If you have the right tiler thay could do a full topical waterproof build while still using this drain by employing A divot. Very technical build for diy or novice tiler. Id return the drain however and get a bonding flange drain they are the real linear drain what you have is A drain STRAINER that should be sold as such as its kinda misleading advertising and its a problem in our iindustry.. Side note.... further confusion ! some Strainers can also work with a bonding flange drain and a coupling gasket . Common pitfallls for people buying drains online w/o a qualified tiler guiding you. all this info has been clarified on these forums search it out.

The ONLY reason ever to do a linear drain is if you're using large format tile across the bathroom floor and continuing into a curbless shower. A linear drain is the only drain that will allow a slope across a single plane to achieve this kind of look (which is a fantastic floor look and makes any bathroom appear larger - when you have a unified floor of the same large tiles. Larger format tiles are unable to accomodate the curves required to slope into a single point drain the way small format tiles can. Linear drains from a functionality and maintenance standpoint are inferior in every way to a standard single point drain. After having designed and built a modern minimalist bathroom with the large format tiles and curbless scenario utilizing a linear drain - I will NEVER do it again. Thought I love the look of my bathroom, linear drain requires WEEKLY removal of the grate. It is disgusting to clean, does not drain well, water sits in the trough, hair collects all around the perimeter, gross slimy buildup occurs, etc... Trust me, you do not want a lifetime of dealing with this just to attain an aesthetic. Future bathrooms I design will simply transition to smaller mosiac tiles for the shower floor in order to accomodate a standard single point drain. It's a tradeoff I'm willing to make despite how much I love the look of continuous large format tiles across the floor. When I see people use a linear drain with small tiles I just laugh!

Sorry to tag on to the end of this thread, it's already a bit messy to say the least. I have spent countless hours researching linear drains and am at my wits end! Bathroom floor is dropped by 1-5/8" from floorboards (2-7/8" below wood floor in adjacent room) in a 56-1/4" x 90" area ready for this project. I need to place the drain as a barrier by the entry way spanning the entire 90". Cannot go against back wall easily because of joist limitation.Tile will be sloped in from 14" outside of the shower including capilliary break then up to the back wall, drawing NOT to scale! I will have wedge wire grate and two 2" ABS outlets in to a 3" ABS drain, so not overly concerned about flooding the bathroom. I am aware of the 3" drop and wet room requirements. My main dilemma is how to terminate the linear at each side wall. I saw photos in another forum where the wall tile 'tabs' in to the drain channel, drain channel extends under wall tile at each end. In order to do this could the entire floor and drain be finished first with channel extended about 3/4" past the intended plane of the finished wall? Silicone caulk the drain at each end. Then the walls could be floated in and the tab cut on the bottom of the two opposite tiles that would sit in the channel. Floor will be hot mopped (I'm in California), walls lath and mortar, and the floor also floated outside of shower area. I'm on a wooden sub floor obviously. Finally, I have narrowed my options down to site sizable QM Delmar or the DERA-Line. Both have pros and cons, does anyone have any advice as in 'stay away from' or any pointers re these two drains? I realise the DERA is cheaper, 304 S/S as opposed to 316. The DERA is custom made to exact length rather than site sizable as in the QM or I may not even be asking the question about the walls. I'm leaning in the DERA direction because price is getting high and the wife is pushing to avoid linear, which would pain me after getting this close. The Dera is coming in around $1100 vs $1500. I thoroughly appreciate any advice or guidance anyone can give. Btw, i am not doing the job personally, just due diligence to be 100% certain nothing is compromised or overlooked. Thanks very much in advance.

For the drain that's tiled over, some drain covers are like a shallow "metal pan" that can have the tile inset within them. The tiled metal pan can still be removed as a whole to clean the drain underneath. Some are simple friction fit and pop right out. Some use a tool. Check the drain manufacturer's website. Or ask the tile setter!