wood floor/curbless shower

[kameron]

got a job that is requesting a curbless shower in their bathroom with the rest of the bathroom being a hardwood floor. the shower is an open three waller with a four foot pony, no glass, no door. the shower is going to be using a multiple head system from kohler. i already expressed to the home owner my concerns with water and said i would see what i could find.

i've read most of the threads dealing with curbless and planed on using a trowel applied membrane over the setting bed and the rest of the bathroom floor before the wood was set.

they've agreed to go with a curb if i couldn't find any good information on it. mostly, i guess my question is no matter what type of waterproofing system i go with, is a wood floor/curbless shower a bad idea to begin with? what kinds of things could/should i suggest to the homeowner for the wood floor to protect it?

[Robert Z]

Noble's handicap shower detail would work for what you want to do:


http://www.noblecompany.com/literatu...008-05%20L.pdf

[kameron]

i guess my main concern is with the wood floor though. im not laying the wood floor, and im not sure where my liability ends and the wood floor installer's begins in that area. i'll do what i can to protect the tile and surounding subfloor/walls, as that's clearly my responsibility.

another question. any suggestions for a sealer at the tile/wood joint? i was just going to fill it with grout caulk.

thanks again, robert.

[mbyrne]

kameron:
A curbless, doorless shower--even one without the body sprays--requires a thoroughly waterproofed bathroom floor. You may be able to seal the wood, but what about under the wood? What will happen to all the water that will collect there and contribute to: the formation of mold, warping of the boards, and the establishment of a breeding colony for pathogens and other bad actors found in bathwater?

This is just a plain bad idea. Maybe your customer can make a compromise and use a ceramic tile that is a copy of wood planking.

[always-learning]

Kameron,

If you had posted your personal profile information I may have been more informed on where you were & what you do....


You may wish to contact your local construction dept & see what guidelines they use for having a wood floor in a bathroom.

I know I've seen pergo in a bathroom, but as far as I'm concerned....any type of wood or permeable materials on a bathroom floor is a no-no & I would have them sign an addendum to your contract specifically removing you from liability (that is if you're a contractor using contracts).

If they didn't remove you from future liability, I would pass on the job & let someone else be sued down the line....and not yourself.

There are a significant number of lawyers out there specializing in MOLD LAWSUITS...

[kameron]

thank you all for your responses. as i said before, i am not the contracter involved with the wood floor. i am only tiling the shower/pony wall. i fully understood the need to cover the entire subfloor of the bathroom with a waterproofing membrane on any curbless shower, but was still concerned with the wood even with.

thus, i have met with my partners and have decided to not go that route, as well as since we have not produced any contracts yet, will include a clause for water damage to the wood floor in the future, to protect our liability, regardless if we had a curb and/or shower door or not.

i will also follow michaels suggestion and try to offer the wood styled tile that our company also offers. thank you again everyone.