Questions re: DIY shower using wood slats
16 years ago
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- 16 years ago
- 16 years ago
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question re the 'ivy question.'...
Comments (33)Yard - my initial question presupposed that, since I don't remember reading anything in English sources about dire effects on trees etc., there must be some reason for that in terms of something different there than here (e.g. pests of some sort or other unidentified conditions...) It was probably misleading of me to use the word garden when I was interested in the bigger picture also - although I did also wonder about it in gardens too... (Bahia and Ink's input helped answer that question, as well as a recent post on GW that included comments from an English gardener on controlling ivy in the garden - she does much the same things as I do to control the ivy coming from my neighbours...) It just occurred to me to check the RHS web site re ivy. Interesting... While this doesn't explain why the ivy would be more damaging in areas of North America, it's interesting to see the English perspective on it: "Just how harmful is ivy? Here are some facts that will help you decide; - Ivy growing on trees is often thought to be a serious problem, endangering the health of even very large trees. However, its presence on the trunk is not damaging and where it grows into the crowns this is usually only because the trees are already in decline or are diseased and slowly dying - If the branch canopy becomes thin and allows sufficient light to enter, the ivy will develop into its arboreal form. Fraxinus (ash), a naturally thin, open-crowned tree may suffer heavy infestation, and for this reason ivy on ash trees is often controlled - When trees grown for their stem or bark, such as birch and some acers, keep the stems or trunks free from ivy - On other trees, ivy can be allowed to grow on the trunk, although one problem with very old or damaged trees is that the ivy may hide cavities which, in time, could gradually enlarge and possibly affect stability - Ivy is not a parasite; the short, root-like growths which form along climbing stems are for support only. Its own root system below ground supplies it with water and nutrients and is unlikely to be strongly competitive with the trees on which it is growing - Ivy has much wildlife value. As ground cover in woodland, ivy greatly lessens the effect of frost, enabling birds and woodland creatures to forage in leaf litter during bitter spells. Growing on trees, it provides hiding, roosting, hibernating and nesting places for various animals, birds and insects (including butterflies), particularly during the winter months and in areas where there are few other evergreens. Note: If you are concerned about an old or diseased tree, always seek professional advice from an arboriculturist or tree surgeon." Their recommendation on how to control it when it is an unwanted groundcover and you don't want to use chemicals: "Dig up all stems and woody roots. This may be difficult on heavy soils or where vegetation is very dense. Where the site is not needed for planting, an alternative control method is to clear away all top growth before laying weed-control fabric and a 10-15cm (4-6in) deep layer of bark mulch. Leave in place for at least two growing seasons." I would bet that a big part of the problem here is likely due to the greater presence of evergreen conifers here that are not evolved to live with evergreen vines. I'm not sure about the PNW, but most forest vines here are deciduous, so are likely less stressful on the trees when they climb on an evergreen conifer. And I wonder if the local bird populations have developed a strong preference for this 'exotic' food source... :-) Note that the RHS info only seems to be talking about deciduous trees and makes reference to ivy having value particularly in the absence of evergreen trees. So I think the the difference in the type of trees in forests between here and there is very much likely to be a key factor in how ivy performs in the environment here relative to there....See Morestarting bathroom . Have questions re tiling
Comments (4)1) Ply on floor does not have to be aterproofed. 2) Manufactured niches are waterproof. Install the niche and when you waterproof the cbu you'll seal the niche flange and cbu nice and tight. 3) It's certainly easier to buy a pre-made one and plop it in place. But you're limited by the offerings out there. If you want something different you can certainly frame your own. The niche I put in my shower is pretty wide, about 32" if I recall. Bottom opening is maybe 13" or 14" high, the top about 11 or 12" high. Wood framed, then covered in backer board. The roll-on membranes are fine, I used kerdi. then tile. Pitch the shelves for drainage....See More?? re travertine shower over concrete foundation
Comments (1)Order of installation is the same with a wood subfloor: sloped mud bed first (on the concrete), liner second, sloped mud bed on top of liner third, then tile. Travertine probably isn't the best material to use for a shower floor....See MoreNew question re linear or trench drains
Comments (11)Thanks to all of you for your input. Let me provide a little more information so that you will be able to answer my primary question about the drain. The bathroom is on the first floor with easy access from the unfinished basement below. It has post and beam construction and my husband said that beams beneath the subfloor would not interfere with a drain in either location. We know that some distances are a bit short if we were trying to bill this as a true ADA facility, but we are just trying to make this accessible for our own use if we ever need to use a wheelchair in the future. Right now, our only shower is on the second floor, so we want to have something in place that will let us stay in our home as we age. We have taped the room layout and experimented with a borrowed wheelchair. We do not have a full turning radius but can maneuver the chair with just a few extra turns. For the shower, we would use a smaller rolling shower chair. We would roll directly in and back out. We will use a curved curtain when the time comes. For the vanity, we will have 15 inch drawers at each end leaving about 32 inches open space in the middle. The drain will be offset so that the lavatory pipes will be closer to the wall. As we have experimented with the borrowed wheelchair, we are able to turn into the knee space without bumping the drawer bases. For now when accessibility is not an issue, we want the door to swing in. This bathroom opens off the front entry hall, so we want a partially open door to block the view of the toilet from the entry hall and from the living room. When the time comes for a wheelchair (hopefully many years from now), we would reverse the door so that it swings into the hallway. Another option we considered would be to build in the framing for a future pocket door; but for right now, I want the door to swing in to limit the view into the toilet portion of the room. My purpose for posting here is to get more information from others about best placement of the drain and I need information about how to build in the right amount of slope. I have seen pictures of curbless showers with linear drains. While the floors appear to be pretty flat, I presume that there is some gentle sloping built in so that there is no standing water. I have read that the drain for a curbless shower should be 2" lower than the doorway for the room. I assume that this is to limit damage in the rest of the house if the drain were to back up. Do I understand this correctly? If so, is the 2" measured from the surface of the grate where it is flush with the tile or is it measured from some lower point within the trench? From whatever point it is measured, how do we obtain the required slope? Do we slope the whole floor from the vanity, from the doorway or from some other point closer to the shower? It seems as though you would have a longer run in which to achieve a more gental slope if you were to put the drain along the back wall (B). Likewise, it seems as though you would be working with shorter (steeper?) runs if you were sloping to a drain in the A location, and it seems as though you would be creating a "valley" there. Please let me know if I am not understanding something correctly. How much does a linear drain need to be recessed for a curbless shower? How much does the floor need to slope toward the drain? How long a run is needed to achieve the desired slope? Finally, what is the best location for the drain in our particular bathroom?...See More- 16 years ago
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