If any manufacturers or contractors want to chime in here on the linear drains, please do. If your drain is superior, or can eliminate this maintenance issue, I’m all ears I absolutely love the look of them!
Laticrete has a different design that doesn’t have legs to catch hair. Also I think the outlet (circle) drain should be closest to the most flow, like next to shower head so hair has less to travel
Have installed a few linear-drains, you probably would[n't] have that problem if you just had a stainless steal grille insert instead of tile insert, and with the "hair-catcher" right in the center of the drain unit.
@@ourd0gseven it does seem the shorter ones with metal grates are better. No exposed thinset layer. And like many are saying, having it on shower faucet side would wash things down better. This 5 ft drain definitely doesn’t have much pitch to it
NOOOOO!!! We love our linear shower drain, it is not high maintenance at all. It just needs cleaning from time to time but is a piece of cake! Just remove the linear drain cover with a key or something similar, even a butter knife works, in the center is a small plastic basket that has captured all the hairs and soap residue, thus backing up the water after awhile. Clear the little basket into a trashcan, rinse it off, wash out the drain area using a little brush like a toothbrush, rinse the drain, replace the little basket and then pop the cover back on! Our cover doesn’t have all the little legs and stuff mentioned in this video so I’m guessing design has been improved since this video was made. We have a 2023 Schluter Closed Linear Drain. Love it!❤
I went with a Schluter non-grid full stainless steel linear drain with no tile on the top. Very sleek, smooth and easy to clean. I prefer to have the ability to lift that up and clean it. My old standard round drain use to smell funky and I could never get in there to clean it. My new linear drain has a little strainer to catch hair so I don’t have to worry about my sewer pipes getting clogged. I love my new stainless linear drain. Mine is up against the entire length of the back wall so the water drains away from the shower glass. I wouldn’t change a thing.
can you post a link to your purchase? We are in the process of buying a linear drain also. We prefer the stainless steel look also. Thanks for your consideration.
I found your videos last night, while looking for information on the linear drains and how to install them, and now I see your point on cleaning issues. As a woman who has cleaned more then her fair share of showers, but never a linear shower drain, I believe I would rather deal with the linear then the standard. I would much rather be able to open the linear drain cover and clean out the build up than dig blindly into the standard drain, sometimes fighting the standard drain cover as well, to get out the built up hair and yuck that collect in any drain. I see that precautions would need to be taken to kfrom cutting my hands on the linear drain covers underside, but all of that is just done with a scrub brush and a vacuum cleaner. When I have my new bathroom built I will be going with linear shower drain. Thank you for showing all of the issues with this product.
They do look great! Can’t beat the look of them. And if it’s a shorter drain than mine (60”) then you’ll most likely have less issues since they are a bit more steeply pitched. Thanks for sharing your opinion here 😊 👍
Great feedback. There is no way out of cleaning something. I think everyone wants a perfect solution to all. That is, look good and no maintenance. No such thing. I think your correct. At least the linear drain is easier to clean out vs the mystery grab inside a typical drain. Linear drain like laminate floors. Unlike carpet that is a dirt and germ catcher. laminate floors forces you to stay clean like linear drains do. You may think ...omg I have to clean all the time vs in essence using other type floors or drains that just builds and builds till one day.....omg....where all this crap from. Lol
One thing not mentioned is the big reason people want linear drains is to have continuous large format tiles to create a unified floor all the way across your bathroom and into the shower. It’s a great look, makes a bathroom look larger, and the reason I did it. It’s not about the look of the linear drain. People don’t seem to get that. If you go with a normal round drain then you must switch to small tiles in the floor of your shower to be able to conform to all the curves and slope surrounding the drain. You obviously can’t do that with large tiles. Linear drains allow large tiles to just slope one direction and direct water flow along a single long line rather than curved around a point.
Thats exactly why i want install linear drain as i love big tiles on the floor.. but after seeing this video im gerting hesitant, I need to weight between the look and the practical aspect. Hard choice.. do you happen to have a linear drain. If yes, Pls share your experince in regard to the practical aspect
Iv installed large format tiles with small square drain in the middle of the shower no problem, looks great and beautiful you just have to cut the tile in a few triangular shapes to get the slope. You don’t loose the cohesive look of large tiles depending of the grout color and tile style.
Just googled “how often should I have to clean my linear shower drain” and your video came up. Wish I would have watched this a year ago before we did our bathroom remodel. We took out our unused tub in the master bathroom and installed a larger glass shower with bench and linear drain. We love our shower but hate the linear drain. Someone needs to design a fix for this. How about you😉. Thank you for putting my mind at ease that we’re not the dirtiest family in the universe lol.
In Germany we had a stainless steel grate - all smooth and very easy to lift out- superior engineering of course. It was right under the shower not at the entrance But yes you still had to clean out the drain weekly although it only took a minute. Grates are the way to go.
I put my first linear drain in 3 yrs ago. The client (single male) never looked at the drain. After a year, we pulled it up (same style as yours) and there was very little in the drain portion much to my surprise. I put the drain (55” schluter) under the shower head end where I figured it had longer area to drain as opposed to how you ran it. It has worked flawlessly.
The key to your finding is ''single male''. Even if he shaves weekly under the shower, which I do, there will be little residue. With two ladies in the house, I clean the drain bi-weekly.
I was all sold on a linear drain and I heard the Tile Coach guy say the same thing but he glossed over that it clogs. Now you! Thank you for your honest review. I'm going with a reg drain.
We had a shower remodel several years ago and did the Moen version of the shower head. It was absolutely wonderful! Had a huge rain head, and hand held. The hand held came in handy when my husband had hip surgery and couldn’t stand in the shower. He was able to sit on the built in bench while using the hand held.
I've done a few of those , they are beautiful but heavy. I show the customer the how to remove and clean but I wouldn't want to do it. The Schluter system is the easiest for me, never a callback Love you your work. Ohh thanks for mentioning shower door guys drilling in the membranes. I've repaired a couple of shower curbs over the years because of fasteners into the substrate without any sealant.
