OK I give up. Why would you make a trough and have loose rock under your vanity?

x

It sounds like this is what the OP is wanting to do

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It is a design feature I have seen I would like to mimic. Yes the pictures above is exactly what I would like to achieve. From what I can see, a beveled edge tile is not necessarily used.

Me!

Yeah, first thing comes to my mind is how are you going to keep those areas clean? Bathrooms are the worst for dust, hair and product residues. Way too many nick nacks to worry about. Maybe add a floor drain so you can rinse them down ;-)

I was thinking the same thing ... there must be a floor drain down there. Even if there were, how would you clean and rinse the stones? Drag in a hose from outside? I agree that the look is nice, I just don't see that it's practical. Can you imagine dropping something small on the floor? How would you ever find it?

I love the look! I think the people who have the bathrooms pictured above aren't worried about cleaning or cost to clean. This reminds me of the time my mom bought an escalade. She asked the sales guy about the poor fuel mileage and I'll never forget his response, "mam, people who buy these vehicles don't worry about fuel costs" ....

Buckets of water. I'd have to soap them down periodically too. And around the toilet in one of those pictures? That's just nasty.

The cleaning company's rate would double for those bathrooms. If they'd even take the job! To be factored into the cost of the bathroom, lol.

I would consider edging the tiles with a thin beautiful wood. Either a weathered or finished teak wood would be beautiful. That should cushion the stones from hitting the tile and chipping them. Since what every you put under the rocks will need regular cleaning, I would try and source large sheets of black matte colored stiff sheet plastic that can be removed and scrubbed with bleach and a hose outside or in the shower, dried and put back down. Plastic bag material would be a pain to get smooth and flat, be slippery if someone stepped on it and would read through the stones as plastic sheeting. Good luck and would love to see photos when completed.

The stones would have to be laid in one at a time so I wouldn't worry about chipping tile. But then weekly they'd have to be removed one at a time for cleaning without a drain. I can just imagine the hair that gets trapped in there. How big is your vanity?

My main concern would be that the exposed, unsupported edge (i.e., no adjacent tile and grout) at the transition would be vulnerable to chipping from normal use.

Omg, hair! I didn't even think of that. Given what my vacuum and broom look like at the end of a week, that is really something to consider.

You should have seen what was behind my fridge's bottom grill from two furry kitties. I could have made a toupee.

Thank you to those that answered my question!

I bet you could use your vacuum on the upholstery setting to "dust" those rocks. The inspiration photos look very serene and spa-like to me.....

I was thinking the same. Obviously the rocks will need to be cleaned but the bathroom is the main to the home, but not used regularly.

I found through the suggestion of my GC, they make a PVC tile edge in various widths to fit around the edge of the tile. You can purchase it in a straight or curved edge from what I have seen so far and in various colors. It protects the edge so it will not chip.

Under the rocks, probably a thick, plastic wrapped water proof board that can be removed.

If I cannot work with it, the last tile before the trough is full so it could be filled in.

I can't wait to see it completed.

You can get stall mat and cut to fit - it's black and slightly cushioned and pretty indestructible. It's impermeable and can be easily scrubbed and cleaned if necessary.

Tractor Supply store.

ha ha - for your spa bath.... but hey - creative use of materials!

Thank you, the stall mat is a great idea.

Lucky for me pills and earring backs are not in my bathroom.

I must be lazy or way too laid back... Am I the only one who wouldn't worry about the maintenance or cleaning of the rocks? I got two dogs that shed and a head full of hair and if I could have those bathrooms pictured above, I wouldn't worry one bit about cleaning.. Just run my cordless dyson over them once a week and maybe every other month clean more thoroughly..

You drop something, pick it up.. What is everyone so worried about? hahahaha

(I'm not a clean freak.. I'm also not a slob.. somewhere in the middle I suppose)

Agreed. I have very short hair along with the other members in my home. I have 2 cats that do not hang in the bathroom. It is a small room 5' x 10' bathroom. The trough is 5' x 2'. I think it will be manageable.

I cannot imagine how this could even pass code for indoors without drain pans connected to drains under the rock. Unsealed rock on a plastic sheet or stall mat in a damp environment with no where for the moisture to go equals mold and other issues. If this were a pool house or "outdoor" bath it would be one thing. But indoors? Better put in a good drainage system, seal all sides of those loose stones etc. But carry on.

Why would a drainage system be needed under a vanity, other than for cleaning purposes? I'm not understanding how it would be damp and grow mold either. Please explain :-)

Thank you!

For my first time every posting a question on any site, I am just amazed. I just wanted a technical question answered, not whether anyone else agreed with my idea of doing the project or the work involved in maintaining it. But thank you all for your concerns. I will post pictures when it is done.

I'd still like to know what kind of building code and mold issues there could be.

communications333, it's fairly normal around here to get more than you asked for when posting a question. I don't think anyone meant to put down your choice and sorry if we came off that way. Of course we all want to see it when it's done!

Just a warning about those stall mats -- they REEK and need tons of airing out. I wanted them for my home gym but the smell was noxious. I paid much more for thick mats that didn't stink. Either way, I wouldn't want them anywhere near my bedroom.

Ok good to know. I will post pics when we get it done. This is the home I grew up in and I am redoing it in a very contemporary flair. If it is too much work I am having the wall and floor tiles layed that I can complete the flooring under the cabinet and nobody would know the difference.

thanks again to everyone.

I think the ICC calls for a "smooth, hard, nonabsorbent" flooring in bathrooms. Loose pebbles fails.

Casey

(I'm not a clean freak.. I'm also not a slob.. somewhere in the middle I suppose)

I'm somewhere in the middle too.

I see no reason anyone would need to remove these rocks every week for cleaning. Instead, I'd say the rocks should be vacuumed every other week to pick up the hair (we always have hair on our bathroom floor, and I'd think it'd end up pushed over to the rocks). And about twice a year you'd need to remove every rock and clean them. That would be a miserable job.

If I were going to do this, I'd do two things:

- I'd go with dark colored rocks to hide hair.

- I'd make this project a manageable size. Just under the vanity would be okay, whereas that whole room picture seems to be too much.