Not so easy to move these items now I'm afraid.

Once all is said and done you might like the bench under the niche. I might be that the steam line could not make the corner...

Good luck.

JW

Since heat rises, I'd want it down low.

Well, yes, I want the outlet down low, but do I want it right where I will be sitting and coming out where my heels will be? Wouldn't it be better at the same height on another wall that doesn't have my bench?

I'm not sure where the unit will be, do I don't know about turning a corner. There is a full basement below this, so there should have been flexibility in placing the unit.

If the bench is under the niche, then I think it would interfere with where we will stand to shower. I guess it's "storage" position can be the right hand wall and then move it to one of the other walls when I want to steam.

Thanks - Jo Ann

Jo Ann,

Not a big deal.

The outlet below the bench location is a common location, especially with fixed or built-in benches. The depth of the bench will keep anyone from accidentally brushing up against it, the bench will act as a scald guard of sorts.

As you're discovering, verbal communication doesn't always work. I do understand the distance involved between home and the build site, that can make it difficult.

As a recommendation, if you do communicate directly with a sub, copy your GC as well so everyone is on the same page.

mongoct - thanks for the reply. I was worried about the scalding issue, the most.

I found the MEP walkthroughs to be an extremely frustrating experience. I expected the subs to be taking notes and supply us with the notes and/or annotated plan for review. That's the best way to catch any miscommunication while it is still easy to fix. My expectations are based on managing flight hardware projects and are probably not realistic for building a house.

Another horrible thought passed through my head, this evening, as I looked at the above picture. This is a steam shower and I cannot discern any slope in that ceiling. The shower is 5'-3" x 4'-8" so I would think I'd be able to see ~10" difference looking at tiles that are 12"x24". Tomorrow, DH will start the drive back to TX, but he is going to stop by the house, first, to make some measurements.

If they didn't slope the ceiling, am I being unreasonable if I ask them to redo it? I know that 2"/1' is the ANSI standard, but then I scanned a thread on John Bridge that said it isn't as important for a residential steam shower.

Also, what kind of vapor barrier, grout, etc., etc. should they have used? I want to be able to call the tile installer on Monday and ask some intelligent questions.

This steam shower is one of my dream items in my dream home. We didn't put in a tub because we haven't used one in a decade. But, I spend way too much time and waste way too much hot water standing in the shower thinking and relaxing. This steam shower is supposed to be my special place.

Thanks for the advice - Jo Ann

Well, I used to design solid fuel rocket motors, so I understand your engineering approach. Most GCs and subs "do what they do" because it works. In good times at least. In tight times like today, they scramble and get punished for their sloppiness.

Yeah, TCNA is what I go by and they recommend slope in the ceiling. I noticed the flat ceiling in the photo but wasn't going to comment as I don't know what your local requirements are code-wise, or recommendation-wise.

Slope can be good and bad. With flat ceilings the condensate sometimes doesn't build up enough to drip. With a sloped ceiling though, small beads of condensate can run down the sloped ceiling tiles and stop at a grout line. Other beads join it until the bead gets large enough to drop from the ceiling.

So it can be wishy-washy to a certain extent, as grout lines can exacerbate condensation droplets on a sloped ceiling, where they might never drip on a flat ceiling.

As to the membrane, as long as it's integral on all sides of the shower, all should be well. In steam showers, I personally prefer a topical membrane, I use Kerdi in steam showers. Topical membranes won't allow moisture vapor to be driven into the wall assembly like membranes buried a layer or two into the wall. It allows the room to dry out faster.

Not having a topical membrane is not a deal breaker. As long as you have an integral membrane, sealed, on all six sides of the steam room cube, all should be well.

Do realize that some roll-on liquid topical membranes, while they may be waterproof, they might not be steam or vapor proof.

I insulate steam rooms too. It allows better performance within the steam room.

Basic portland cement based grout is fine.

Oh, and based upon a couple of email questions I got this morning...yes, I slope steam room ceilings.

Sometimes it'll be a single-plane of sloped ceiling, sometimes a gable peak, sometimes a four-plane pyramid. Depends on the size of the ceiling. The more planes you break up the ceiling in to, the less likely you'll get drips.

And FWIW, no one has ever complained to me about drips.

Oh, OK, the slope doesn't have to be in one plane. I think a four-plane pyramid would look really nice with the rain shower head in the middle. The room is 4'-8" x 5'-3". Is that too small for 4 planes?

