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How to tile a laundry floor?

Hi Handymen and Handywomen.

I purchased my travertine 450x450 tiles nearly 20 years ago for when I built up the courage to tile the laundry and bathroom. Stuff has been sitting in a crate. I did the toilet and passageway in 2008 and it turned out well. See photo 1

I have started ripping the old laundry apart and looking at the floor drain and considering these tiles are 'large format' I am looking for some advice before plunging in. See photo 2

I dont think I even tried to creat a fall in the toilet, I just made it level and put a pop into existing waste drain. See phoyo 3

Should I do the same for the laundry as I don't know if it is possible to create a fall with these tiles and certainly don't like the look of cutting tiles into wedges.

What do you think? Laundry Floor 1.jpeg Toilet floor 2.jpeg Toilet floor 3.jpeg

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JacobZ

Hi @terrytoons,

Thank you for your question.

Under the National Construction Code (NCC) there is no requirement for a laundry to have a floor waste in residential properties.

They are often installed as a failsafe to prevent damage if the hose going to your washing machine fails and water comes pouring out.

Ideally, you would create a gradual fall towards the drain using screed, but it is not 100% necessary and would not be the easiest with large format tiles, likely requiring you to envelope cut the tile.

As the waste is only there as a failsafe, and there is no real requirement under the NCC for it to be there, I'd suggest it should be fine to tile the laundry without any fall.

Allow me to tag some of our helpful members to see if they have any advice to offer, @Nailbag, @Jewelleryrescue, @Dave-1.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @terrytoons

Against many schools of thought so consider this experimental.

I once put a basic slit drain under the tiles or round drain, along a grout line and left the grout out along that line. The result was a tiled floor no visable drain apart from an empty 3mm tile grout line.

A diy person might spot the ungrouted channel as it is noticable to our inspection. But it works as a drain but might not keep up 100% with the water flow from an ruptured washing machine hose water flow.

It might clog with dirt later if not cleaned periodically.

Do keep spare tiles if you need to service the drain under the tiles

A classy standard drain may be the best solution as a long term solution.

Nailbag

Hi @terrytoons Unless regulations have changed, only Qld has a requirement to have a waste drain in a bathroom and laundry in case of flooding and wasn't a requirement in a seperate toilet (WIR) room. In all other states wet area floors are dead level.

If your in Qld I would check with local regs to see what the current requirements are and then get back to us fort any assistance if needed.

Regards, Nailbag

Dave-1

Morning @terrytoons

My laundry is flat, and I just learned something new! 🙂 I did have a plumber years ago try and tell me it was dodgy. I just filed away the infor and kept presuming that it was a dodgy home job. I like the idea of a waste hole so if you do have an issue you have somewhere to push the water to go. That would be about all the advice I could offer.

Dave

terrytoons

Thanks Dave and we sure do learn something new every day!

Are the tiles in your flat laundry large or small? A picture?

terrytoons

Thanks Nailbag - I'm here in Perth. To my memory, in past years, every bathroom and toilet here has the drain but apparently not a requirement.

I am not sure about new-builds. Most lekely good practice though.

Dave-1

Morning @terrytoons

Here is the retrofit I did on my laundry, I had in my head that the tiles were medium, but looking at them now id say large lol Strange how something you see everyday you just gloss over in your thoughts.

Laundry retrofit

Dave

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