Shower drain in concrete floor

hi,

am seeking advice whilst planning to renovate the bathroom. Being of a certain age, we have moved to a bungalow. We have solid concrete floors. The existing shower is on an outside wall and the drain feeds into an adjacent soil stack.

I would really like not to have the shower on a raised base but have mixed feelings about recessing the drain into the floor and never being able to access it again without taking the shower out. In the past when installing a low profile tray I was able to access the underside via a trap door in the utility room below, this is not so easy.

The creation of a recess and void in the floor for the trap and pipe really wouldn't be difficult as it is a very short run.

What are peoples thoughts about the practicalities and maintainabilty? Obviously for those of looking ahead to our dotage the less trip hazards we have getting in and out of the shower the better it is!!!

Regards

Colin

What is it you want, low profile tray or preform tray with wet room flooring on top? Both of them, the drain can be access from top for cleaning.

Daniel.

Just a low profile shower tray...

It'll depend on the thickness if the concrete floor, as to how you tackle it, and will the shower and waste be on an outside wall. If it's 6" thick, then you can afford to cut out an inch to take the low profile tray, a big hole for trap, an a channel for the waste. There are pumped waste systems that only require a !5mm outlet from the shower tray - whale shower waste.

The other method is to lay the tray on top of the concrete, and then lay down ply to match the height.

Use a waste that allows cleaning and access to the outlet run from the top, then make sure a cleaning eye is fitted externally where the waste pipe emerges through the wall, and provided the run is straight, there should never be a problem. The main issue is regarding thickness of the floor, obviously you would need to be able to achieve a deep enough recess for the waste and pipework without breaching the DPM underneath.

Good point about the DPM Hugh, Blackjack liquid DPM could be used to reinstate it.

Also, if you are lowering the install, do you still have enough height above ground, externally, to run the waste into the stack whilst maintaining a suitable fall?
Will you need to make a new connection into the stack at a lower point? Or will you have to dig a trench and connect underground?
As others have said: using a top access trap whereby the whole thing can be removed, just leaving the sump, and adding a tee with cleaning eye externally would be absolutely fine and pose no problems for future maintenance.
I too would go the whole hog and either sink the tray into the concrete or ply the floor so that you have a complete "level access" install