I really like the linear drains for water management, and because they allow larger tile. Larger tile means less water getting into the thinset, which contains cellulose. Cellulose holds extra water (that’s why it’s in thinset) and also molds (it’s organic, so mold can eat it). Thinset also breaks down from constant water exposure. Cement does as well, but thinset deteriorates more.
We used the same tile ready linear drain. I absolutely hate it! It looks pretty, but gets so dirty and gross underneath. I was actually looking for a way to retrofit a regular drain when I came across this video. Wish I would have know how badly this would build up gunk before we designed the bathroom (whole wet room with tub in it as well).
New barhroom since March . Installed a long drain with metal slots. Once a week i remove the top ( with a butter knife) , to clean it of hair that get caught on it . The trough is clean, because a lot of water runs over/into the drain . First time i have one .
Yes.... That is the biggest problem with linear drains. With the usual center spout drain the area is smaller and water rushes down. The linear drain has a huge surface area and the water runs slowly not carrying away the scum. They look cool, but Im thinking of going back to the center drain.
I heard about this problem from watching videos, so I went with the standard drain on my remodel! Love the full glass tile install!! I’ve learned a lot from your videos, THANKS!!!!
Standar drains are just as gross but you have to pick the hair out and you can't even get below the drain to clean. That leaves a sizable area between the drain and the P trapped water where mold and algea can grow along the sides. With the linear you take the insert outside and pressure wash it then use a bottle brush to clean deep inside the drain.
We just had a linear shower drain installed in our bathroom remodel and I'm pretty sure the floor wasn't sloped correctly. The drain is at a higher elevation point and the low spot is a few inches in front of it...we get a big pool of water sitting in front of the drain. Pretty sure that's a bad install.
I feeling really good about my DIY curb les shower right about now. I got cheap drain off Amazon and haven’t had any problems in the 13 years they have been in use. That raw edge is killing you. I would cut out some of the raw edge to allow more water and hair to flow without obstruction. Or a new cover with no teeth. But I’m not a contractor just a DIY guy.
I still want to do a linear drain...but I will definitely keep this issue in mind and look for a different setup....I agree, it is not ideal..... but I think it is a workable style of drain nonetheless... I may regret my decision...but it is a great piece of advice and I appreciate your take....I shall dig deeper and see if I can avoid this problem....
Very interesting...I am a contractor and certified with Schlueter products and have installed linear drains but have never had the experience or feedback from any clients for maintenance and cleaning but I can see how this can be an issue and will mention this video to any future clients requesting linear drains. Most clients change their minds when they see the price difference between linear and standard 4"x4"... It is also possible to use a standard drain on a curbless set up as long as you level up the floor with the Schlueter shower tray or base... I truly appreciate work well done...how many bathrooms I have had to correct or even demolish because it wasn't done properly, usually a question of money and trying to save a few dollars... There are many ways of saving money but very important to spend that little extra to protect your investment and have peace of mind with the ditra and kerdi membranes and especially using a power grout a bathroom always....I've seen showers that had to be demolished after not even 5yrs because of not using the correct grout or membrane which then causes water and mold issues... Not sure what you can do to make it easier for cleaning all the hair it does sound nasty...but cleaning any drains really is never any fun lol Thanks for sharing
We have a walk in shower as well. We have two girls with thick long hair, the hair backs up quickly in that little drain, so cleaning twice per week, we found out the hard way when water was backed up and found the one spot it could drain. . . water was coming down through the first floor ceiling. Sometimes I just leave the cover off. Ours is all metal, we are doing a standard center drain downstairs. Love the LED lights.
Yes it's a great idea, I love mine and it allowed me to slope my floor outside the shower from the sink to the drain so if/when I overflow my bathroom sink it goes down my linear drain at the shower entrance.
Hah, i am renovating my bathroom and i was asking about linear drain from my parents and they hated it, almost weekly they need to clean it. So i started googling and found this video and all the comments. I guess ill keep my oldschool drain then, thanks for the update :)
I'm in the process of rebuilding my master bathroom and I decided to go with the standard drain. After seeing this video I am now real glad I didn't go with the linear drain, for the very reasons you stated. WOW, a nasty averted. My shower is 5'4" by 34" seamless but I elected not to buy any shower doors. Wide open! I don't see much of an issue with water on tile floors. Yea me. Hospitals don't have shower curtains or glass doors so why not.
Shower looks great. Love your videos. A few things to mention that I did wrong is linear drain should run the entire length. 5 foot shower 5 foot drain. Second. Use a rain head instead of a typical head, as the water shoots towards the far wall from head and if using single pain glass, water will flow out into the rest of the bathroom. . I have to rip mine up now and do a center drain
As a bathroom remodeler, I show this video to my clients during the design phase. I am not a fan of linear drains, we did two in our home and boy do we regret it. It is constant cleaning!!! I'm building and ADU now in my home and you could not pay us to install a linear drain. We call them "high maintenance girls!"
😆 the smaller ones are probably not as much of an issue. But I think this is an unspoken issue with these kinds of drains. Love the look, but not worth it to me 👍
Schluter was the only mistake. There are other brands of linear drains that are pan designed to hide the tile edge all around and rubber-hard plastic stand off feet
Love the shower! Tile, ledge, Kohler system! I’m starting a Reno and specked the linear drain. Thank you for your honest review of the maintenance issue. Love to see info about the downside of trendy design options. I’m leaning towards a regular drain now.
As a plumbing contractor and a general contractor and a clean freak the linear drains are bad for so many reasons they just end up smelling like pond scum we’re in San Diego California….very picky people want very beautiful nice things and that’s fine so I recommend against the linear drains knowing full well whatever kind of linear drain they choose it’s going to be offensive at some level at some point….. beautiful shower by the way I like the heated floor idea in the shower and the LED lights in the niche
Thank you! Fully agree too 👍 someone mentioned having the linear drain in my orientation would be the hardest to keep clean. Under the faucet wall would be best, thanks 🙏
Yep. That's exactly right. Especially realtors that push this stuff. Lol. Forget about privacy while showering. Why not opaque glass and or a partial wall.
