Floor-level shower trays: When should you place them?
25/05/2022
Spatial continuity is on trend, so placing shower trays level with the ground is becoming more and more popular in bathrooms.
Do you like interiors with no visual limits? Do you enjoy a sense of continuity in your space? If you're thinking about renovating your bathroom, you might be thinking about installing a floor-level shower tray.
But is it the best idea? Why are they so popular? What problems arise when using floor-level shower trays, and how should they be installed to ensure that they do their job correctly? Let's take a look at this trend in depth.
What is a floor-level shower?
Shower trays are increasingly common in bathrooms, either by themselves or connected to the bath. Whether they're alone or connected, shower trays are an element that can help to eliminate architectural barriers in the bathroom.
There are three ways to place a shower in a bathroom, as seen below:
- Elevated, on an area that has been previously constructed.
- On the floor.
- Flush to the ground.
A floor-level shower lies at exactly the same level as the floor. There is nothing to climb over or step on to enter the shower. There is complete continuity between the floor and the shower tray.
White Line Shower try
What should be placed first: the floor or the shower tray?
Modern shower trays, which are made with a large mineral load, are not installed on four bricks like the older shower trays. The surface on which they are to be placed must be complete and smooth.
To achieve this, a level base must be created with mortar or cement prior to installation. This prevents deformations from occurring in the shower tray, resulting in better performance.
Once the base has been made and the shower tray placed upon it, it is time to check that the tray is level and that there are no water leaks.
Polyurethane putty will be your best ally when it comes to setting the shower tray on to the base. It is important to remember to leave a joint of approximately 2 mm for expansion.
When should a floor-level shower tray be placed?
Choosing whether to place a shower tray at ground level or on the floor can seem like a complicated decision. To make it, it is important to considerthe differences between these two methods.
Grafite Line Shower try
When it comes to choosing the shower tray, the decision is much easier. Simply choose one of Krion Shell®’s shower trays which, thanks to the versatility of their style and installation, can be installed in either of the following ways: on the floor or level with it.
Floor-level shower trays:
- Contribute a greater sense of continuity to the aesthetic of your bathroom.
- Completely eliminate architectural barriers that a shower tray on the floor can pose.
- Reduce the possibility for trips and stumbles as there are fewer uneven elements. As a result, the floor-level shower tray is a safer option.
- Turn the bathroom into a minimalist space and which is easier to clean.
Solutions for problems with floor-level showers
Problems can arise with floor-level shower trays. However, as you will see below, they are easy enough to solve. Here are some points to take into account:
- It is essential to add a shower screen to prevent water from leaking, whether it is level with the ground or not.
- More attention needs to be paid to the location of the drain and the taps to prevent possible leaks.
- In some cases, it may be necessary to create the cement base with a slight inclination towards the drain to facilitate the evacuation of water.
Floor-level shower screens
As previously mentioned, floor-level showers need shower screens to prevent the water from escaping. Screens for floor-level showers can be either open or closed.
Attica Black Mate
Closed screens are a type of partition with 1, 2 or 3 glass walls incorporating sliding doors to open and close, therefore reducing the space required.
However, open screens have fixed windows and an open areaallowing entry and exit to the shower with no need to move the screens. These types of screens are the most appropriate to facilitate access for people with reduced mobility.
In summary, floor-level showers have many advantages, and the most important is that they completely eliminate the architectural barriers of this area of the bathroom.
