So you’ve started researching the construction of your new dream shower. I bet you never imagined that so much went into this section of your home.
The planning stages of any tile work, especially your shower, is most certainly the hardest part. There are so many options and so many finishes, the kicker being that they are all EXPENSIVE and PERMANENT.
O JOY!
One often overlooked item: THE DRAIN.
What is a drain?
It’s the place the water from the shower head goes to leave the shower system. It goes down that metal grate that is located in the shower pan. The water goes to this grate because the shower pan is sloped that way. The water goes into the grate which is connected to pipe that brings it to the sewer system.
As with everything in life, there are OPTIONS for your drain…Generally, most builders use the cheap $10 plastic ones, but you deserve FAR better than that in your dream bathroom.
There are drain options like, finish, color, shape, design and the topic of this article,
LINEAR OR CENTER.
The crazy part here: linear can also be a center drain. MIND BLOWN.
But, in the interest of limiting confusion a “center drain” is going to be classified as a 4'“ square or circle. I’ll also state that this type drain doesn’t need to be centered, either. It can’t be located anywhere in the shower pan, really.
But, for this article, the smaller 4” located in the middle of the shower pan will be called a “center drain”.
CENTER DRAIN
So, what’s so great about a center drain?
For the cost conscious, center drains are the most inexpensive. You can get one for as little as $10. The Schluter ones we use, that look great, run around $100. They are also easier to install, so a beginner or a DIY homeowner can realistically put one in themselves.
Most people get center drains, so tile guys are used to installing them. Installation of a center drain is tile guy 101 so the possibility of running in to problems with the installation is far less.
When buying a center drain we recommend getting a shower floor tile that is under 3” to better conform with the shape of the pan and to also allow for better, more secure footing.
Although smaller tile is recommended you can use bigger tile, but your shower floor will have to be “envelope cut” which is a more technical installation technique.
Center drains are also less maintenance. The water goes down this drain at such a speed and volume that you rarely have to take the grate off and they almost clean themselves with very little extra maintenance.
You have a world of finishes available for your center drain. Most match the drain to the finish of their bathroom fixtures, but you can essentially do any color or a custom designer drain like these:
www.DesignerDrains.com
This company was featured on Shark Tank and they can make you a drain grate cover with a tremendous design, like a fish, a tree, your company logo or your name. WHATEVER YOU CAN THINK OF.
All shower configurations support the use of a center drain. If you’re building a “zero entry” or a “curbless” shower you can use one, if you have a curb you can use one too. They are the most versatile of all drain types.
Center drains are not as glorious looking. They’re not the drain to use if you want to IMPRESS. Esthetically, they are not as pleasing as the linear option. They just don’t LOOK as cool.
Center drains are the more FUNCTIONAL, COST EFFECTIVE option.
They’re great at what they do, taking the water out of the shower!
But of course they can be as SMOKING and as custom as you want!
LINEAR DRAIN
Linear drains, heavy on LOOKS and FORM . They’re show stoppers when you look at them.
They are very long and can span from one side of a shower to the other.
“Wow, that looks expensive!”
Well, mostly because they are! That is a big downside of a linear drain. They cost a ton of money in comparison to a center drain. More money for the drain itself and also more money to put it in because there is a higher degree of precision involved with their installation.
These drains are TRICKY to put in. The plumbing has to be set up more EXACT. They have to be installed perfectly level. Don’t think that any Joe Schmo handy man can put one of these in!
We went to one job to help and saw a linear drain put in COMPLETELY WRONG and not to manufacturer specifications. “SORRY, your whole shower has to come out.”
True story.
So, highly skilled, expensive installers are necessary for these drains. Not only that,
Check out the prices on these things!
Of course, that doesn’t include the grate!
Now, you can get cheaper linear drains…but generally speaking, they’re cheaper for a reason. A lot of them are designed poorly or designed for an antiquated shower building method…Don’t go cheap on a shower. There’s a lot of water involved with showers and if you buy some cheap crap, you may pay more long term. If you’re trying to look like a spender, be a spender. Don’t be a faker!
As stated above, they’re expensive but they look OUTSTANDING.
People use them because they can use the same tile throughout the entire bathroom, including the shower and they can place the linear drains in interesting places because the shower pan will only be sloped in ONE direction, rather than like a bowl when you are using a center drain.
This client wanted his drain in front of the shower bench, so we obliged.
And, as you can see we used a large format tile that matched the outside bathroom floor.
With a linear drain, think CONTINUITY. CONTINUITY of a type of tile, CONTINUITY of a theme. If you want to really have continuity, get a tileable grate, like this one here.
What is another major downside of a linear drain other than the cost?
THE MAINTENANCE!
When the water from the shower goes into a long, linear drain, the VELOCITY of the water slows down considerably. The longer the drain, the slower the water velocity to evacuate the water out of the system. So, you have to clean a linear drain VERY often. Clean it of the hair, the dirt, the grime from your daily shower. The drain is at a slight pitch and it simply slows down the flow of the water, so you have to CLEAN a linear drain MUCH more often.
So, more of a pain in the ass to put in, more money, less functional.
But DAMN do they look COOL!
Check out this video of a shower we made to see the process of putting in a linear drain as well as the finished product:
DANG! Look at these OLD Hamilton Tile videos! Oh, the improvement.
That’s the break down from a pro installer!
Choice is great, but it puts a bit of PRESSURE on every selection for your bathroom.
Ultimately, your shower is a one time thing. Re-sale value of your house is super important. Getting what you WANT is probably most important. So, that’s where I always lean. Get what you WANT. Your bathroom is a once in your lifetime thing. Make it look and work the way you want to make it look and work.
If functionality is important to you….get a center drain. If looks are important to you and cost not an object, get a linear drain. If you couldn’t care less at all, GET A PLASTIC SURROUND and use your money for something else!
Thanks for reading.