Should I use a standard linear drain with the Kerdi-Shower-LS Shower Tray?

[sagrr]

Hi guys - first post here. Was referred here - the rest of the interest seems to hold you guys in high regard.

I'm hoping to use this Kerdi Shower Tray and install a linear drain against the wall. I looked at some of the Schluter linear drains and it appears they'd be ~$600+. If possible, I'd rather use something like this Cohen solution for a fraction of the cost. I'm wondering if I should try that and if I did, how would I pull it off? Would I just mortar it up to where it meets the shower tray?

Hoping someone has experience with this.

 

[Jadnashua]

How would you seal the drain to the pan? The Kerdi drain has a top flange with Kerdi material on it that you bond to the top of the pan, just like any seam in a Kerdi shower. That drain is designed to use with what appears to be a clamping drain, which is quite different. You might get by if you used KerdiFix to seal it to the pan, but it would be tough. You don't want to put a band of Kerdiband down into the drain.

The least expensive grate they sell is the one similar to what you showed above...a tile-in grate. The grate and drain body are sold separately. A polished grate is more expensive than the tile-in one, mostly because it doesn't need to be polished.

There are other companies that make drains designed for surface applied membranes, but they all tend to cost similar amounts. It might be worth a try, though. Those designed to work with the Hydroban sheet membrane can be found online, and might offer a better price, but their exact sizing and depth may make it a bit harder to incorporate. At least those are designed with the bonding flange to waterproof them to the pan.

 

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[sagrr]

How would you seal the drain to the pan?

I guess thats what I was asking. It sounds like I can't get away with a normal drain with this pan.

Although, according to this image, it looks like the membrane seal can kind of just stick into the grate? Found it on this site showing the Hydroban/Laticrete drain.

 

[Jadnashua]

That wide surface on the Laticrete drain is where you bond the membrane...that part gets covered with tile. The actual grate needs that gap around it for the water to get into...it cannot connect to the grate itself. Laticrete, if I remember, requires a special sealant to bond the membrane to that flange. On the Kerdi drain, they've already attached Kerdi, so you just fold it out and seam it to the membrane you've installed up to it using the same thinset you use everywhere else, or in the case of their foam pan, it already has a waterproof layer attached, and you bond the new drain to it. If you follow the same instructions, you should be able to use their drain if you wish.