Installing a Linear Drain: Residential Building Magazine Kitchen & Bath Issue 2014

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JohnfrWhipple

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This makes the third article I have helped with for this great free online building magazine called Residential Building - Products and Technology. The current digital issue is all about Kitchens and Baths. I wrote an article on installing a linear or slot drain and choose to showcase the most popular method used today in both Canada and the US.

I had hoped that the story would span two pages but I am thrilled that the entire page was dedicated to the simple four step process of installing a slot drain. This four step install should help out most builders who prefer working with a traditional shower building process.

Here is a peak at the article:


My first contribution to this magazine was in their premier issue the Luxury Issue where I answered a few questions about the new trend in linear shower drains. This is a great free source of design and product information and written very well. I have signed up for the email feeds and find myself always caught up in a new gadget or product. It's great to stay current and the email feeds help me do so.





 

JohnfrWhipple

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Residential Building Magazine: Tile Trends

The first full article I wrote for them was on tile trends.

You can read this article here : http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/lebharfriedman/rb_201309/#/8



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Vegas_sparky

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Wish you would have recommended a linear when my floor was open. My center drain with 1/4"/ft slope does some weird stuff when all the water's on.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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What do you mean Vegas? Define Weird Stuff.

Does the water rise above the grate a little? What kind of flow rate do you have going when the system is cranked wide open?
 

Vegas_sparky

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Before I started tiling I put some temporary heads on the outlets to flow everything, and check one last time for leaks. I set the temp for what would be comfortable for me. The water was cold in 4 1/2 minutes. LOL I ran it for over a half an hour at full blast. At roughly 15gpm(6x 2.5 GPM) the water on the floor starts a swirling motion. There's a vortex over the center of the drain grate. As soon as the water is shut off it dumps down the hole. The drain isn't the problem. Im very happy you told me to make it 2". Its the shape of the floor if anything. The shallow pitch, and slightly conical shape of the floor allow the water to roll around pretty good. Its actually kinda cool to see. Our feet will be clean.

Might be another week or so, but I'll take some video and show you.
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Does your drain line run off at an angle before the P-Trap?

What happens if you run the shower without the grate in place?

Perhaps a different grate design would be better. Send me a picture of the grate. In high flow rate showers (12-15GPM) I have learned that the head water can rise roughly 1/4" above the grate. If you have a 2% slope (1/4" per foot) this can mean that the shower floor will have roughly a 2' wide span of water.

In other jobs we have seen a slow down of flow rates when the water does not drop straight down to the P-Trap?

It could also be that your P-Trap has some debris in it.

Maybe a combination of a few of these points.

There is a company making designer drain grates.

http://www.designerdrains.com

Designer Drains. You can have them make a new grate for you if you find you get a better flow rate with out the grate in place.

Another thing you might do is install some globe values to reduce the flow rate prior to hitting the thermostatic control valves if this is still an option.

Show me some pictures Vegas. I might come up with more ideas. You know I'm full of it.... of them! lol
 

Vegas_sparky

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It drops straight into the p trap. Its clean. Sioux Chief 2" clamping drain. Your head/pool description is spot on. The grate may very well be the problem. Its got some pretty small, square holes. I'll have to test it without. I do have 3/4" ball valve shutoffs prior to hitting the thermo. I'm not turning them down. Gotta check out that link. I wanted ORB finish anyways.

We're all full of it. That's how we get paid. LOL
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Vegas I have some of the other Siouz Chef grates here in Vancouver.

I can send you one of them if you like.

Just promise me you will not rip out your shower and instal a orange drain !!!

What a lucky guess I had. Might be that I actually do test the stuff I say I do.... Had you been here long enough you would have seen my posting about this ages ago.

I bet I can even find the photo's if I looked hard enough.

I need to go on a sales call tonight. New steam shower in Burnaby....

Found my new vapour proofing supplier. Got to run a series of shear tests but am pretty impressed with the TCNA tests report on Dural's sheet membrane. The data I have places it well ahead of the orate stuff DS. Way way a head of the regular orange stuff. And beating out the blue stuff by a hair!

And it's yellow. So pretty..... lol
 

JohnfrWhipple

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Will do. Waiting for supper.

Looked quickly for the pic's - could not find them. I know I have them.

The grates I have are not ORB so they will not work. But the grate should fit and you can see if the new wider grate style works before you buck up large for new custom one.
 
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