@@bob8776 right, homeowners see a novel feature in a design magazine and they assume a legit engineering team conducted thorough research and development. But the entire bathroom is only a demo display and has never, nor will ever function like a real bathroom. I let them know that I will try anything they wish provided they sign my indemnity agreement, but who knows if a signed piece of paper will provide me the protection that I assume it will
Dilute bleach into a spray bottle and your all set. Bleach works miracles in my opinion and is under utilized nowadays thanks to all the marketing for fancy new cleaners and such. Thanks for the great info. You got a sub from me
Rain showers work real nice when you remove the water restrictions device. I only clean my linear drain about twice a year, I feel better in linear drain than in my tub P trap that clogs with hair if I don’t clean twice a year.
This video saved me in that it led to the following. I'm a DIY but have been working on houses (my own and rentals) for many years. I bought a linear drain and as it turned out the water doesn't totally drain when the unit is level. I put the tray over the kitchen sink, made sure it was level, then poured water into the tray and the tray didn't drain all the water. Quite a bit left in to form mold and who knows. You need to tilt the tray quite a bit to get all the water out. Also, the bottom of the tray is flat and not channelled or graded to the drain hole. I think the Kerdi suffers from the same problem. I found several drains that have a sloped grove on the bottom of the tray coming from left and right to the drain hole. So the drain hole is lower than the rest of the tray bottom. No way for water to pool in the pan. There are products that have a v groove in the bottom on each side of the drain hole. Also, mine was a drain hole on the end to make it even more of a no go. I found one the TZLD-36-TI Linear Grid Shower Drain looks good. We'll see when it comes in and I give it the water test.
The longer the drain the less pitch too. Never again for me, although I did get approached my ebbe drains. Seems like they may have solved many of the issues with cleaning ebbe-america.com/product/ebbe-inni-line-drain-kit/
@@BathroomRemodelingTeacher I bought this one Elefloom Linear Shower Drain, Shower Drain 48 inch with Removable Grid Panel, Professional AISI 304 Stainless Steel Shower Drain, Linear Drain with Hair Strainer and Leveling Feet. Doesn't have the ability to insert the tiles which avoids the problem you were talking about so the cover is easier, lighter to remove and clean out now and then.
I look at it as a benefit, not a problem. I've had hair get clogged in the trap of a traditional drain. The hair with this lineat drain gets intercepted before it can clog a pipe. Seems like it is easy to clean, IMO. Use a cleaning wipe to pick up most of the hair and scum off the cover and trough, then spray them with bathroom cleaner and finally, use the hand held spray wand to wash it down the uncovered drain. Nice looking modern shower BTW. Green subway tile accent wall, but still mostly white and bright. This has given me inspiration for my future home, including the linear drain.
Have linear drain and also very disappointed with the build up of hair and sludge that I have to clean out on a monthly basis! I do love the look of it but in the future I also would not go with linear drain. Love your niche from wall to wall and wanted same thing only on the back wall so wouldn’t be as long and my contractor said you can’t do that! Apparently , he was just not capable of doing it! Also love the led lighting added to your niche.
Installed a Nobel linear drain in my shower 8 years ago. It is a SS grate that does not have all those little legs like the Schluter drain in this video. That being said, it is still a lot more maintenance than a regular shower drain. It gets pretty mucky. They might look cool but I think this is an inherent problem with linear drains. I certainly do not encourage my clients to go with them and if I ever redo my shower, I will probably go back to a regular drain.
I agree about linear drains, wish they would give them a decent pitch. Love the look but nobody wants to clean it out. Maybe make your own "receiver"? to get that pitch? Otherwise- your work looks great
Thanks for the post. I found the price tag pretty offensive as it adds about 700 to the price of the shower just on parts. I have enough things I have to upkeep to worry about my 3 showers.
well there it is, I’ll do a regular drain instead of linear and save a bunch of money. Guess I’ll try doing the envelope cut for the larger tiles instead of mosaic tiles. Thank you for this review!
To deal with the specific linear drain issue you are having in your specific shower I wonder if aiming the handheld shower head directly over the linear drain at the end of each shower would help? Or even install a water spout in the drain to flush it after each shower.
You should try the profilitec linear drain system it avoids all of the issues you're pointing out they offer a very comprehensive wallboard shower pan and shower
Linear drains looks nice give a awesome finish on the floor but requires upkeep each time is install a linear drain I recommend to my clients to rinse the drain once in the while It don’t take much to lift the cover and rinse it … otherwise the will happen exactly on your video
I have the exact same issue with the linear drain…..discovered it when the water began backing up around my feet! No one had informed me about the need to be pulling up the grate cover and mucking it out.
That edge of tile could be polished and glazed with some ceramic resin coating and am sure that it wont get gritty like that. Yet another custom-detail to think about but its a solution. And for the drain pan, perhaps #Schluter could take a note of this and actually engineer something that would solve the issue. I guarantee you that such issue is non-existent in Germany. My bet would be to increase the fall inside the drain, from edges towards the drain hole (in the middle) so any gunk has better chance to flow away. I also think that if different material (smooth pvc) is used, flushing of dirt would be better or more efficient at least. Great work and thanks for sharing.
Did you actually try this? I’m thinking of trying a caulk coating along the edges of my tiled drain to smooth it out. When I pull the drain cover I don’t notice the hair sticking on the steel stands as much as catching on the edges of the stone tile and grout.
@@judithwilliamson357 I personally did not but was a first hand witness to it as a young plumber in Germany working hand in hand with master tiler. Caulk wont help I am afraid. You will create even more inviting environment to anything to be caught on it. No matter how smooth you manage to pull it off. Even just super polished tile might be better then caulk. And if you decide that rout use 100% silicone. Caulk is a no-no in water prone environment.
