Don't use large format tile on the floor, stick with something 2" or less as it's more forgiving to lay.

If you go with a square drain put it in the middle of the shower to split the difference of the gradient. If you go with a liner drain make sure you have a good feel for how far down the shower surface will go.

You can lay large tile on a shower floor, but lippage is more of an issue than with smaller tile and I always worry about them being slippery too.

Jeff, that's a good question of having an idea of how far down the surface will go. Could you pls expand on that? R u saying that I might not like the look of the grade or something to that effect? As far as being slippery, it's a pretty rough tile. I put a tile in the shower tub that we have in there now and the tub is slippery, the tile isn't. I'm not sure if it'd always last that way, though, or if that would wear off. thx!

If your shower has a curb, there’s no need to fret over whether to do a trough drain or a traditional one. Except for maybe two things I can think of. One, your shower floor is going to have to slope towards the drain. Figure out what slopiness you’re willing to have. Two, I believe there’s a huge dollar difference.

If you’re planning to live in the home long term you might want to reclaim your decision to go with curbless, if you’re able to cut into the floor for the shower pan and drain. Life is full of surprises. You could suddenly need accessibility. Perhaps because you’ve broken a leg, had a knee replaced,, or are frail from pneumonia. And, gosh, we all get old... In those cases, I would imagine you might not want to be put in an institutional setting, just because your home is not impairment-friendly.

Also, there are substantial safety issues from curbed showers and tubs because of tripping.

If you go curbless, a trough drain would be a huge plus, since it’ll keep water from landing in the bathroom.

Just so you know, the linear drain was an extra $400, and we have a pretty standard one. Some of them have tile insets which are more expensive.

A shower floor usually has a slope of 1/4" per foot. If the drain is at one end of a big shower the curb next to it can end up quite high and you feel like you're standing in a bit of a hole. Just something to consider.

to prevent product buildup, we run the water straight hot when we're finished to wash all the shampoo and conditioner down the drain. when you turn off the water 1 sec. after you finish rinsing your hair, the product really does sit there and solidify.

as far as hair, you can pull it away from the drain with your foot as soon as you rinse and the clot will sit marooned, high and dry, instead of disappearing down the drain.

you do need small format tile to prevent slipping. all the grout depressions do more than 'rough' tile, once its coated with body wash and water.

we have a normal drain in our large shower. you want to make sure you don't place it where you have to stand on it while showering, not comfortable on your feet.

ours is a bit too close.

Wash your hair first, body second. No hair product remains in shower.

but then you have body wash remaining, which does the same clogging.

actually, i wash my hair first, put in conditioner while i do everything else, and rinse out the conditioner last.. gives it an extra 5 min in my hair.

Linear drains run several hundred more and usually require relocating the drain. The benefit is that you can use larger tiles - lay them flat - but sloped. So you are not standing in a funnel. This allows for curbless or curbed - and as some have said, curbless means dropping the drain below the level of the floor and sloping the shower floor that direction.

As for slippery when wet, most tile manufacturers will provide a "coefficient of friction wet" rating. Talk to the store about this before buying your tiles.

And for hair, Kerdi-Line linear drains have several different styles of grates that you can use. Google Kerdi Line to see. They are all flush, so cleaning is easy.

In the shower below, we used a 12x24 tile for the floor in the main bath that was glossy, then the same tile in the shower in matt, with the Kerdi-Line linear drain. Since switching to linear drains, I don't think we have used the older style centered drains in probably 4 or 5 years now.

Carrara, Contemporary, & Curbless! · More Info

You might do some research on linear drains. When I searched on houzz, I came to the conclusion that if you have long hair that they easily become clogged so we stayed with a traditional drain.

https://petlift.com/product/the-smartway-hair-interceptor/

If you have a basement or crawlspace this item may work for you. Check with your plumber.

PS the old solution is to use a wad of steel wool, attached by a SS wire to the drain cover. You must change "the wad" every two weeks so "it" doesn't fall apart and clog the drain.

So much to think about. I wondered if I might just go back to my original plan to do curbless. This remodel has been a headache as we are acting as our our general contractors, but it does sound as though we may be getting some decent deals. The Linear drain I was looking at on line that my friend has was going to run less than $300 including shipping, I believe, even for a 5 foot long drain, tile in and stainless steel. I saw at Fergusons kitchen and bath store rust on their stainless steel drain so she recommends plastic for the part that goes under ground. They have plastic linear drains for less than $100 at Floor and decor. In acting as our own general contractors, plumbing is adding up and I've been worried about how clogged our tub drain has typically gotten with soap and hair-every day or 2 so I thought we'd save $ and have peace of mind and do the curb. I may have a plumber or 2 that might save us some money so I need to keep options open. I haven't been able to find anything on what's better for long hair yet but will keep looking.

This is our master bath and is only 5' x 7', so the larger we can make it look the better, which was part of the reason for curbless originally. I'm definitely going to check on the "coefficient of friction wet" rating. thx!

Check out Ebbe square drains. The cover pops off easily with a plastic key (no screws) and the hair catcher is awesome and easy to clean or replace.

