Kerdi Line Drain Remodel Questions

[jgleason]

Hi Nick,
I merged your two threads back into one. We like to have one thread per project. One of the moderators can rename the thread to something , more generic if you like.

[SECBuilders]

Hey Joe,

No problem. Thanks for the heads up.

Drywall wouldn't be a bad idea... sure is cheap, and it'll be easy to get in there. Maybe that's the ticket... it won't be exposed to any form of moisture -- hmmmmmmm. I could give it a quick scratch coat with some thinset too.

[SECBuilders]

On second thought Joe, would you mind renaming the thread to "Kerdi Line Drain Remodel Questions"?

I haven't taken too many photos yet. The attached image is of the concrete pour after plumbing in the 2" drain line.

[Screw Loose]

I just want to say that I like the foresight you have shown there, by having that 4" sleeve pipe around your 2" drain line.

Lot easier to have a big sleeve pulled out, then to be chipping out cement.

[SECBuilders]

Thanks. These line drains can be a pain -- you'll want a little wiggle room for when you get to the fine tuning stage. This particular unit is stainless steel and sits on top of the slab (since that photo was taken, I did a thin coat of gypsum concrete to make everything smooth).

The hard part is (which is why I was asking about furring the wall) is getting the finished wall thickness dialed in exactly enough to get the line drain's grate spanning the finished width of the shower stall.

We'll see! I'll post some photos as soon as I can after I finish mudding all of the sheetrock work tomorrow.

[Houston Remodeler]

We usually plan one inch between the studs and the drain grate unless your tiles are unusually thick.

[SECBuilders]

I might be stuck with an inch and a quarter with the way the schlueter bonding flange works.

These suckers are hard. No second chances.

[dhagin]

The Kerdi Drain flange can be cut if necessary.

[jadnashua]

If you go with drywall, then the Kerdiboard...one trick they showed us at a Schluter workshop was to set the Kerdiboard as if it was one large tile using the spotting method. If you're not familiar with that, you put gobs of thinset in piles around the board's back, then push it up against the wall. They suggested using a long level for two purposes - getting the thing set perfectly plumb and to ensure you're pressing it and keeping it straight so as not to get a wavy surface.

[SECBuilders]

Good tip! I ended up using 3/4" OSB to get the depth I needed. Worked fine, and flattened things nicely. Should have the stall done tomorrow and I hope to float the floor in the afternoon.

I did find that the bonding flange and foam support can be a pain to get to stick to each other regardless of how much thinset you use.

My mobile job site trailer for kicks

[Lakee911]

Nice setup! I wish that I could be that organized. How do you like that Festool dust extractor? I've got some of their tools--and I love them--but the dust extractor is a bit spendy for me.

[jondon]

Damn Nick nice storage

[jadnashua]

If you're having trouble getting Kerdi to stick to the foam, you're either not using the right thinset, letting it skin over, or mixing it too stiff. It should be closer to mayonnaise verses peanut butter...still stiff enough to hold a notch, but very creamy - no need to use 'extra' water, but use the upper end of the thinset's allowable amount, and, mix it long enough. Most people do not mix it per the instructions...the speed, type of paddle, and time really makes a HUGE difference in the texture and consistency of thinset. It takes awhile to get all of the cement to get wetted and surround the fillers evenly and effectively. A timer can make a big difference!

Properly mixed with thinset, and the Kerdi acts almost like contact glue when it comes in contact...it almost immediately gets the fleece saturated once you apply any pressure at all.

[SECBuilders]

I totally agree. In this case, it was foam to cement slab -- the drain itself had a little spring to it and it was causing the foam drain pan to bulge a bit. Fixed it after the kerabond set up a little more.

Enclosure is done. Spent the rest of the day installing a window.



Tomorrow I'll float the floor. I plan on back sloping the float by the drain for any water that escapes.

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

Nice. I just wonder about how a door would work with the drain in that location if you back slope the outside.

edit: Nice trailer too.