27. Near wall-drains, Japanese Ofuro, and Nature themed tiles

Disclaimer: The article was first published by me in Swedish. Therefore, rules, regulations and names regarding near wall-drains, etc. might not be applicable to your country or situation.

Wall-mounted floor drains

A wall-close floor drain is a floor drain that is installed directly next to a wall. Normally, 200mm is required between the floor drain and the wall for it to be approved as a standard floor drain. But what if you want to mount a floor drain closer to a wall than that?

Today, there is a plethora of approved wall-mounted floor wells on the Swedish market. In order for a floor drain close to the wall to be approved, however, more is required than just the floor drain itself to be approved. It must also be tested and approved in combination with the waterproofing layer it is intended to be used with. At GVK (Golvbranschens Vattenkontroll), Säker Vatten and at BKR (Building Ceramics Council) you can read about which such combinations are approved for installation together!

In the examples, we can see that Vieser's floor wells close to the wall are only approved with Probau waterproofing systems. Purus Line goes well with Ardex Tricom waterproofing systems. On the respective websites, you can also find instruction manuals. They show you how to assemble the waterproofing layer in order for it to be approved!

Keep in mind that if you choose to do it yourself, you must document every step in the process. This is to be able to demonstrate that it was done correctly in the event of an accident.

Japanese, Japanese, Japanese… and smart solutions to hygiene problems

Most people have by now heard of Japanese toilets! The self-flushing and room-cleaning toilets from Japan. What perhaps not as many people are aware of is how the Japanese build their bathrooms!

The Japanese often have very well thought out smart solutions to problems we may not have always knew we had. They also have a very appealing sense of design and style. It is especially appealing to many of us Swedes. We tend to prefer stripped-down design and a focus on a few well-selected items made of natural materials. However, where we really differ is how we design our bathrooms! Swedish bathrooms are moving more toward large open bathrooms with toilet, bathtub, shower and wash basin in the same space.

In Japan there is a concept called "System Bath". This means that you manufacture entire bathrooms as a single unit, ready for assembly in the apartment or house. These often come complete with a bathtub, toilet seat and wash basin. In many cases, the bathroom is divided into three different parts. This lets three people use the different parts independently of each other. For example, one person can have privacy in the bath. Then, another in the toilet area, and a third brushes his teeth at the sink.

A Japanese Ofuru, where the bathtub and shower are in a specific separated space. This is a slightly more luxurious variant. Smart, right? Picture Sophyplus

A big advantage of building bathrooms that way is that you remove any need to waterproof spaces - all bathrooms are sealed from the factory! Of course, you can configure the bathroom a little as you like, depending on how much you want to spend!

Natural patterned tiles on the rise?

A clear trend that is on the rise is more natural materials in the bathroom. You notice it mainly in the fact that many consumers are starting to look a little further at that type of furniture and also a little more vibrant tiles and clinker.

As the technology for burning patterns on tiles becomes cheaper and better, the number of tiles imitating wood, stone, marble and other natural materials also increases. Today, it is possible to get a relatively cheap slab that looks like natural stone in most construction markets. However, one should be careful with overly cheap variants where the color and pattern are only on the surface. There can be ugly marks and easily spoil the overall impression if you accidentally knock off a tile and the color underneath is a greyish ceramic color.

Bathroom with very natural elements on both floor and walls. - Image Unsplash

What to look for in tiles?

When choosing tiles, you should also be aware of the various properties that distinguish the tiles:

Hardness: Different plates are intended for different purposes. If the tile is to lie on the floor in the bathroom where it is only stepped on by bare feet, tiles are not as durable as if it is to lie in the garage.
Slip class: This can be quite subjective and also depends to some extent on how big the tiles are and how wide the joints are between them. The slipperiest tiles become extra slippery when they get wet and you add extra grout if there are tiles in a place that is often used by feet with socks on, you can count on a higher sock count in the future.
Frost proof: Some tiles are intended for indoor use only, be sure to check this if you intend to put them in a place where they may be exposed to frost.
Can handle underfloor heating: If you are going to lay new tiles in a bathroom and you have invested in a new and fresh underfloor heating system, you don't want the tiles to crack when they heat up too quickly!
Other: There is of course more to keep in mind when choosing tiles, but most of it boils down to personal taste!

As a thank you for reading this far, here's the latest minimalist bathroom trend:

If you have tips and ideas about topics, comments, or corrections, you are most welcome to contact me! The easiest way to do this is by writing a comment under the article or in the chat!