Shower drain, help required, please.

[TheMitchells]

We have decided its time to update our en-suite and change the quadrant shower for one across the whole of the back wall.  when we did the quadrant, you can see that we stood the shower tray on thick ply, sitting on wooden blocks.  this was to give sufficient room for the drain, which runs left under the vanity units and into the large pipe which runs down the corner of the bedroom, the other side of the left hand wall.

We would like to have the new shower tray on or nearer the floor so there isnt a step.   The floor joists run at 90 degrees to to direction the waste would need to go meaning drilling each one with min 32mm hole for the waste, until it gets to the main soil downpipe, having dropped it accordingly. This will also mean having half the floor up. As far as regs go the joists are deep enough (min 0.25 of joist depth) but we would need to come out to 0.25 to 0.4 of the span too which would be awkward

Are there any techniques or methods these days which might be easier?

this shows the shower drainpipe running into the soil pipe.  the large grey one is the soil pipe from the loo.

 

The white drain pipe running from under the shower tray.

The plasterboard and tiles removed.  they were ordinary plasterboards but we shall do it with proper aquaboards this time. (any recommendations for those too would be appreciated)?

You may notice that the vanilty units also sit on 10cm blocks of wood - we like to have a higher than usual sink; is much nicer than the usual height. 

 

So - any good ideas that we can try?? thanks, in anticipation.?

[bassanclan]

The the SVP run outside? If so could you go out the wall and connect there?

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, bassanclan said:

The the SVP run outside? If so could you go out the wall and connect there?

Yup.

Or if not, can you take it to a drain by dropping down the outside wall? If the drains are combined ( foul and rain ) then you could go and tap into the downpipe with a snow box. 

[TheMitchells]

No, the soil vent pipe runs inside the house down through the bedroom and lounge (boxed in) but we could look at possibly taking the pipe outside and into the drain.  Its raining and is almost at freezing point outside so I'm not looking till tomorrow?

[TheMitchells]

This is the outside and as you can see - no SVP.

 

   there is a drain cover outside the kitchen window and both soil pipes run into it from the ensuite (left hand window) and the bathroom, the middle window in the above photo. But both svp's arer boxed into the corners of rooms so going outside isnt really an option either.

However, directly belwo the ensuite is the kitchen and now we are thinking about bringing the drain straight down through the kitchen ceiling and run it along the top of the units to the svp in the corner.  you can see the boxed section on the right.  Maybe not ideal but we can box it in there and it wouldnt really be seen much. 

 

 

 

 

[TheMitchells]

There is a drain pipe for the rain coming off the roof to the left of the kitchen window and that runs somewhere under the house towards the front, we think.  we ran water through it and we could hear it in when we lifted that drain cover, but it didnt come through there.  So I not sure if connecting to it would be a good idea.  it would help fill the waterbutt in the summer!

[bassanclan]

Boxing in the kitchen would work, but if you draw a plan with dimensions etc we might be able to come up with a better idea

[Oz07]

Boxing in the kitchen could work really well and leave means of access if you're clever about it. You could even have a bulkhead built which comes down to top of standard wall unit height. Perhaps sticking out more with some downlights in. Its the route I would favour. Especially as you seem to have a full bank of wall units.

[TheMitchells]

sorry about the delay in replying.  we have both been full of cold so not doing a lot at all.  I am not sure what measurments you would want @bassanclan.  But the kitchen idea seems the best and as mentioned above, it means we can build in an access to it. so thats the way we plan to go.  today is all about getting the old shower stuff taken to the tip and getting the shower tray out - its pretty heavy.  then we can clear the whole area ready for new plasterboard/new downlighters and I think the OH wants to plaster the ceiling.  All the ceilings in the house are artexed and while it doesnt bother me at all, apparently the OH hates it!  and i still have to plan the new tiles. I havent decided on a look yet. 

Thanks for all the help!