Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 28, 2000 10:47pm | #1

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   Hi Philip, I had the same situation a few years ago and I opted to keep the wall tile at a constant level and slope the floor accordingly. Keep in mind the more pitch you give the floor the harder it may be to lay larger floor tile. If you slope the wall tile it may be "offensive to the eye"
   Mark

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   Guest_ | Mar 29, 2000 05:16am | #2

   *Philip,Do you really need to slope the floor one inch over a four foot run? A little compromise with the slope will make the tile look better. Or, keep the slope but get creative when you set the tile. Instead of straight runs try staggering the tile. Or, use a larger wall tile, such as 6x6, 6x8 or 8x10, then the lowest horizontal grout line could be far enough off the floor so you would not notice the sloped cut. Or, install a decorative band to draw the eye away from the floor. Or, put in a full bench at the far side - tiled top and front - that will effectively lower the height of the slope. Or, set in a bench seat only, supported by the side walls. The floor could be pitched wildly but be hidden under the bench.Comments? Ralphp.s. Why couldn't you put the drain in the middle?

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   philip_langford | Mar 29, 2000 03:12pm | #3

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   I guess I should give more details. The floor tile I got is a 12 x 12 that I will be cutting down to a smaller size. The wall tile is actually a 13 x 13 these would not be cut. Both are very nice tiles and will go great with the shower. As for the 1 inch slope over 4 feet, I thought that was standard ( a 1/4 per foot slope ). I assumed I could lay the wall tile level except for a small strip at the bottom that could be angled to follow the floor slope. Would less of a slope on the floor cause drainage problems. One other thing is that the stall is not a rectangle it has five sides, sort of a rectangle with one corner cut off. As for the drain not being in the center, that was the way it came and I did not realize it was going to be a problem with the floor.
   How do you think it would look if a strip of floor tile ran the border of the stall just under the wall tile, this way it could be cut to follow the angle of the floor and maybe blend with the floor more ?
   Just a thought, and thanks for your comments

3. 
   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 03:44am | #4

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   I believe the plumbing code actually states minimum 1/8 per foot and maximum 1/4. Depending who you talk to these numbers get pretty confused and 1/4 is generally accepted as the "no argument" standard. But that's plumbing. Plumbing has to be just right to ensure that the "lumpy stuff" gets floated away with the "liquid stuff" and 1/8 - 1/4 seems to be the magic number for this purpose.

   1/4 is good drain no matter where you use it, but it's not required for a shower run off. Any slope you can visible measure will still do the job. I would pay close attention to the shower enterance and which way the shower heads are shooting or your sloping plans may be for not.

   Not a tiling expert, but a strip floor tile (different color/pattern from wall?) looks okay in my mental picture. If you cut the slope back (say in half to 1/2"), you could trim the lower course of wall tiles to fit. Over a 13" tile, I don't think a 1/2" floor variation would be that obvious.

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   Guest_ | Mar 30, 2000 07:13am | #5

   *Philip,Cutting 12x12 tile to a smaller size for the shower floor could pose a hazard to soft feet. Each cut edge is a potential razor especially when set on converging slopes and you WILL have high/low edges. You won't be able to hide those edges with grout. You can ease those edges with a stone but it's not a consistent guarantee.With tile, wall or floor, the visual appearance is enhanced if you can avoid thin cuts at any point. It is really noticeable when using larger tile. Work from a center line on each wall segment, both horizontally and vertically if you tile to the ceiling to get the balanced look. For instance, a 60 inch wide wall will use 4 1/2 13 inch tiles. But just a 6 1/2 inch tile on one side will be unbalanced.At the floor, unless you are using a cove base where you must start level, on a level floor, set your tile so that the last course you set is the bottom. You can then trim the tile to match any slope and maintain a consistant gap. Avoid thin strips whenever you can.

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   Guest_ | Apr 04, 2000 03:49am | #7

   *Philip,I just read your message and here is my 2cents' worth...A little bit of everything else that was said I guess, How about cheating on both sides of the drain;go from 0 to 1/2'' on the long side and 0 to 1/4'' on the short side; on a 13'' tile, if you trim off 1 inch at the lowest point and work your way from there, I don't think your difference will show a great deal.good luckmk

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   philip_langford | Apr 04, 2000 03:49am | #6

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   I am a home owner that is getting ready to put floor mud in a walk in shower I had built. I it is a 4 foot by 5 foot stall with the drain center in the 4 foot side, but 1 foot from one wall and 4 feet from the opposite wall. My question is this; when sloping the floor from the farthest wall it will be 1 inch higher than drain but the other side would be 1/4 of an inch higher than drain. This would make the wall tile uneven when they meet the floor along the 5 foot distance. Or do I make a level line around the perimeter with the highest spot ( 1 inch ) which would be great for one side of drain but it would make a very steep slope on the opposite side where the drain is only 12 inches from the wall. Is their a compromise I am not thinking of, I guess a perfect world would have the drain in the center, but that was not possible. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks