"Rustic" shower rebuild - floor drain question.

[WiscyJeff]

Hi, first post thanks for making me a member. I hope to ask and get answers to a series of questions about my DIY renovation as the guy I had hired to do it no longer seems interested.

I have a 3 season bunkhouse with a rustic bathroom. The walk in shower was built all wrong, the guy used sheet plastic as a water barrier which of course failed and even the studs up the wall were rotted out. It was barnwood walls with the plastic behind it, and had a concrete floor with a wood grate to stand on. I'm going to put in a new floor drain, then put in a new concrete floor to the walls and tile up the sides 6 feet.

Here's my first issue:
The original floor was layers of concrete, with apparently leveler as the top layer. Removing that layer broke the 2" PVC drain pipe off at the top so I need to put in a new drain. I will gently remove the concrete around the PVC so I can install the new drain fitting.

I need to find a floor drain that mounts to the inside of the 2" schedule 40 PVC. I really don't care about looks but it should be durable. I plan to then patch the concrete up to the edge of the drain then float in new concrete so the floor drains correctly.

Can someone point me to a drain that will work for my application? I would need to order it online as I'm 30 miles from the nearest home store (Menards) or 75 miles to a Home Depot.

THank you

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, concrete is not waterproof in this situation...nor is tile or grout. In a properly installed shower, unless you use a topical waterproofing underneath the tile, you need something like a cement board with a vapor barrier behind it for the walls. It would be best to build it with a liner, too.

Does the drain go to a septic system, or, a public sewer, or where (maybe just a drywell)?

I don't think you'll find a drain that fits inside of a 2" pipe. Might be wrong.

I guess one question you need to ask yourself is just how 'rustic' do you want this? Do you want it to last and function reliably for a long time? It could still look rustic, but should need some more modern construction techniques. A conventional shower would have a preslope, liner, a setting bed, then tile. More modern construction techniques use waterproofing that you can tile to. Plumbing code calls for the waterproofing to be sloped towards the drain, and the pan should be waterproof.

 

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[WiscyJeff]

thanks... first I have found a drain that fits, there are a few available from Oatey and others.

This is fairly rustic with a dry well.

For the floor there is an existing slight slope to the floor but not enough, so I am planning to build a base with a slope to the drain (it's a 3x6' space), then a liner and cement over that. I'll carry membrane up the walls, backer board and subway tile. I do have a curb at the entry that will also be wrapped by membrane.

at least that's the current plan - I'm open to ideas.

Oatey 43637 Bell Trap Drain

 

[Jadnashua]

That drain won't work in a shower if you want your liner to be functional. What you need is a clamping drain. The base of the drain solidly attaches to the riser. The preslope is then built so that it is flush with the top portion of the base of the drain. Then, you install the liner, seal and clamp it to the top of the base, then install your setting bed. The top portion is threaded so that it can be adjusted to the thickness of your setting bed and tile. The grate screws into that. This is an example of a clamping drain. The bolts hold the top portion the part they screw nito is what should be flush with the preslope so the liner can flow any water directly into the drain via weepholes between the clamp and the liner. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T9HC3GZ?tag=sa-sym-new-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

 

[WiscyJeff]

OK I guess this is why I'm here, for this kind of advice. I need a clamping floor drain that fits INSIDE a 2" schedule 40.

thank you

 

[Jadnashua]

While a shower drain by code today requires a 2" drain, you MIGHT still find one in 1.5", but those haven't been allowed in decades. What you showed was a floor drain...a totally different kind of animal.

You should be able to clear enough room around the pipe to use a standard clamping shower drain. You might also consider using an inside pipe cutter, cut the existing piece off deep enough to add a coupler and an undamaged piece of 2" riser that would then take a standard drain.

Personally, I'd prefer to use something like Kerdi from www.schluter.com, but that's me. That only requires a single layer of mud for the base, then you add the Kerdi and tile it. Makes for an entirely waterproof, rather than water resistant shower assembly. In a conventional shower, only the pan is waterproof...a Kerdi shower, the entire enclosure is waterproof. Neither tile nor grout is considered or really functions as waterproofing, it's a decorative wear surface.