A flush shower pan (floor of the shower) allows you to walk into the shower without stepping over the curb. The curb is the tall threshold at the front of the shower; found typically in older homes. It can be made shorter when you remodel the shower, but most people would prefer to get rid of them creating a modern walk-in tile shower.

These walk-in showers are also referred to as curbless showers, flush drain showers, or trench drain showers.

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Linear Drain

There are some technical aspects to this that I’ll go into in a different post, but to get the discussion started you’ll need a linear drain to make this work. Rather than a point drain with cap (your usual shower drain) in the middle of the shower you’ll have a long (linear) drain at the back of the shower. If the shower is 60″ wide it will be approx. 60″. If it is 48″, it will be about 48″. They are basically a long channel with a drain hole and a decorative grid.

The drain is placed at a lower position in the floor. Consequently, by placing the drain low in the floor, the outer edge of the shower pan will be equal with the height of the bathroom tile floor. You will have a shower floor that is at the same height as the bathroom floor and it will only slope in one direction instead of multiple. So no curb. Therefore the bathroom floor tile can run right into the shower.

Technical Note: Above I indicated that the drain is placed in the back of the shower toward the wall; this is for the purposes of this post. However, these drains are positioned as needed at the front of the shower, along a side wall or in the middle running the length of the shower.

This is a more modern look overall. Using a larger format tile it can make the bathroom look larger and more spacious which is now possible with the linear drain. Although a larger format tile is seen in modern bathrooms there are no restrictions for the size tile you use in the bathroom; mosaic, geometric, or plank are also options.

Grid Cover

The drain covers are stylish stainless steel decorative grids. They compliment your new bathroom fixtures by design. Further, each is removable for cleaning and access to the drain area.

Linear Drain + Curb?

I have focused my attention in this post on curbless showers using linear drains. But they are such a cool design element and versatile in their use in a modern walk-in shower, I have also used them in showers with curbs. Sometimes it is just a design element. With today’s showers being so large and the extensive use of glass shower walls sometimes a shower curb is used.

In the photo above you see a beautiful shower with stone or quartz walls. The shower floor is a mosaic tile. The glass shower walls rest on the curb also clad in the same wall material. Look at the back wall under the shower bench, there is the linear drain. Special kudos to the stone fabricator there are some unique touches in this shower like the niche with shelf and the unique shower bench with legs to match. A job well done all around.

Linear Drain Options

There are several linear drain options and a few companies that offer them. The QM drain, the Nami line, is a Japanese word for wave giving a nod to the gentle ripples in the sand along the beach. The Delmar series is made of marine grade stainless steel for a durable modern design. In addition to the linear drain they offer a square drain for center of shower installation. Each work well in all my shower and drain applications for a modern walk-in tile shower.

Remodeling can be a lot of fun because there are so many great opens. Be open minded. Plan ahead. And, enjoy the process.

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