I’m doing an ADA bath house and thought about using a linear drain but can’t cut out structural subfloor or mess with joists. I’m thinking of using a mono slope parallel with the joists and at the end just use multiple standard drains which are recessed slightly - wall furred out. They make linear drains without those legs but the cost is ridiculous.
wow that's such a great point, big negative, as i've been debating doing the linear drain or offset regular drain.... this just made my mind up on it :P thanks!
Yes I absolutely hate my linear drain because it has the same problems you described. And to make matters worse, we have natural grouting, not epoxy, and textured tiles so that I am finding it very difficult to almost impossible to keep things looking nice. I am also thankful to have one glass panel and no door, and the shower is curbless. The glass had some kind of coating that was supposed to make it easier to clean but that has also proved to be a disaster and I can not get it clean no matter what I try. Mind you I keep a really clean house so it is upsetting to say the least. my next bath is going to have a one piece shower floor and no glass, regular drain!
Homeowner here building a new home and after researching linear drains I decided no way no how did I want one in our shower. The idea of the maintenance grossed me out so I chose a square center drain.
excellent video this is a great discussion to consider when designing the shower drain, im also looking to do a curbless/walk in shower, glass pane and with linear and considering the options out there
I have a mega walk in shower/jettub(72 inch linear drain, 7.5x13 foot enclosed), i clean it monthly, never had build up like that, something aint right. That said every week i spray it down with a cleaner. Like scrubbing bubbles or just vinegar, then shower. Again zero build up, maybe its not sloped right or something.
The Laticrete horizontal drains are FAR SUPERIOR to the Schluter. It's a solid piece of stainless steel . It's shaped like a flattened letter I with flat sides that sit along inside the tray. Very little gets caught.
Cost is $539 - outrageous! Schluter is just as bad at $300- $400! Stop this extortion. Use regular drains. It is sick to pay so much money for a damn drain!
@@BathroomRemodelingTeacher Did you fix the issue yet? Curious to see what solution you came up with. I'm thinking in addition to a more effective horizontal drain what if you also tiled over about 2 feet of that drain area from the wall so there is less drain area and more of the hairs will flow closer to the actual piping portion of the drain. Not sure if that would cause water to puddle though.
Our contractor sold us on the linear drain for our curbless shower. At first it was great. Now it smells like a constant sewer backing up. I cannot take off the top of the entire length of the pan because he only put in a 1/4 inch gap between the wall and the tile, sealing in the pan. The hike is accessable and that's it.. There is no way to clean the drain system. I am constantly fighting to try and get the hair out of the tiny horizontal holes with a brush auger, but it seems to shove the hair further up to the ends. I'm ready to call in another contractor to fix this as the last one moved out of state. Word to everyone - stick with the standard drain. Thanks for your video.
No, the chrome grates are no different. Our shower clogged up for the first time today after we had it remodeled with a Schluter Linear Drain only a month ago. Disappointed is an understatement.😢
I don't know if I'm an outlier here, but for whatever my opinion is worth, anyone that is going to spend tens of thousands on a brand new bathroom with all the bells and whistles might as well take care of it as well, which is to say : to clean it often! I clean my bathroom weekly, including my linear drain. I've learned in the early month that it will get filthy if let uncleaned. To me it's not a issue.
If any manufacturers or contractors want to chime in here on the linear drains, please do. If your drain is superior, or can eliminate this maintenance issue, I’m all ears
I absolutely love the look of them!
What if you put slope in the drain, it would be a wide V but then you’d have to modify the insert as well.
@@hanzcastillo6553 more parts or sources of water more points of failure. - ME turned entrepreneur
Laticrete has a different design that doesn’t have legs to catch hair. Also I think the outlet (circle) drain should be closest to the most flow, like next to shower head so hair has less to travel
Have installed a few linear-drains, you probably would[n't] have that problem if you just had a stainless steal grille insert instead of tile insert, and with the "hair-catcher" right in the center of the drain unit.
@@ourd0gseven it does seem the shorter ones with metal grates are better. No exposed thinset layer. And like many are saying, having it on shower faucet side would wash things down better. This 5 ft drain definitely doesn’t have much pitch to it
NOOOOO!!! We love our linear shower drain, it is not high maintenance at all. It just needs cleaning from time to time but is a piece of cake! Just remove the linear drain cover with a key or something similar, even a butter knife works, in the center is a small plastic basket that has captured all the hairs and soap residue, thus backing up the water after awhile. Clear the little basket into a trashcan, rinse it off, wash out the drain
area using a little brush like
a toothbrush, rinse the drain, replace the little basket and then pop the cover back on! Our cover doesn’t have all the little legs and stuff mentioned in this video so I’m guessing design has been improved since this video was made. We have a 2023 Schluter Closed Linear Drain. Love it!❤
Meaning you can go back to your work years later and your work is in good shape is a sign you are an excellent remodeler. Keep up the good work!
This video just sold me on a standard drain. Thanks.
The lighted shelf spanning the width of the shower visually expands the width of the shower. Perfection.
I went with a Schluter non-grid full stainless steel linear drain with no tile on the top. Very sleek, smooth and easy to clean. I prefer to have the ability to lift that up and clean it. My old standard round drain use to smell funky and I could never get in there to clean it. My new linear drain has a little strainer to catch hair so I don’t have to worry about my sewer pipes getting clogged. I love my new stainless linear drain. Mine is up against the entire length of the back wall so the water drains away from the shower glass. I wouldn’t change a thing.
can you post a link to your purchase? We are in the process of buying a linear drain also. We prefer the stainless steel look also. Thanks for your consideration.
