low level shower trays

calleyw

I am in the process of having my bathroom redone. There is a suppose to be a walk in shower as I have a disabled husband.

We are having fitted a low level shower tray. I assumed and was told it would be a couple of inches high. I now come home to find that because of the trap and the way my joists run that it is now is 6 and half inches tall :mad:.

Was it waste of my time getting a low level shower tray. From what I can see it was. As most shower trays are about 6 and half to 7 inches tall I may as well have bought a bog standard one.

If I had know that in the first place I would paid another few £K had a wet room done instead.

Yours

Calley

DirectDebacle

calleyw wrote: »

I now come home to find that because of the trap and the way my joists run that it is now is 6 and half inches tall :mad:.
Calley

What is the make and name of your tray and the size? If it was a good one (special needs is usually v. expensive) there should be some paperwork with a g'tee, care instructions etc. What were the site conditions. Difficult to answer your query without knowing them. Was the tray replacing an existing tray or a bath. Where was the new tray being placed in respect of the existing waste outlets. If it were moved to the opposite side of the room it may have been problematic running a new waste. Let us know what reasons the installer gave for not fitting correctly. Are you sure it is a low level and not just a standard one? It would have required a lot of work building a plinth for a low level to sit on and really if it was a real problem fitting it then work should have been halted in order that the problem could be discussed.

calleyw

DirectDebacle wrote: »

What is the make and name of your tray and the size? If it was a good one (special needs is usually v. expensive) there should be some paperwork with a g'tee, care instructions etc. What were the site conditions. Difficult to answer your query without knowing them. Was the tray replacing an existing tray or a bath. Where was the new tray being placed in respect of the existing waste outlets. If it were moved to the opposite side of the room it may have been problematic running a new waste. Let us know what reasons the installer gave for not fitting correctly. Are you sure it is a low level and not just a standard one? It would have required a lot of work building a plinth for a low level to sit on and really if it was a real problem fitting it then work should have been halted in order that the problem could be discussed.

I have no idea what the make is but the tray itself is 2 inches high.

We have had the bath ripped out and the shower is being placed there. It is a 1600 tray which falls a little short of the wall where the waste pipes where for the bath.

All I can tell you is what they told my husband it was due to the waste pipes. As my joists run the wrong way. They run from front to back of the bathroom and I do understand why they can't saw through the joists.

The waste pipe is above the floor running towards the soil pipe and the toilet on the the other side of the room.

When they arrived on monday and before it was ripped out they even said they might even be able to get it right down on the floor.

I was at home yesterday but confirned to bed due to my bad back. I heard they talking about the joists. And now I come home today to find it is 6 and half inches tall. I know in bathroom terms what I am paying is not a lot. But it is a heck of a lot to get something that is not what we wanted and we where not informed that it would be that high.

And the plinth underneath seems to be a frame of 3 and half inch wide wood with a chipboard placed on top of it.

I feel let down and mislead as they did not do a proper survey before they started and made promises they can't keep. They never said once that it was going to be this high or even stopped the work to check it was going to be that high.

Maybe it is me and I am expecting to much or being unfair I don't know.

Thanks in advance.

Yours

Calley

andrew-b

I had similar issues finding a shower tray (not fitted yet). I have mobility problems and so wanted to minimise the step up to the tray. Currently our shower tray is 18.5cm from floor to top of tray (which is raised by 10cm) and although i can just about manage it with aid of grab rail i wouldn't advise it if your OH has problems up/down a large step.

It sounds to me that your plumber is looking for the easy option. If the joists run the wrong way then it's not ideal but could he drill a few holes through the centre of the joists or find a way around it. Or could you go down below the floor into the room below? Safety is more important than cost so if it costs a few hundred quid more so be it.

Another alternative is to have a waste water pump to raise the water to a higher level..though it won't come cheap (few hundred i guess by the time you've added on electrician costs too).

In our case our bathroom is at ground floor level with a concrete floor. I must have spent hours researching and chasing manufacturer's for critical dimensions of waste traps that few seem to provide online. I spent ages trying to find the lowest shower tray with included riser kit. Trays with riser kits that i considered were Mira Flight, Ideal Standard Simplicity, Simpsons, Kudos, Manhattan Duralite and MX shower trays - so a few if you need to consider them. In the end we've got an low-profile (45mm tall) MX shower tray and going to channel into the concrete floor.

I was going to get a mira shower tray but as they weren't willing to find out for me how far the waste trap would go beneath the shower tray i took my business elsewhere! They actually even told me "you don't want to be channelling into the floor as it will be hard work" --- i want a low tray for my safety a bit of extra work is worth it!

Andy

XcL_Spanky

Sounds rubbish to me. If a low level tray was wanted then it should have been fit. Why could they not move the waste to accomodate or move joists etc'?

Lazy workers in my opinion.

Kudos do phenomenal low level trays.

