Fitting a shower tray

[robdylan]

Hi all - first time poster here, so hoping to learn a lot from the community.

I'm in the middle of a complete bathroom remodel. Not the first one I've done, but this one is significantly more complex than my previous project since I'm putting in a shower where there wasn't one before.

The plumbing is all above floor level (ground floor, concrete slab) so I'm going to have to raise the shower base off the floor. I don't like the look of the easy-plumb kits, so am building by own plinth out of stud timber and 18mm marine ply. All good so far, except that I cannot figure out how/when to make the shower waste connection. Should I connect the trap to the waste pipe first, then mortar the tray in and finally connect the top half of the drain once the tray is in place? I can't imagine that connecting the trap to the tray before bedding it down is going to work, because I'll have no way to connect the waste pipe.

Any advice? And does the question even make sense?

Thanks!
Rob

 

[Nige F]

Can't make any sense at all Yes, you've got the right sequence. Good idea to use classi seal round the tray behind the tiles ( unless it's one with an upstand.)

 

[robdylan]

Thanks Nige! AquaStrap any good?

Plan is to fit hardie backer to both walls, then tank the whole area (i.e. tank on top of the hardie backer and the plywood base). I will install the tray with Aquastrap on top of that (belt and braces, so you essentially have a second waterproof layer) and then tile over the lot. Shouldn't leak, one hopes.

 

[Nige F]

Thanks Nige! AquaStrap any good?
.

looks just the same

 

[vinn]

Only use a shower tray with upstand fins - no other.
Pin your vapour barrier/plastic sheet to the studs and drape it down over the upstands by 10mm or 15mm.
The BB goes on top of the vapour barrier.
Fix a removable plinth to the raised stand - for waste & trap access.

Tray and Tub seals strips are useless and in time a menace.
Dont use them - they often fade, the adhesion will fail and allow slime mould to creep behind, & any remedial measures with a utility knife & silicone might be hit & miss.
They can also cause capillary leakage at the bottom of enclosure jambs.
If the tray is finless then use silicone.

 

[stuart45]

Used to work with a New Zealand chippie who couldn't understand why we even made shower trays without an upstand in the UK.

 

[robdylan]

Thanks - it's all useful info except my shower tray does not have an up stand (I did not see any for sale that did) so I thus need to make another plan. Another challenge is that only one of the walls is stud, the other is brick, so I don't believe I can pin a vapour barrier to a brick wall (or can i?). Hence looking at a tanking kit.

 

[vinn]

Every major bathroom supplier carries them? Just google & see?
If possible, can you return the s/base for a swap?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Fit trap before placing tray. Advise you use the type with a removable dip tube, to allow easy cleaning of the waste once tray is in situ. Provided the tray isn't massive position the waste at a point where you can get an arm underneath to attach the waste pipe, then put the kickboard on the plinth once waste pipe is routed as required.

I would be looking at maintaining some form of access underneath the tray just in case of future problems, e.g. removable plinth. Too many time I've seen someone either having to destroy the bathroom or pull the ceiling below down to access a leaking waste.

 

[robdylan]

Hugh - this is very good advice. My initial plan was to tile around the plinth, but you've made me think that it would be silly to do that since access would forever more be impossible. I now think I will install tile backer board and simply paint it, leaving a suitable gap that I can get an arm through. Any idea what I should cover that gap with? A removable piece of something, of course.... but what?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I'd be inclined to stick some tiles to a piece of board, so it matches. (I use liquid nails rather than tile adhesive for this.) Then simply drill 2 holes through the tile and board, one at either end, and attach it with a couple of brass screws and cup washers. Can easily be unscrewed and removed in future if need arises. (Brass screws will not rust in the damp environment.)