I found your videos last night, while looking for information on the linear drains and how to install them, and now I see your point on cleaning issues. As a woman who has cleaned more then her fair share of showers, but never a linear shower drain, I believe I would rather deal with the linear then the standard. I would much rather be able to open the linear drain cover and clean out the build up than dig blindly into the standard drain, sometimes fighting the standard drain cover as well, to get out the built up hair and yuck that collect in any drain. I see that precautions would need to be taken to kfrom cutting my hands on the linear drain covers underside, but all of that is just done with a scrub brush and a vacuum cleaner. When I have my new bathroom built I will be going with linear shower drain. Thank you for showing all of the issues with this product.
They do look great! Can’t beat the look of them. And if it’s a shorter drain than mine (60”) then you’ll most likely have less issues since they are a bit more steeply pitched. Thanks for sharing your opinion here 😊 👍
Great feedback. There is no way out of cleaning something. I think everyone wants a perfect solution to all. That is, look good and no maintenance. No such thing. I think your correct. At least the linear drain is easier to clean out vs the mystery grab inside a typical drain. Linear drain like laminate floors. Unlike carpet that is a dirt and germ catcher. laminate floors forces you to stay clean like linear drains do. You may think ...omg I have to clean all the time vs in essence using other type floors or drains that just builds and builds till one day.....omg....where all this crap from. Lol
You’ll regret it.
One thing not mentioned is the big reason people want linear drains is to have continuous large format tiles to create a unified floor all the way across your bathroom and into the shower. It’s a great look, makes a bathroom look larger, and the reason I did it. It’s not about the look of the linear drain. People don’t seem to get that. If you go with a normal round drain then you must switch to small tiles in the floor of your shower to be able to conform to all the curves and slope surrounding the drain. You obviously can’t do that with large tiles. Linear drains allow large tiles to just slope one direction and direct water flow along a single long line rather than curved around a point.
Thats exactly why i want install linear drain as i love big tiles on the floor.. but after seeing this video im gerting hesitant, I need to weight between the look and the practical aspect. Hard choice.. do you happen to have a linear drain. If yes, Pls share your experince in regard to the practical aspect
They're a headache, period. There isn't any way around what he is saying with hair etc. They look great but perform like shit.
@@samial2341 if you install linear grate drain instead of tiled drain, it won't have the "prongs that snag hair and dirt.
Iv installed large format tiles with small square drain in the middle of the shower no problem, looks great and beautiful you just have to cut the tile in a few triangular shapes to get the slope. You don’t loose the cohesive look of large tiles depending of the grout color and tile style.
Just googled “how often should I have to clean my linear shower drain” and your video came up. Wish I would have watched this a year ago before we did our bathroom remodel. We took out our unused tub in the master bathroom and installed a larger glass shower with bench and linear drain. We love our shower but hate the linear drain. Someone needs to design a fix for this. How about you😉. Thank you for putting my mind at ease that we’re not the dirtiest family in the universe lol.
In Germany we had a stainless steel grate - all smooth and very easy to lift out- superior engineering of course. It was right under the shower not at the entrance But yes you still had to clean out the drain weekly although it only took a minute. Grates are the way to go.
I put my first linear drain in 3 yrs ago. The client (single male) never looked at the drain. After a year, we pulled it up (same style as yours) and there was very little in the drain portion much to my surprise. I put the drain (55” schluter) under the shower head end where I figured it had longer area to drain as opposed to how you ran it. It has worked flawlessly.
Good to hear! It’s my wife’s hair then, 😆
At the plumbing wall the wet wall it will flood itself out better than along the glass they’re still gross
@@GradiorDignus another good point! It would be better in the shower head side 👍
The key to your finding is ''single male''. Even if he shaves weekly under the shower, which I do, there will be little residue. With two ladies in the house, I clean the drain bi-weekly.
Sorry, but was he bald?
I was all sold on a linear drain and I heard the Tile Coach guy say the same thing but he glossed over that it clogs. Now you! Thank you for your honest review. I'm going with a reg drain.
We had a shower remodel several years ago and did the Moen version of the shower head. It was absolutely wonderful! Had a huge rain head, and hand held. The hand held came in handy when my husband had hip surgery and couldn’t stand in the shower. He was able to sit on the built in bench while using the hand held.
I've done a few of those , they are beautiful but heavy.
I show the customer the how to remove and clean but I wouldn't want to do it.
The Schluter system is the easiest for me, never a callback
Love you your work.
Ohh thanks for mentioning shower door guys drilling in the membranes.
I've repaired a couple of shower curbs over the years because of fasteners into the substrate without any sealant.
I really like the linear drains for water management, and because they allow larger tile. Larger tile means less water getting into the thinset, which contains cellulose. Cellulose holds extra water (that’s why it’s in thinset) and also molds (it’s organic, so mold can eat it). Thinset also breaks down from constant water exposure. Cement does as well, but thinset deteriorates more.
Wow, great info. How did you obtain this knowledge?
We used the same tile ready linear drain. I absolutely hate it! It looks pretty, but gets so dirty and gross underneath. I was actually looking for a way to retrofit a regular drain when I came across this video. Wish I would have know how badly this would build up gunk before we designed the bathroom (whole wet room with tub in it as well).
New barhroom since March . Installed a long drain with metal slots. Once a week i remove the top ( with a butter knife) , to clean it of hair that get caught on it . The trough is clean, because a lot of water runs over/into the drain . First time i have one .
I thought I wanted one of these trench drains in my new shower build. NOT NO MORE! Thank you for the heads up.
Yes.... That is the biggest problem with linear drains. With the usual center spout drain the area is smaller and water rushes down. The linear drain has a huge surface area and the water runs slowly not carrying away the scum. They look cool, but Im thinking of going back to the center drain.
I heard about this problem from watching videos, so I went with the standard drain on my remodel! Love the full glass tile install!! I’ve learned a lot from your videos, THANKS!!!!
Standar drains are just as gross but you have to pick the hair out and you can't even get below the drain to clean. That leaves a sizable area between the drain and the P trapped water where mold and algea can grow along the sides.