So does the linear drain add functionality, or is it purely for aesthetics? I look at them and think, gee, there is a LOT more to clean there! And being so close to the wall, I feel like it will stay a little more damp in that area at the angle between wall and floor, and mildew will be more likely and more difficult to clean ....

On the other hand, LOVE the curbless shower. I had "close to curbless" -- around an inch step down into a shower, which I loved. Just a plain old round drain about a foot from the wall on the shower head side of my 4x6 doorless shower. I like the square drain idea though as It seems like it would be easier to tile around.

For curbless, you can have the drain on the open side of the shower. It keeps the water from going out of the shower.

On the other hand, if the bathroom floor is tiled, you don't have to worry about water splashing onto the floor.

Also, is your whole bathroom 5' x 7' or just the shower? If you have a 3 x 5 shower in a 5 x 7 bathroom, you might not be at code, depending how you lay it out. The shower is going to go at the back of the bathroom with toilet and vanity in the space between the door and the shower? Maybe you could show us a sketch of the layout? With a window? Are you having a window in the shower? That might need a special window to minimize moisture penetration into the outside wall of your house.

If you use curbless and you're in a wheelchair, you have more space to turn around in in the bathroom, because you can use the shower for turning room.

I'm building a shower that's curbless on 2 sides (a long side and a short side). I have a very small bathroom (7 x 8, basically). I had to reduce the size of the shower smaller than my fantasy (it's 3 x 5). Yet, there's a full 5' diameter wheelchair turnaround in the bathroom because the shower base can be used to make it happen. The bathroom will be fully ADA compatible, even though right now it's not remotely hard for me to get around.

You might ask a local realtor if there is a home-sale benefit to have universal design in your bathroom as opposed to standard able-bodied specs.

Also, consider using a shower base that comes pre-installed with the trough drain. They don't have to be fiberglass! They are made of something like Corian, as far as I can tell. They will be a lot less slick than tile. They come in different shades! This would save you $$$ and hassle over a drain + shower pan + tile + installation of tile. Your expense and energy would be for wall tile. The local Kohler rep had access to this kind of shower base.

If you free up $$$, you might have a little more budget freedom to get a fun rain shower? A towel warmer? Frameless hinged glass door? Something special, at any rate.....

Also, if you want more room in your bathroom, consider a barn door or a pocket door instead of a hinged door. A barn door can be a very fun detail in a master bedroom....

This is what I mean..... And it doesn't look like you'd get hair snagged in this one, either.

I definitely must have given the wrong dimensions of my bathroom. See if you can picture this and if not I can try to send a sketch. Entry door is on the left of the bathroom against outside wall of house which is where the window is. Straight ahead is the 36" vanity. Next to that is a toilet and next to the is the bathtub. I might be able to do a 33" x 5' shower. I'm not home right now but the bathroom must be 5 feet x 9 feet. I don't think a wheelchair could get in there but maybe a walker. I'll look up width of wheelchair. I had considered barn door and I had also considered barn doors for the shower but then the entryway would be skinnier, more expensive and I would have to clean the tracks. If I do curbless I was told I need to do a door to keep the water out.

The more we kick this around I'm inclined to stick with my original idea of curbless, glass door, move valve to the long wall part of the shower and go with the linear drain that the tall guy recommended. The tile guy was charging $2,000 to build the pan and for all the tile work which probably makes it cheaper to have him build the pan.

Plumbing is what can get really pricey with moving of valve and curbless although he has a recommendation of a plumber but the plumber is not licensed.

The most important part of any drain is how it connects to the waterproofing system. The grout between tiles is not waterproof, it just slows the water down as it passes through to the waterproofing below. Don't think of the waterproofing as a "just in case" measure - it will get wet and direct water to the drain. So a linear drain, or center round, must tie properly to the waterproofing that is used. The Kerdi drain is engineered to work with their waterproofing system. I am not familiar with the other brands mentioned here - but do your research before buying a stand alone drain.

The tile guy was charging $2,000 to build the pan and for all the tile work which probably makes it cheaper to have him build the pan.

Thats a good budget for materials alone. As I read your post(s) its clear your trying to GC/diy and figure all this out on the fly. Be very careful of the half price to good to be true deals we see end up here on houzz. especially linear and curbless.

when people toss numbers around like this a big red flag lights up, knowing what I know..

I'm so confused. I made up my mind to keep the drain where it is and save money and I don't mind how it looks where it is and I called the tile guy and he said he'll come out to the house Friday but in a curbed shower linear drain isn't a good option and the drain should go in the middle otherwise it will not look good and will be too much elevation. I'm not understanding why the different opinions and there is a little bit of a language barrier but in the end I probably need to go with how my tile guy does things? I still can't understand why I can keep it where it is if I do linear drain but he said it's not recommended for a curbed shower and why would it be any different to keep a square drain where it is than standing in the tub. We have plumber set up to start next week and tile guy and when I think I'm almost ready comes more confusion.

I also have more than one post and although this hasn't been active I posted here since it was as drain post and I'll also post where I have an active post going that has also discussed drains. I hope that's ok.

