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Small tile on floor of shower? Daltile 'Spark'

12 years ago

All the tile installers I have received bids from are insisting that I need a small tile on the floor of our showers and there must be some kind of "dam" to prevent the water from running into the room. We just moved to the Louisville area, and I am renovating three bathrooms. We love a modern, minimalist style and were hoping to continue the bathroom floor tiles into the shower without a "dam." I am using a Daltile tile called "Spark," with a dark gray on the floor and the lightest color on the walls. Are these installers correct in their beliefs, or are they just frightened about something new and modern? Thanks

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Comments (4)

Gina_W
12 years ago
They are not blowing smoke, LOL.

First, the small tile for the shower floor - this is better because it won't be as slippery as larger tiles. I put in 1x1 tiles in my last remodel and they were great - never slippery. In this home, I have 4x4's, and yes, they do get slippery. Especially if I use a lot of hair conditioner. It's a safety issue.

Second - the curb-less design you want - this is a code issue - most locales will require a curb of a certain height (some inches over the height of the drain). You should look into that if you are pulling permits. And if the contractor doesn't want to do not-per-code work, you will have to abide by this.

I think the only way you can do a curbless shower per code is to design an ADA-compliant shower - one that will accommodate a wheelchair - but this comes with its own stringent code requirements, including waterproofing more of the bathroom.
pricklypearcactus
12 years ago
I'm not a shower/plumbing/tiling expert, so take my information as such. Please consider doing searches in this forum (search box at the bottom of the forum pages) for curbless shower and shower tile size. It has been discussed multiple times and there is some great information out there.

Depending on the type of drain and the layout of the tile, smaller tiles may be required to accommodate appropriate slope of the shower floor for drainage. You definitely do not want a flat (or concave) area where the water sits. The whole shower area must slope to the drain. Also, as gina_w points out, smaller tiles provide better grip. That's not to say it can't be done ever, but it has to be done right in order to make certain there is proper drainage and that the flooring isn't too slippery.

You must have a certain amount of height between the drain and the "edge" of the wet space. If a drain backs up some, you want a little room for error rather than having water flow out of the waterproofed area. I believe this is building code and certainly the safe/smart thing to do. Typically this is done with a curb. If you want curbless, you must have all of the space sloped to the drain. Do a search in the forum on curbless showers and you'll find a lot more information. A friend recently remodeled her bathroom and opted for curbless. Because of this, the whole room is sloped and she now has an increase in flooring height as she enters the bathroom. Alternatively sometimes joists can be carved out to allow this without transitioning the floors, but someone more knowledgeable than me would have to explain how/when this can be done.
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I can't help but picture orange with this blue. Or a saturated blue and white. A textured all white curtain would look great as well. In no particular order, here are links to a few colourful patterned ones I found: Peaches - orange pink and green - Urban Outfitters Blue and white - Urban Outfitters Flamingo - Anthropologie Orange Contemporary - Rachael Taylor - Wayfair Medallion - Blue and White - Target Navy & white - Wayfair (might be too dark) Orange and white Ikat - Wayfair Lime? (Doesn't look lime on my screen) - Red Barrel Studio - Wayfair Moroccan Orange - Wayfair I think you can have a lot of fun with your shower curtain. So many colours look good with this blue. The trick might be to match the colour intensity.
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bill_vincent
12 years ago
You must have a certain amount of height between the drain and the "edge" of the wet space.

Minimum 2".

I believe this is building code and certainly the safe/smart thing to do.

It's also TCNA and ANSI code.
enofile
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks so much for your informative responses. I see what I like in magazines, but it isn't always practical and I hate spending a ton of money. Thanks so much

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