularly important when you are using limestone or a marble floor. With a poor fall, shampoo and soap residue risks being left on the floor and damaging the stone over time.

A fall means a slope in the floor towards the floor drain where the water is to run down. The fall can be built in slightly different ways depending on which floor drain you choose. So let us look at the different types of drain first.

There are three different types of floor drain. The most popular type is an ordinary round or square drain placed in the middle of the shower area. The second is a linear drain (also called a channel), usually placed against the shower wall where the mixer sits. The last type is the corner drain, where the drain is placed in a corner and often has a triangular shape.

Whether you are carrying out a renovation or a new build - be in good time when choosing the floor drain! Which type of drain you can choose is governed by the position of the water outlet in the shower.

Fall and floor drain with large stone slabs

If you want large stone slabs covering the whole floor, a linear drain or a corner drain is the better choice. If you choose a linear drain that spans the width of the shower floor, or a corner drain, the slope only needs to run in one direction, and then larger stone slabs can be used without difficulty.

The centred drain

If you have fitted the most common floor drain, that is to say the one placed in the middle of the shower, you should as a rule go down to smaller sizes of floor tile, since the whole floor slopes towards the drain from every direction. We sell smaller formats (among them 10x10 cm and 15x15 cm) of our most popular stones Norrvange matte honed, Lindanäs honed and Lindanäs brushed, with exactly this in mind.

If you have a centred drain and still want to continue with larger slabs in the shower, there is a solution. By what is called envelope cutting or diagonal cutting, the tiler can angle the large slabs down towards the centred drain and in that way create the right fall. An elegant but demanding way to solve the fall, and one that takes experience.

Finally. Perhaps the most important detail on the shower floor is the drain cover. Choose a metal drain grate, and do match the finish with the mixer and the other details (chrome, brass, brushed steel and so on). Glued stone frames around the drain, of the Unidrain type, we advise against: the drainage is poorer and the upkeep harder.

What is done before the slab is laid

The fall carries away the water that lies on top of the stone. A shower floor is meant to let water through — the barrier is the waterproofing membrane beneath the stone, and that is part of the work done before the floor is laid.

That is the tiler's part of the job, and how it is done is gathered in our Recommendations for installation in bathrooms. Give them to your tiler before the work begins.

The whole sequence is in our article Limestone in the bathroom.