With the linear you take the insert outside and pressure wash it then use a bottle brush to clean deep inside the drain.
We just had a linear shower drain installed in our bathroom remodel and I'm pretty sure the floor wasn't sloped correctly. The drain is at a higher elevation point and the low spot is a few inches in front of it...we get a big pool of water sitting in front of the drain. Pretty sure that's a bad install.
you are awesome! I love how you share both the positive and the negative results. so we all can learn from mistakes. thank you sir!
I am à Carpenter,and I love your work/ show very inspiring to see the commitment to quality.
I feeling really good about my DIY curb les shower right about now. I got cheap drain off Amazon and haven’t had any problems in the 13 years they have been in use. That raw edge is killing you. I would cut out some of the raw edge to allow more water and hair to flow without obstruction. Or a new cover with no teeth. But I’m not a contractor just a DIY guy.
I still want to do a linear drain...but I will definitely keep this issue in mind and look for a different setup....I agree, it is not ideal..... but I think it is a workable style of drain nonetheless... I may regret my decision...but it is a great piece of advice and I appreciate your take....I shall dig deeper and see if I can avoid this problem....
Very interesting...I am a contractor and certified with Schlueter products and have installed linear drains but have never had the experience or feedback from any clients for maintenance and cleaning but I can see how this can be an issue and will mention this video to any future clients requesting linear drains. Most clients change their minds when they see the price difference between linear and standard 4"x4"...
It is also possible to use a standard drain on a curbless set up as long as you level up the floor with the Schlueter shower tray or base...
I truly appreciate work well done...how many bathrooms I have had to correct or even demolish because it wasn't done properly, usually a question of money and trying to save a few dollars... There are many ways of saving money but very important to spend that little extra to protect your investment and have peace of mind with the ditra and kerdi membranes and especially using a power grout a bathroom always....I've seen showers that had to be demolished after not even 5yrs because of not using the correct grout or membrane which then causes water and mold issues... Not sure what you can do to make it easier for cleaning all the hair it does sound nasty...but cleaning any drains really is never any fun lol
Thanks for sharing
We have a walk in shower as well. We have two girls with thick long hair, the hair backs up quickly in that little drain, so cleaning twice per week, we found out the hard way when water was backed up and found the one spot it could drain. . . water was coming down through the first floor ceiling. Sometimes I just leave the cover off. Ours is all metal, we are doing a standard center drain downstairs. Love the LED lights.
Yes it's a great idea, I love mine and it allowed me to slope my floor outside the shower from the sink to the drain so if/when I overflow my bathroom sink it goes down my linear drain at the shower entrance.
Hah, i am renovating my bathroom and i was asking about linear drain from my parents and they hated it, almost weekly they need to clean it. So i started googling and found this video and all the comments. I guess ill keep my oldschool drain then, thanks for the update :)
I'm in the process of rebuilding my master bathroom and I decided to go with the standard drain. After seeing this video I am now real glad I didn't go with the linear drain, for the very reasons you stated. WOW, a nasty averted. My shower is 5'4" by 34" seamless but I elected not to buy any shower doors. Wide open! I don't see much of an issue with water on tile floors. Yea me. Hospitals don't have shower curtains or glass doors so why not.
Shower looks great. Love your videos. A few things to mention that I did wrong is linear drain should run the entire length. 5 foot shower 5 foot drain. Second. Use a rain head instead of a typical head, as the water shoots towards the far wall from head and if using single pain glass, water will flow out into the rest of the bathroom. . I have to rip mine up now and do a center drain
As a bathroom remodeler, I show this video to my clients during the design phase. I am not a fan of linear drains, we did two in our home and boy do we regret it. It is constant cleaning!!! I'm building and ADU now in my home and you could not pay us to install a linear drain. We call them "high maintenance girls!"
Your remarks about the Kohler Hydro rail led me to check it out. $2000? That’s a budget buster for sure!
THANK YOU! You just talked me out of my linear drain fantasy and we did the demo yesterday. Close call on that one.
😆 the smaller ones are probably not as much of an issue. But I think this is an unspoken issue with these kinds of drains. Love the look, but not worth it to me 👍
Schluter was the only mistake. There are other brands of linear drains that are pan designed to hide the tile edge all around and rubber-hard plastic stand off feet
Love the shower! Tile, ledge, Kohler system! I’m starting a Reno and specked the linear drain. Thank you for your honest review of the maintenance issue. Love to see info about the downside of trendy design options. I’m leaning towards a regular drain now.
As a plumbing contractor and a general contractor and a clean freak the linear drains are bad for so many reasons they just end up smelling like pond scum we’re in San Diego California….very picky people want very beautiful nice things and that’s fine so I recommend against the linear drains knowing full well whatever kind of linear drain they choose it’s going to be offensive at some level at some point….. beautiful shower by the way I like the heated floor idea in the shower and the LED lights in the niche
Thank you! Fully agree too 👍 someone mentioned having the linear drain in my orientation would be the hardest to keep clean. Under the faucet wall would be best, thanks 🙏
I put a round drain in the corner of my shower. Works great.
People seem to be way more concerned with just staring at their showers than the functionality of what its even there for.
Yep. That's exactly right. Especially realtors that push this stuff. Lol. Forget about privacy while showering. Why not opaque glass and or a partial wall.
Agreed
Form must follow function
It’s the instagram effect. Everything has to look a certain way regardless of how functional it may or may not be
@@bob8776 right, homeowners see a novel feature in a design magazine and they assume a legit engineering team conducted thorough research and development. But the entire bathroom is only a demo display and has never, nor will ever function like a real bathroom.
I let them know that I will try anything they wish provided they sign my indemnity agreement, but who knows if a signed piece of paper will provide me the protection that I assume it will
Looks very good. The only the linear drains you pointed out
I like the look of the linear drain but I worried about dropping the cap while cleaning but this just adds to a check mark against one.
Okay, you just changed my mind about putting a linear drain in my shower that I am getting installed in a couple of weeks.
