NO CURB dot com ( Linear Shower Drains and Barrier Free Bathrooms ): March 2010

Planning a curbless shower is not such a simple process. There are many things to consider but if you live in San Francisco you are lucky enough to call on @6 Architecture. @6 Architecture is one of my favourite design firms and I just love their projects. Working with an architect is the surest way of getting a dream bathroom you want and the sub trades required to build it.

When planning a space like this you will need a dream team. These spaces need to be considered right from the very start. The biggest mistake I see is that structural engineer does not make allowances for floor deflection. Make sure you get your homes flooring engineered to L/720 and if possible recess these wet rooms. 2" is great. 5" offers more looks. Even 5/8" plywood outside the rooms help in a pinch.

When selecting the right type of waterproofing for your next project you need to understand what it is the crew is used to working with.

The shower you see above could have been built with one of three different systems. A traditional liner and clamping drain might have been used, perhaps a cemintious waterproofing system or a topical waterproofing system. At the core of every shower is a primary waterproofing product. Something that conforms with ANSI 118.10.

Each of these approaches work and some offer up a better function than others. I'll discuss all in length at my Build Ex show this Febuaray here in Vancouver.

Here are some great bathrooms from @6 Architecture;

"They are process-oriented rather than academic and produce experimental yet approachable work... [their] architecture has a more modest, quiet goal: to integrate Southern California modernity with San Francisco conservatism, and to produce a

practical, style-free contemporary aesthetic." - Zahid Sardar, San Francisco Chronicle

This shower above is a great example of a large barrier free shower with a standard drain. You can see the round drain in the center of the shower and if you look really close you can see that the shower is divided into 4 sections and that all the pitch is even from the four corners to the drain. This look a very common approach over seas and a design tried and tested for generations.

"At-Six Architecture has designed many great projects. The third shower of theirs (shown directly below in the pictures) is one of my all time favourites and the other two curbless showers are picture perfect." - John Whipple Linear Drain Specialist

At-Six Architecture strives to work with clients who appreciate the potency of design, consider the project context, and enjoy the process of building. At-Six works with homeowners, proprietors and developers on residential and commercial projects throughout California and in Beijing, China.

Firm principal Jason Langkammerer's committment to design integrity has been lauded in various forms, including inclusion in California Home + Design's 2008 'Ten to Watch' list of up-and-coming architects, publica- tion in the San Francisco Chronicle, and placing first in a competition for a disabled access retrofit of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House museum.

At-Six stresses management of the design team, budget, and permit process, as well as incorporating resource conserving strategies, as fundamental to their measure of success.

Now this shower is not really a no curb shower but my most favourite shower ever! I love this drop down shower / Roman Tub. A true showcase of what can be built from simple materials and a tile master!

@6 Architecture

San Francisco

290 Division, Suite 303

San Francisco, CA 94103

415-503-0555

415-503-0550 fax

email us

The very first thing I ask my clients here in Vancouver is "What type of tile do you like?" This can be a very important decision in a shower build. Many tile styles demand modern setting materials or modified thin-set installation techniques. This can limit your options in waterproofing so understanding what you want the shower to look like before you start is a good thing.

Many shower projects in California start with a waterproofing process called "Hot Mopping". "Hot Mopping" is a very reliable approach to building a shower and keeping the home free from leaks and such. Here in Vancouver I have never seen a shower "Hot Mopped" and I do not believe it to be very common here. That said in San Francisco I bet showers are build every day just this way.

The linear drains from CeraLine, ACO, Luxe, Infinity and My Shower Grate Shop call all be used in tandum with a "Hot Mop" system. "Hot Mopping" is used with a standard three piece clamping drain. You need to be careful you order the right products from CeraLine and ACO here since they also produce drains that work without the clamping drain.

No building a level access shower with a "Hot mop" and clamping drain requires a lot of planning and often some building modifications. Here the insight from an architect is golden. If your just starting out your search for linear drains please click the link below and read through my other posts. I have a lot of information on each of these shower building techniques and you might gravitate to one system over an

other.