The primary provision of a shower waste in modern bathrooms and when they are needed is a contentious issue in relation to bathroom construction. That said, there is anecdotal evidence of this. So what are the facts surrounding bathroom floor wastes? There are two major documents concerning the construction of the wet area:
· Building Code of Australia
· AS 3740- representing the waterproofing of different domestic wet areas
Parent Topic
A floor waste refers to the central drain connected to different waste fixtures like the shower. The central duct comes with a grate set at the floor level. It then carries the wastewater to a sewer pipe.
The floor needs to be slopped towards the drainage system so that water does not pool on the surface but flows drain away. If there is a back up on the pipe, then the sewer can quickly come out of the drain.
A blocked drain system is not designed to come out of the floor waste. But it might happen in case the overflow relief gully has been covered or not correctly installed. It may also overflow if the blockage is located under the house and between the ORG or the fixture.
In many cases, tree root entry found in the pipes under a house can lead to overflow since it has managed to bypass the ORG wastefully.
When drains do not work as required, wastewater pools in bathrooms and other wet areas of the home can have precarious health consequences for occupants.
If the bathroom does not have a floor drain and the grade does not really fall to the floor, then water will be accumulated in the wet areas of the bathroom, thereby making the floor slippery. Continuous damp can lead to severe accumulation of molds while also increasing the humidity levels of the house.
Usually, the long term side effects of water pooling in the bathroom or at home, in general, can be rust and termite attack. This can also lead to structural failure eventually. Data indicates that the total number of homes with sufficient and adequate floor grading to help in draining water away from the floor drain has been improving from 2006.
This means that in showers, there is about 70 percent and in basins, 60 percent. The total number of homes with working drains has barely changed since then, with a viable improvement in toilets as well as washing machines.
Concerning the Class 1 buildings, the primary standard measure to when a floor waste is needed depends on the shower area defined in the document as the space impacted by water from your shower.
An enclosed area is designed in a way that can control the general spread of water in the shower using a screen and a door. Also, an enclosed bathroom doesn’t really need a floor waste.
On the other hand, an unenclosed shower area, being an open area, comes with more sides, which include a frameless shower screen.
The area is primarily defined using an arc which extends about 1500mm straight from the shower connection and into the wall. In case this is unachievable, because of the design constraints, the entire floor section outside the shower might need some draining.
Final Thoughts
It is crucial to note that while a floor waste may not be needed in a building rated as Class 1, if one is provided, then the bathroom floor required to be graded to a floor waste, then compliance requirements met.
