Shower installation

Hi all,

I'm about to put a new shower in and have a couple of questions:

  1. This tray that's been delivered turns out to be very heavy and made of some sort of stone aggregate. I haven't encountered such a beast before and was kind of expecting something a lot lighter like like grp or acrylic for example. So.... Given that this is a heavy, rigid item, would I be right to assume it only needs support around the edges? I'm guessing that's the case, or what's the point of all the weight?

  1. Is there such a thing as a one-way valve for 1.5" waste pipe? I'm a bit concerned that the shallowness of the new shower tray will make it more likely it will overflow whenever the bath is emptied. I don't want any bathwater making its way towards the shower and a one-way valve seems like the obvious precaution to take.

cheers.

Reply to
Bruno
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The tray should fully supported with no voids anywhere beneath it, this is achieved by bedding it on a dry mix of mortar. This should be explained in the installation instructions.

The pipe diam. you have is more than adequate to drain away the water and should not need a one way valve even if you could get one. What is more important is to get a proper shower drain that can be accessed from above to remove detritus.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

Weight doesn't necessarily imply bending strength - but it does give a good solid feel to it when you stand in it. It will still need supporting all over. Mine is laid on a bed of mortar on top of floorboards but ideally should have had a layer of marine ply first to spread the load better

I'm not aware that any such animal exists. Shouldn't be necessary in any case. I haven't got a bath next to mine but I have got a large wash-basin. When I fill that and then pull the plug, no water comes up in the shower.

Reply to
Roger Mills

These are priced in dollars but was first hit (my old link has gone t*ts up)

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No chance of back flow with a head of

Reply to
PeterC

aka "Stone Resin" tray...

These must be *fully supported* on a bed of mortar or similar. So get your base level and where you want it.

Here is how to get it in place and onto the tray without ruining your back:

Mix some mortar and spread over the base 1/2" thick. Chuck a couple of

15mm pipe offcuts (copper or plastic - about 6" longer than the front to back depth of the tray) across the bed of mortar (front to back to act as temporary supports).

Get the tray into the approx left to right position. Place the back edge of the tray on the pipes, and slide it along them as you lower the front to the horizontal. You should end up with the tray in about the right position suspended above the mortar bed by the pipes. Slide / tap it into final position and then pull the pipes out from the front, dropping the tray onto the mortar. Now check for level and tamp it right if required.

As long as the pipe layout is sensible, it ought not be a problem. The shower waste includes a trap.

Reply to
John Rumm

It may be worthwhile watching this on youtube:

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Reply to
GMM

Well what a monumentally STUPID idea, then. Seems you have all the weight and accompanying pain and NOTHING to gain for it. The 'solid feel' could just has easily have come from an acrylic tray on a mortar base without the risk of back injury. So many times I've noticed these "improvements" they keep coming up with are actually steps backwards.

Reply to
Bruno

[snip]

Thanks for the tip, but I don't think it helps in my particular case, as the base has to fit into the recess of a J-shaped alcove.

Reply to
Bruno

In message , John Rumm writes

Snip shower tray installation..

I too was unnecessarily concerned about *T ing* a basin waste to a shower waste. I used a *flowed* T at the junction and have not had any problems. There is a local air admittance valve in my toilet waste piping.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

You can buy shower trays that only require support at the edges but you have to check, just being heavy doesn't mean they are suitable for edge support. Some of the reconstituted stone ones are heavy but brittle. Some plastic ones are light but will span joists with ease.

Reply to
dennis

I do love these groups where people exchange ideas and views in a friendly and helpful way without resorting to calling others, with differing ideas and views STUPID. One persons stupidity is another persons genius.

I went for a stone resin tray mainly for it's solid feel which was not available with the cheaper acrylic trays. I bedded it on a thick layer of silicon on top of a water resistant chipboard platform, to give extra height/drop, for the waste. That was 15 years ago and it is still as firm and solid today as it was when I fitted it.

But I would not call any of the people who chose the cheaper option of an acrylic tray STUPID. Misguided cheapskates maybe. The resin base, although heavy, was still quite manageable.

Reply to
Bill

On 07 Feb 2015, Bruno grunted:

To be fair, these trays have been around for many years; as a replacement for ceramic ones which are both even heavier than your stone resin tray, and more fragile. You simply won't get the 'solid feel' by dropping an acrylic tray on to a mortar bed.

I agree these things are horrendously heavy though. I've installed one myself using the 'John Rumm' method, and it certainly makes it easier. Much better though, I've also installed a Coram shower tray

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which has minimal stone resin, a strong base, and adjustable feet, so doesn't need all the messing about with mortar beds. Feels just like a conventional stone resin tray; personally I'd never fit anything else now.

Reply to
Lobster

In message , Bill writes

I think maybe I should retract a little of the above, I first read Bruno's comment of STUPID as referring to Roger, rather than the general idea of weight implying strength. Apologies offered, if required, I'll go away again!

Reply to
Bill

It was! Learned a few worthwhile things there! Many thanks indeed.

Reply to
Bruno

Stone resin trays are hardly "new". They do feel more solid than many acrylic trays, are available in shallow depths and are also quieter in user (they don't drum or ring under the impact of the shower water, or sound as you shift your weight about). They also expand and contract less which makes them easier to seal.

There are a newer breed of glass composite trays that are a kind of middle ground between the stone resin and the traditional acrylic ones. They manage to combine some of the better attributes of both - feeling more like stone resin, but without as much weight.

Reply to
John Rumm

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