For the extra money a wet room would have been sweet and it really doesn't have to be all that expensive. The showroom I work at supplies wetroom flooring that you can tile straight onto and it is very well priced.

irenee

I too am in the process of refurbishing the bathroom - for similar reasons - husband won't be able to use a bath when he returns from hospital

Went into great detail with my contractor - he asked my permission (granted gratefully) to lift a few floorboards to check out joist runs, piping, etc BEFORE we chose the shower tray

I have some experience in property management and facilities inspection before I retired and would suggest you have an incompetent and/or lazy contractor

Your bath would have had a trap and pipe run - therefore your shower must be able to use the same arrangement - even if it means the plumber adjusting the connection point - that should pose no difficulty

......... And the plinth underneath seems to be a frame of 3 and half inch wide wood with a chipboard placed on top of it..........

Bet anything that will become water damaged and distort quite rapidly!!

I would tell them to install it as arranged - LOW LEVEL - or you will get another contractor to re-install the tray and shower correctly

calleyw

irenee wrote: »

I have some experience in property management and facilities inspection before I retired and would suggest you have an incompetent and/or lazy contractor

It is not a contractor they work for the bathroom company who supplied the everything.

They so called have fitted these before.

Husband will have to ring the boss in the morning about this.

Yours


Calley

DirectDebacle

Without the benefit of a site inspection to confirm it appears that the waste outlet in the tray is not close enough to the wall where the waste pipe is now running along to the soil pipe/stack. If they had a shower tray with the waste in a corner then it is probable this corner could be fitted into the corner of the room and the waste pipe run under the floor parallel with the joists. Some building control regs will allow a joist to be drilled to accept a 40mm waste pipe (usually needs a 45mm dia hole) but it depends on the dimensions ie depth, height and length of the joist and where along the length of the joist the hole will be. It would be worth phoning your local building control office at the council and ask them what they permit. This is not ideal so be sure if it is permitted then you take precise details of what their regulations are and that the joist is suitable. Building control may want to inspect it first. Seems like only one joist is interfering with the tray being set into the floor.

If you have contracted a specialist bathroom fitting company to supply and fit a low level tray for special reasons then they are at fault for promising what they cannot now deliver through lack of a proper site survey. Speak to them about alternatives because there are more suitable solutions than what they have left you with.

mikey72

It may have been possible to turn the tray so the trap falls between the joists, use a 30mm waste pipe if the shower flow rate is ok, then drill through the joists, (up to a maximum of .25 to .33 of the total the height is acceptable), providing you can get close enough to the centre and still get the right fall.
I have fiitted two showers recently, one drilled through the joists, where I could get the fall, and I were I couldn't and had to put in a new waste entirely and drill through the outside wall to the soil stack.

calleyw

mikey72 wrote: »

where I could get the fall, and I were I couldn't and had to put in a new waste entirely and drill through the outside wall to the soil stack.

they claim they can't do that as I have half height and width extension below my bathroom.

My soil stack is on the other side of the room.

They have said about a pump or making steps to get up in to the shower :mad: If I had wanted that I could have bought a flipping step myself so my husband could get in and out of the bath without changing to a shower.

They are also saying that it says in the quote that they will get it as close to the floor subject to wastes. I am really pee'd off as I was relying on someone else to do a job that I can't do. And do what I need. They should have said before saying anything we need to check the joists etc.

Yours

Calley

andrew-b

I started posting yesterday before your 6.44pm post and got diverted away which is why my post didn't quite reflect the full story!

They should have consulted you before going ahead with a high level installation. Maybe the installer isn't entirely to blame in that you should have been more stringent in your requirements and expressly stated you wanted a low-level installation even if it meant extra cost to surmount problems. The installers don't have to live with it and appear to not give a damn about your OH's disability. The step up is a health hazard to your OH and could end up with him in hospital. I'd ask them if they would be happy with the installation if their OH was disabled! If they won't redo it and complete the job to your requirements then i'd withhold at least part of the money owed and be getting advice from trading standards. This isn't close enough to the floor and doesn't meet your OHs needs so is completely useless to you. It may also mean you need to assist your OH getting in/out of the shower (if not now then in the future) - not good for maintaining independence which is one thing those of us with mobility problems prefer. As you say if you wanted a step you could have stuck with the bath. You also need to consider the future not just the immediate needs of your OH..like for me although i can get into a raised shower at the moment i may not be able to later on in life as my condition progresses - so i may as well do the job properly once and for all now.

I would get another plumber or two in to get their professional opinion of what could be done instead so you have more of a case to use against your current installer. It may be worth contacting your local social services and ask them for a list of recommended bathroom installers in your area capable of installing bathrooms for those with disabilities - or they may at least point you in the right direction.

From where i'm sitting it sounds like the installers aren't going to back down and i think i'd kick them off the job and get someone in who can do the job for you to meet your requirements. I would at least not let them continue with any work until this issue is resolved satisfactorily. I don't see why you should pay for a job that clearly isn't suitable for your OH's needs but trading standards should be able to advise you of how best to handle monies owed if you kick them off the job.

You and your OH shouldn't have to face this problem...i'm sure you have enough other things to worry about!

There are plenty of us here who will try and offer our support and advice. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Andy