An eternal question that designers, fitters and ordinary users think about. Is the length of the linear drain important? We hurry with the answer. Yes, it matters, but it is not a problem that should keep us up at night. Just remember a few rules when choosing the drain length, to get maximum satisfaction.
The most important rule is to adjust the size of the shower to the size of the bathroom first and next to our preferences. Large showers looks good usually in larger rooms. A spacious shower with super long linear drain is a convenience, but at the same time it's cooler, it requires more cleaning and it's more expensive to make. On the other hand a narrow shower with small drain can take away some of the pleasures of everyday bathing.
Another thing to keep in mind is to adjust the floor slopes to the length of the channel. For example, when installing a 120 cm long linear drain, we should not make falls only towards the middle part of the drain. This can cause serious problems with proper water drainage from the external parts of the shower and difficulties with tiling. So you have to make sure that there is enough space for proper tiling.
An important thing to take into account is the steel flange surrounding the drainage channel. It adds a length to the channel on each side by several centimeters. The length of the drain given with the product name refers to the length of the visible part of the drainage channel only, not its total length. If you want to design a shower with a drain that fills 100% of length on one side of the shower, you should remember about that additional few centimeters. The flange feature is to properly seal the drain in the floor, so its proper installation should not be overlooked. Regardless of whether you install it in the bay or with the shower screen on the side, the ideal solution will be to leave a few centimeters distance on both sides of the channel. This will enable trouble-free installation and use. Removing the drain grating for cleaning will be much easier. Cutting the tile for the sides of the drain will also be easier and more aesthetic.
Tiles itself can become a good reference for choosing the right length of the drain. Especially if you choose the version with the tileable grating, it is worth to properly measure and determine the length of the tiles in order to obtain aesthetic and symmetrical cuts on the slopes.
The last rule, which is worth remembering is the water load. If you plan a large rain shower head or shower panel, it is worth choosing a slightly longer drain, which thanks to the larger channel capacity, will take large amounts of water better.
If you still can not decide which length to choose, you can rely on what people buy most and choose a size of 600 mm for a smaller shower or 800 mm for a slightly larger one.
