GlassLine – The Faultless Wet Room System

Unidrain have developed the GlassLine wet room range, where the fall, the drain and the shower screen are combined into one product. Reducing the risk of incorrect installation and creating a functional, simplistic and minimalistic look to a wet room.

An incorrect fall in the shower area is a frequent fault when wet rooms are installed. All too often, there are hollows or backflows in the floor, so instead of the water being led down to the drain, it forms small pools on the floor – leading to slippery surfaces and lime-scale marks. The problem often arises at the survey stage, when a sufficient fall is not accounted for. This is the reason behind why the Danish design company Unidrain has developed a bathroom range where the fall, the drain and the shower screen are all integrated to reduce the chance of installation mistakes.

“We have developed a solution where the floor drain and the shower screen are constructed together in a frame. The frame has a built-in 2 per cent fall to the drain, so the risk of mistakes are reduced. The frame is secured to the wall and the screed is poured into the frame to achieve a fall that meets the relevant regulations. Once the floor is suitably dry, the solution can be sealed with a waterproof membrane before the tiles are laid” explains Lass Lyck, technical manager at Unidrain.

GlassLine System Components

The modular system comprises of a drain, built-in fall, flanges and a channel that the glass screen is inserted into.

“In a traditional building process, the glass screen is installed last and glued on top of the tiles, so all the joints are visible. Unidrain have found a solution where glass screen template is installed first, before the tiling process. This means that all screws and fittings are hidden, and the solution looks clean and minimalistic” says Lasse Lyck.

The incorporation of the wall flanges are taken from the original unidrain product. It is the essential factor that makes Unidrain’s drain an extremely secure and an effective wet room solution. The flanges secure and seal the critical joints, corners and transitions between floor and wall surfaces. The floor to wall joints and around the drain are the two weakest points within any wet room design, and is where most leaks are presented. By placing the drain against the wall, it creates a secure seal to both these areas.

The glass panel has been surface-treated with nanotechnology, so soap and lime-scale do not adhere so easily. Once the glass is located in the channel, in the unlikely event of the glass shattering or being damaged, it can be removed with relative ease.

Important update to the NHBS Specifications 2018

Backing surfaces for tiling should;

• Be moisture resistant, where frequent wetting occurs 

When Tiling; 

• Proprietary water-resistant grouting should be used in accordance with the manufacturer 

Grouting should be: 

• As specified in the design including mix and colour 
• Cement-based, epoxy resin or a proprietary product 
• ‘Waterproof in and around shower enclosures and where tiling can be saturated’. 

Gypsum plaster should not be used where; 

• ‘Repeated or persistent wetting may occur’