Dilute bleach into a spray bottle and your all set. Bleach works miracles in my opinion and is under utilized nowadays thanks to all the marketing for fancy new cleaners and such. Thanks for the great info. You got a sub from me
Standard drain with garbage disposal built in. Best thing I ever did.
Rain showers work real nice when you remove the water restrictions device.
I only clean my linear drain about twice a year, I feel better in linear drain than in my tub P trap that clogs with hair if I don’t clean twice a year.
This video saved me in that it led to the following. I'm a DIY but have been working on houses (my own and rentals) for many years. I bought a linear drain and as it turned out the water doesn't totally drain when the unit is level. I put the tray over the kitchen sink, made sure it was level, then poured water into the tray and the tray didn't drain all the water. Quite a bit left in to form mold and who knows. You need to tilt the tray quite a bit to get all the water out. Also, the bottom of the tray is flat and not channelled or graded to the drain hole. I think the Kerdi suffers from the same problem. I found several drains that have a sloped grove on the bottom of the tray coming from left and right to the drain hole. So the drain hole is lower than the rest of the tray bottom. No way for water to pool in the pan. There are products that have a v groove in the bottom on each side of the drain hole. Also, mine was a drain hole on the end to make it even more of a no go. I found one the TZLD-36-TI Linear Grid Shower Drain looks good. We'll see when it comes in and I give it the water test.
The longer the drain the less pitch too.
Never again for me, although I did get approached my ebbe drains. Seems like they may have solved many of the issues with cleaning ebbe-america.com/product/ebbe-inni-line-drain-kit/
I may try one this year see how it goes
@@BathroomRemodelingTeacher I bought this one Elefloom Linear Shower Drain, Shower Drain 48 inch with Removable Grid Panel, Professional AISI 304 Stainless Steel Shower Drain, Linear Drain with Hair Strainer and Leveling Feet. Doesn't have the ability to insert the tiles which avoids the problem you were talking about so the cover is easier, lighter to remove and clean out now and then.
I look at it as a benefit, not a problem. I've had hair get clogged in the trap of a traditional drain. The hair with this lineat drain gets intercepted before it can clog a pipe. Seems like it is easy to clean, IMO. Use a cleaning wipe to pick up most of the hair and scum off the cover and trough, then spray them with bathroom cleaner and finally, use the hand held spray wand to wash it down the uncovered drain.
Nice looking modern shower BTW. Green subway tile accent wall, but still mostly white and bright. This has given me inspiration for my future home, including the linear drain.
Have linear drain and also very disappointed with the build up of hair and sludge that I have to clean out on a monthly basis! I do love the look of it but in the future I also would not go with linear drain. Love your niche from wall to wall and wanted same thing only on the back wall so wouldn’t be as long and my contractor said you can’t do that! Apparently , he was just not capable of doing it! Also love the led lighting added to your niche.
Installed a Nobel linear drain in my shower 8 years ago. It is a SS grate that does not have all those little legs like the Schluter drain in this video. That being said, it is still a lot more maintenance than a regular shower drain. It gets pretty mucky. They might look cool but I think this is an inherent problem with linear drains. I certainly do not encourage my clients to go with them and if I ever redo my shower, I will probably go back to a regular drain.
I agree about linear drains, wish they would give them a decent pitch. Love the look but nobody wants to clean it out. Maybe make your own "receiver"? to get that pitch? Otherwise- your work looks great
Thanks for the post. I found the price tag pretty offensive as it adds about 700 to the price of the shower just on parts. I have enough things I have to upkeep to worry about my 3 showers.
well there it is, I’ll do a regular drain instead of linear and save a bunch of money. Guess I’ll try doing the envelope cut for the larger tiles instead of mosaic tiles. Thank you for this review!
To deal with the specific linear drain issue you are having in your specific shower I wonder if aiming the handheld shower head directly over the linear drain at the end of each shower would help? Or even install a water spout in the drain to flush it after each shower.
Looks awesome, you’re a true pro
Thank you just got one of the linear drains to install . Gonna take a look into that issue
Good point about those drains, definitely reconsidering
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this....
Glossy tile is cool too.
Heated floor system for curbless shower - that's wild.
I would grind off the inside cleats were the buildup occurs since it's against the glass and shouldn't be stepped on.
That’s a pretty good idea! Next time it needs cleaned, which is now😆. I’ll do that 👍
Linear drains are good idea as an overflow protection, like a sink. Not as the main drain.
Beautiful shower!
Myself I would just use a Stainless steel grate in place of the tile flour pace you have there it still look nice
after a shower i give a good 20 second max heat blast through the hand held right at the drain. seems to help.
You should try the profilitec linear drain system it avoids all of the issues you're pointing out they offer a very comprehensive wallboard shower pan and shower
Linear drains looks nice give a awesome finish on the floor but requires upkeep each time is install a linear drain I recommend to my clients to rinse the drain once in the while It don’t take much to lift the cover and rinse it … otherwise the will happen exactly on your video
My concern is not just the hair getting caught but the steal or metal getting rusted. I like the traditional so much better.
Love the tiles..
I have the exact same issue with the linear drain…..discovered it when the water began backing up around my feet!
No one had informed me about the need to be pulling up the grate cover and mucking it out.
You have to clean normal round drains too... Nothing new about that.
@@sjokomelkmaybe once a month or two…. Not twice a week
Great job it look pretty good !!!💯👍
My point of view
The slope is towards where the hair pile up ?
It could be the issue.!!
That edge of tile could be polished and glazed with some ceramic resin coating and am sure that it wont get gritty like that. Yet another custom-detail to think about but its a solution. And for the drain pan, perhaps #Schluter could take a note of this and actually engineer something that would solve the issue. I guarantee you that such issue is non-existent in Germany. My bet would be to increase the fall inside the drain, from edges towards the drain hole (in the middle) so any gunk has better chance to flow away. I also think that if different material (smooth pvc) is used, flushing of dirt would be better or more efficient at least. Great work and thanks for sharing.