I'm trying to find our local codes, online, but haven't been successful, yet. We are in an unincorporated part of Greenville County, SC. I'll keep trying various searches & then just call the county offices on Monday. The stuff I could find was for all of SC & just talked about dimensions for the shower compartment.

Also, it doesn't show in this picture, but I'm not sure why the electrician put two can lights in the shower. Crikey, we're going to have to install a dimmer switch just to use the shower.

Solid fuel rocket motors, eh? I've always wanted to sweet talk my way to watch a test firing at Stennis. I have seen 3 Shuttle launches and one landing and have spent several sessions doing testing on the vehicle while it was at the pad and just 24 hours from launch. I guess that will make for good stories for the grandkids, one day.

Thanks to all for taking the time to help - Jo Ann

Well I'm going to be a voice of caution here. Not to alarm you, but if you're sitting on your bench on the right side of the steam shower, just above the steam nozzle, I don't see how that's going to be very comfortable. That steam is hot. I think you're going to want to put the bench on one of the other two walls.

In the picture below you can see the steam outlet just under the angled bench. The teak bench is far enough away that I don't need to worry about being scalded. I never sit on the angled bench. Total shower dimensions are 4'x6'.

JoAnn,
I have had two steam showers, neither with a sloped ceiling, by choice... I decided on form over function, as I didn't want the visual of the slope to bug me during daily showers, when I use the steam relatively infrequently. I had also read that the dripping was really more of an issue in large commercial steam rooms that are going and going all day... We did insulate completely,which likely helps, and we have few drips. By the time I have ever felt a drop, I have been in the steam so long Im soaked
anyway. For shorter steams, there are no drops at all... There has never been anything bothersome-at the worst it is like a drop a minute after steamer has been on for 15 min... I was super-anal about how our shower was constructed but deliberately bucked the TCNA in this one respect and it is all fine- so don't worry if you are stuck with it as is. It
should be just fine and you will love it.

annkathryn - thanks for the picture and the advice. That is a really beautiful shower. I guess the good thing is that we aren't stuck with a built-in seat and the bench could sit along the right wall for everyday and be a nice place to shave legs and then just shift it to another wall when I want to steam.

niffy - I will call the tile folks on Monday to get details of what they did. I guess I could always have them go back and do more insulation if I don't think there is enough. The attic is above that space, so that shouldn't be too hard to do.

Thanks - Jo Ann

two lights was the right call in that shower - it's fairly large and has a rain head coming out of the center of the ceiling where a single can fixture would normally go. One off centered can in that shower will produce horrible shadows. Dimmers are cheap and you can always use 30W lamps. Adding more light to a steamer if needed is very troublesome.

Who designed the steam room, and are there drawings showing the details?

antss - Oh, OK, I really didn't think much about shadows.

The shower compartment was simply part of the plan we had drawn up. We were told that during the plumbing walkthrough we would tell the plumber where we wanted the fixtures.

I did a bunch of research & got help from this forum to pick out the fixtures, myself. I thought there would be some annotation on the plan about where things should go, but I was told that I would just tell the plumber what I wanted when we did the walkthrough.

As I said, above, I indicated that I wanted the 3rd outlet which is a small wand handshower to be on the wall that has the niche to declutter things. I showed the plumber where the movable bench would be placed & I'm pretty sure he said that the steam outlet would be opposite that. In any event, if he had told me it would be underneath the bench, I'm pretty sure I would have asked if that would be a problem with me sitting there.

In retrospect, we never should have gone along with the "that's how we do things" attitude. That's not how I operate in my work environment where everything is documented out the wazoo. This approach may have worked if we lived in the area and could have had more interaction with the trades.

In the morning, I am going to talk to the tile guy to see why the ceiling isn't sloped. I will also ask what vapor barrier was used. And, should I ask about what CBU was used? Is that the right way to say it?

Thanks - Jo Ann

I've just heard back from my tile guy and they used Kerdi, and will warrant the shower for the life of the house, so I guess i'm reassured.

I plan on living with the flat ceiling, but I still need to figure out why the outlets are where they are. The builder is still on vacation, so that may take until next week.

Thanks - Jo Ann

My newly installed steam shower does not have a sloped ceiling either - unless it's very minimal.

You may find that the location of the steam head isn't an issue - since you will be using a teak bench you can put it anywhere you want...that's way more flexible than a built in bench/seat.

I didnt' have a bench put in either - then I can put my bench where I want. W/O actually using the shower, you dont' know where you will feel more comfortable. Typically, it's just what you get use to by consistently using something.

I'm not sure where my steam outlet is - but I'm pretty sure it's on the same wall as the shower controls.