"I made up my mind to keep the drain where it is and save money"

Thank you TFW! Now to decide if I should do linear or Square in the area. It probably doesn't matter in the end from what I've seen in pictures. Maybe each tile guy has a different technique. It doesn't seem like it should be so complicated if they just make it like my tub:)

We did a tile-over drain in our shower and the drain really smells. I’m wondering if it’s because there is no air circulation going on - does anyone know? We thought it looked so good and yet, not practical at all. Do we need to retile the whole shower floor to put in another kind of drain cover - like the basic chrome/stainless square kind? Does anyone know?

relieved to see a quality waterproofing job here....a great push for a design at drain....hard to blame tile crew for a stellar install.......

So glad to hear this!! Thank you Mint Tile LLC for responding.
We loved what the guys did too, when it was first done (April 2020), but hair clogs it (so clean it constantly) and now the odor…
What should we do? Right now we are using the shower without a cover to let it breath (?) - but the smell is still so awful - fills the room and house with a damp mildew odor.
The GC is not responding….do we call a tile expert in to fix the tile and get a chrome cover and just live with the odor?

best bet is to get the original installer back out. As a rule id not take the small repair job on as i have nothing to gain VS the risk of it and it possibly snowballing nor would any busy tile pro that i know this means be extra careful with the ready & willing handyman.

I guess id suggest schluter 1-800 tech..... ask for *schluter *trained installers in your area that the local rep reccomends. The tiles need to come out along w the "flange ring" .....extra careful after which repair id insist on a flood test (As an installer id also insist on a flood test prior to CMA.)

press GC harder for the tilers number.

Ok that’s really helpful. Thank you.

I would NOT live with the odor! you'll be miserable. That doesn't sound right and while I can't comment on why it smells, after our remodels I'll say there were a couple of things that were easier to let go, but not something like foul odor! I hope the GC calls back soon and if not I'd maybe check with tile guy or plumber-last resort, file a complaint but I hope u get some responses first. It sounds more like a plumbing issue to me but what do I know. I'm just a home owner. I believe the P-trap is so that no smell comes up. Maybe the P-trap just needs to be filled with H20-if so simple, though, u'd think GC would reply sooner than later.

Thank you yes the p trap has water in it and it drains well, and water remains. There is no sewage smell but more of a musty mildew smell. I put baking soda and vinegar, let it sit for a few hours then flushed it with hot water (not boiling) and the smell came right back. Will buy the product that was recommended by someone else here and continue to wait to hear from GC. Everyone is busy so I hope he, at best, replies. (Seems like he is avoiding me - especially since he sent one of his guys a few months ago, who said “there is no smell”).

Are you sure it's coming from the drain? Sometimes wet towels or robes can starts to smell

Hi Jeff, no I am 100% certain. Only one adult person uses that bathroom (daily) and the floor has a heat mat under the tile. Towels are hung in one spot away from the shower and dry quickly. Definitely the drain - and the sink overflow hole stinks too - but I hear that’s quite common….I tried to clean both out and the smell immediately came back, in both, but especially the shower. :-(. I really appreciate any and all input from this forum so thank you!!

was it 100% redone? Common for sink overflow hole to stink, when new or old? Is anyone who says it's common saying what the cause is or r u still trying to figure that out?

Yes 100% redone - bathroom down to studs. Don’t know what the cause is and trying to figure out, and still waiting for reply from GC. He has “read” my texts but no reply back. My mother is 91 and trying to solve this issue. It’s really a mystery and I don’t know what to do - called a few tile people, they don’t want the “small” project that could snowball and the original guy is responsible.
I wish the GC would call back. I think the tile guy was his nephew. I’m grateful for this forum - thank you all for your help/advice.

seems like it could be a tough one since smell is subjective (although there's probably something out there that can measure smell) plus if more than 1 of u can smell it that'll help. I'm just thinking ahead if u need to file a complain with the licensing board. How long has it been since u texted him? was a good with texts before? i hope he's getting in touch with who he will and then get back to u but would be nice if he let u know he got your msg and will deal with it. I have a very sensitive nose so this problem would be a big one for me. I just got a bunch of air purifiers and have been learning more about pure air. your nose is telling u something. glad u r listening to your body

Thank you - yes multiple people smell it and the air purifier runs at night because the smell is so bad you can feel it in the eyes and throat. The bathroom was remodeled April 2020. It’s been weeks since he has replied and just sent another text Friday 1/6/21. I hope he gets in touch I really don’t want to threaten his license but I know I can call the CA contractors association if I need to….but would rather not. He did a great job as far as being in time and in budget, and is a likable nice guy so I hope he responds. I’m the meantime I’m trying to trouble shoot this…..

*1/6/22 (not used to the new year yet!)

that's a looong x w no reply. I'm sure u have also called him and emailed. In AZ u have 2 yrs to file a complaint. u r cutting it close. I'd say next step is to file a complaint. I'm the same way as u but we r talking about your health and u r just as important as him. Why should u suffer? If roles were switched u would make things right. That's why u got a GC and if he managed the whole job I think it's cut and dry that it's his responsibility. I'd call/email 1 last x and file now.do it for your family.