We are getting into the planning of our downstairs extension/redesign.
[With reference to an earlier thread, the planning software "SweetHome 3D"
seems at first use to be quite promising.]

We are planning a downstairs toilet/shower which must be disabled friendly,
as we are not planning to move again and at some point through old age
and/or infirmity we will stop using the upstairs part of the house.

Shower trays are a straightforward method of making a roll in shower, but
they come in set sizes so a tanked and sealed wet room would be more
flexible.
However one friend has had a tanked wetroom installed downstairs in two
seperate houses with problems both times.

So was she unlucky, or is a wetroom on a suspended floor a recipe for
disaster?
I assume a wetroom on a solid floor is a much easier proposition.

Cheers

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

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(='.'=)
(")_(")

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:40:43 +0000, David WE Roberts wrote:

However one friend has had a tanked wetroom installed downstairs in two
seperate houses with problems both times.

So was she unlucky, or is a wetroom on a suspended floor a recipe for
disaster?

Depends what the problems were, but obviously it's (a) hard and (b)
important to get it right first time. There are various proprietary
systems such as membranes applied between floor and tiles, and vinyl
wrapped up the walls (like coving at the floor/wall interface) and weld-
jointed at the corners. Things to get right are applying the waterproof
layer correctly, getting the levels right so you have a suitable fall to
the drain, sealing the drain to the waterproof layer, and ensuring the
waste pipework takes water away effectively.

But I'm afraid I've yet to do one of these so this is just general waffle
on my part.

I assume a wetroom on a solid floor is a much easier proposition.

Only inasmuch as you're less likely to notice any leaks ... at least
until they cause major damp problems.

--
John Stumbles -- http://yaph.co.uk

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

On 19/11/11 13:40, David WE Roberts wrote:

So was she unlucky, or is a wetroom on a suspended floor a recipe for
disaster?
I assume a wetroom on a solid floor is a much easier proposition.


My wetroom is on the second floor, its been there for over five years
now with no problems.
The original (rotten from previous shower tray) floorboards were
removed, and replace with a sheet of ply, then a Wedi tray installed

some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djclark/sets/72157602063596078/


http://www.wedi.co.uk/building-materials/walk-in-showers/fundo-primo-point-drain.php




--
djc

"djc" wrote in message
...
On 19/11/11 13:40, David WE Roberts wrote:

So was she unlucky, or is a wetroom on a suspended floor a recipe for
disaster?
I assume a wetroom on a solid floor is a much easier proposition.


My wetroom is on the second floor, its been there for over five years
now with no problems.
The original (rotten from previous shower tray) floorboards were
removed, and replace with a sheet of ply, then a Wedi tray installed

some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djclark/sets/72157602063596078/


http://www.wedi.co.uk/building-materials/walk-in-showers/fundo-primo-point-drain.php


Thanks for the link :-)
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 19/11/2011 15:52, djc wrote:

some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djclark/sets/72157602063596078/

Really nice job. (Tell me - can you brush your teeth at the sink, ****,
and shower all at the same time?!)

http://www.wedi.co.uk/building-materials/walk-in-showers/fundo-primo-point-drain.php

Having just installed a conventional tray at home myself, I might well
have been tempted down this road myself had a known about these. I
imagine getting the necessary fall on the outlet drain - ie basically
within the downstairs ceiling space - could be a problem? (would have
been for me, anyway!)

David

On 19/11/11 20:20, Lobster wrote:
On 19/11/2011 15:52, djc wrote:

some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djclark/sets/72157602063596078/

Really nice job. (Tell me - can you brush your teeth at the sink, ****,
and shower all at the same time?!)

http://www.wedi.co.uk/building-materials/walk-in-showers/fundo-primo-point-drain.php


Having just installed a conventional tray at home myself, I might well
have been tempted down this road myself had a known about these. I
imagine getting the necessary fall on the outlet drain - ie basically
within the downstairs ceiling space - could be a problem? (would have
been for me, anyway!)

Getting an adequate fall would be much the same problem with a
conventional shower tray; a matter of how far it needs to go and are
there joists in the way. In my case the the joists were built up so
there is a 3inch step up to the wetroom As the flat is on the second
floor up four flights of stairs I do not consider that a problem. Wedi
have modified the design since mine was installed so the installation of
the drain is even less work.
Another advantage of the Wedi system is that it provides 40mm layer of
foam insulation under the tiles so they never feel cold to bare feet.



--
djc

David WE Roberts wrote:

We are planning a downstairs toilet/shower which must be disabled
friendly, as we are not planning to move again and at some point through
old age and/or infirmity we will stop using the upstairs part of the
house.

What's wrong with installing a stair-lift and using the whole house?

--
Jeremy C B Nicoll - my opinions are my own.

Email sent to my from-address will be deleted. Instead, please reply
to replacing "aaa" by "284".

David WE Roberts wrote:

Shower trays are a straightforward method of making a roll in shower, but
they come in set sizes so a tanked and sealed wet room would be more
flexible.

It will also be a bad idea. Wet rooms just are, a really poor idea.
Still, if you're the sort of person who likes damp towels and soggy loo
paper then a wet room will be ideal for you.

"Jeremy Nicoll - news posts" wrote
in message nvalid...
David WE Roberts wrote:

We are planning a downstairs toilet/shower which must be disabled
friendly, as we are not planning to move again and at some point through
old age and/or infirmity we will stop using the upstairs part of the
house.

What's wrong with installing a stair-lift and using the whole house?


More hassle, electricity costs, still need a disabled friendly bathroom, why
struggle when you don't have to?
Easier to use a downstairs shower/toilet than transfer to a stair lift, then
transfer off again at the top.
Also most stairlifts I have seen have a seat, not a wheelchair platform.

Big bedroom and large living room/kitchen should provide more than enough
living space for two of us (and presumably eventually one).
If you use the upstairs, you also have to heat it and clean it on a regular
basis.
You have an extra toilet and bathroom to clean for no particular benefit.
We are going to have a downstairs toilet/shower anyway so the extra effort
to make sure it is disabled friendly is well worth while.

A downstairs toilet is always a bonus, and if you are going to build a new
one then making it more versatile seems a good investment.

A stairlift might be an option if we weren't going to knock the house about
anyway, but given that we are ripping the back off and extending the ground
floor any extra expense involved in adding a shower and toilet is not
massive in the overall scheme of things.

We are extending the house anyway, to create a living space for us to enjoy
now.
We are merely including some forward planning to get the maximum return on
our investment.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

What's wrong with installing a stair-lift and using the whole house?

after a curry, you **** yer keks by the time the stair lift is half way up,
mind, if you specify a commode instead of the normal seat on the stair lift,
problem sorted.