Did you actually try this? I’m thinking of trying a caulk coating along the edges of my tiled drain to smooth it out. When I pull the drain cover I don’t notice the hair sticking on the steel stands as much as catching on the edges of the stone tile and grout.
@@judithwilliamson357 I personally did not but was a first hand witness to it as a young plumber in Germany working hand in hand with master tiler. Caulk wont help I am afraid. You will create even more inviting environment to anything to be caught on it. No matter how smooth you manage to pull it off. Even just super polished tile might be better then caulk. And if you decide that rout use 100% silicone. Caulk is a no-no in water prone environment.
I'm not a fan of my linear drain either. It's disgusting to clean. Would love a video on the best way to clean these drains.
One possible good thing is...
The trap won't get clogged as fast. I would rather deal with it there than in a ceiling or cement slab.
never considered this, good video!
Good work holds up.
Love these videos brother!
Thanks for sharing this as I was wondering about that drain for a current project .
I will go standard drain .
BTW I LOVE that whole wall shelf !
Thanks! And yeah you can enjoy $1,000 spent somewhere else rather than a linear drain! 👍
@@BathroomRemodelingTeacher I wonder how possible it would be to form a linear drain as part of the shower pan itself ?
I’m doing an ADA bath house and thought about using a linear drain but can’t cut out structural subfloor or mess with joists. I’m thinking of using a mono slope parallel with the joists and at the end just use multiple standard drains which are recessed slightly - wall furred out.
They make linear drains without those legs but the cost is ridiculous.
Super happy I found your channel once again. Keep up the good work my friend
Thanks! Appreciate it 👍
The Deco-SG profile looks/sounds great. Any issues with keeping that channel clean??
Good point!!
wow that's such a great point, big negative, as i've been debating doing the linear drain or offset regular drain.... this just made my mind up on it :P thanks!
I used the tile redi shower pan the water builds up on one side of the linear trench as well
Thanks
Yes I absolutely hate my linear drain because it has the same problems you described. And to make matters worse, we have natural grouting, not epoxy, and textured tiles so that I am finding it very difficult to almost impossible to keep things looking nice. I am also thankful to have one glass panel and no door, and the shower is curbless. The glass had some kind of coating that was supposed to make it easier to clean but that has also proved to be a disaster and I can not get it clean no matter what I try. Mind you I keep a really clean house so it is upsetting to say the least. my next bath is going to have a one piece shower floor and no glass, regular drain!
You ever try applying rainex to the glass ? Same stuff they use for car windshield when it rains . Works great don’t have to clean glass as much .
Homeowner here building a new home and after researching linear drains I decided no way no how did I want one in our shower. The idea of the maintenance grossed me out so I chose a square center drain.
excellent video this is a great discussion to consider when designing the shower drain, im also looking to do a curbless/walk in shower, glass pane and with linear and considering the options out there
Which exact LED light did you install? Looks great
I wonder if a different style with perforated or slotted cover might clear better than one with the edge drain style cover that accepts matching tile.
Thanks for sharing!
a live with the same situation, it is disgusting to clean these drains! Thanks
I have a mega walk in shower/jettub(72 inch linear drain, 7.5x13 foot enclosed), i clean it monthly, never had build up like that, something aint right. That said every week i spray it down with a cleaner. Like scrubbing bubbles or just vinegar, then shower. Again zero build up, maybe its not sloped right or something.
The Laticrete horizontal drains are FAR SUPERIOR to the Schluter.
It's a solid piece of stainless steel . It's shaped like a flattened letter I with flat sides that sit along inside the tray. Very little gets caught.
I haven’t tried one yet. Thanks for the suggestion 👍
Cost is $539 - outrageous! Schluter is just as bad at $300- $400! Stop this extortion. Use regular drains. It is sick to pay so much money for a damn drain!
@@BathroomRemodelingTeacher Did you fix the issue yet? Curious to see what solution you came up with. I'm thinking in addition to a more effective horizontal drain what if you also tiled over about 2 feet of that drain area from the wall so there is less drain area and more of the hairs will flow closer to the actual piping portion of the drain. Not sure if that would cause water to puddle though.
Love that shower!!
Our contractor sold us on the linear drain for our curbless shower. At first it was great. Now it smells like a constant sewer backing up. I cannot take off the top of the entire length of the pan because he only put in a 1/4 inch gap between the wall and the tile, sealing in the pan. The hike is accessable and that's it.. There is no way to clean the drain system. I am constantly fighting to try and get the hair out of the tiny horizontal holes with a brush auger, but it seems to shove the hair further up to the ends. I'm ready to call in another contractor to fix this as the last one moved out of state. Word to everyone - stick with the standard drain. Thanks for your video.
That’s the worst….couldn’t imagine not being able to pull it out!
Have you tried an Allen wrench to slide into that 1/4 inch to pivot and lift the drain tray?
AGREED. I WILL NEVER DO A LINEAR DRAIN. I NEVER RECOMMEND THAT ON ANY OF MY DHOER REMODELS. BECAUSE OF THIS
I wonder if the schluter chrome grates would perform better? (better flow & less buildup on the edges since water can flow down the middle)
No, the chrome grates are no different. Our shower clogged up for the first time today after we had it remodeled with a Schluter Linear Drain only a month ago. Disappointed is an understatement.😢
At least you can access the buildup on the linear. On a standard drain you're fishing into the unknown for the buildup.
I don't know if I'm an outlier here, but for whatever my opinion is worth, anyone that is going to spend tens of thousands on a brand new bathroom with all the bells and whistles might as well take care of it as well, which is to say : to clean it often!
I clean my bathroom weekly, including my linear drain. I've learned in the early month that it will get filthy if let uncleaned. To me it's not a issue.
Finally,
Why would you slope the pan towards the opening instead of the rear wall? Was it an issue with the drain and the floor joists?