# Forum Home Renovation Bathrooms  Set down of wet area floors????

## gpigeon

It has been suggested by a builder that rather than have a 40-50mm step at the threshold to the bathroom, that the wet area floor should be "set down" by 80 or 90mm so that the screed lvl can be made up to the correct height to get the required falls. 
Whilst I can see how this would work, I am wondering how common it is in modern homes for a platform floor (Hardipanel) to be set down. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to!
Any thoughts/comments??
Thanks.

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## pharmaboy2

Ubiquitous in well constructed homes, fairly common in slab built ordinary homes (because it’s quite easy to do). 
its an attention to detail kind of thing

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## sol381

It is a bit of extra work... Im just about to start a new build and upper floor has 2 bathrooms.. Ive asked the engineer to make the joists 50mm lower in those rooms.. 50mm is perfect, no need for 80-90mm.. lower floor has a concrete slab an ill get the concretor to lower the shower recess 50mm and just fall the main floor area to the waste so no bed is needed.  Most new build do this as its a clean transition from floor to floor.. Some guys layer 45mm pine to top of each joist apart from the bathrooms to raise it up.. Way too much work for my liking.

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## gpigeon

> Ubiquitous in well constructed homes.... 
> its an attention to detail kind of thing

  Interesting replies. Thank you. However, I am not so sure about "ubiquitous"!!!! My neice is an architechural drafter in Sydney and she tells me that they don't usually set the wet area floor down. Only on prestige houses!!! Our local house frame supplier also tells me that they don't supply any frames with a set down although some builders pack the frame up as suggested by "sol381". But, that really is a lot of extra work and material???? Every floor joist outside of the wet area would need a 40 thk. packer on it??? Correct? Just roughly, on a floor area of 250m2 that works out to 500lm of material. 
Thoughts/comments??

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## sol381

Ive seen it down by layering pine on top but it is extra work and extra money.. Like i said im getting smaller joists for the upstairs bathrooms. Luckily they lie close enough to the lower bathrooms and laundry.  having a 40-50mm step up isnt really that bad..i have them at my place as i had no choice.. doesnt bother me.

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## JB1

My slab was recessed 50mm.  
My posi trusses where upgraded to 412mm. 
Truss company asked if I wanted to drop down 50mm in upstairs showers. Of course I did.  
'Only on prestige houses'. I'm not building a prestige house, but am owner building. The truss company didn't charge me extra for the drop down. But it makes sense to do it if you have the chance.  
In reality, 25mm is more than sufficient in the shower. 50mm is way too much for the average sized shower, but it's easier to screed up than grind down. 
I'd rather step down 50mm than 90mm.. that way the joists/trusses will be 40mm larger in the shower.

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## phild01

> In reality, 25mm is more than sufficient in the shower.

  10mm should be fine too.

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## sol381

Yeah but upstairs you have to bed the entire room so 40-50mm bed plus tiles should be level with the main floor area. 10mm bed is not enough.. need a bit of strength..30mm minimum.

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## phild01

> Yeah but upstairs you have to bed the entire room so 40-50mm bed plus tiles should be level with the main floor area. 10mm bed is not enough.. need a bit of strength..30mm minimum.

  Meant the shower finished drop being 10mm, I might have misunderstood .

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## sol381

yeah thats what a lot of tilers door for extra protection.

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## pharmaboy2

> Interesting replies. Thank you. However, I am not so sure about "ubiquitous"!!!! My neice is an architechural drafter in Sydney and she tells me that they don't usually set the wet area floor down. Only on prestige houses!!! Our local house frame supplier also tells me that they don't supply any frames with a set down although some builders pack the frame up as suggested by "sol381". But, that really is a lot of extra work and material???? Every floor joist outside of the wet area would need a 40 thk. packer on it??? Correct? Just roughly, on a floor area of 250m2 that works out to 500lm of material. 
> Thoughts/comments??

  I wouldn’t expect to see it done in a project home, but a project home is half the cost per square metre of a designed and built home, lots of engineering differences and things under the skin that make it a better building.  Project homes are probably 95% of new homes.  Personally it’s just one of those things that is immediately obvious about build quality , eg set down floors , you can be pretty sure that the builder waterproofed the entire bathroom and not just the bits he had to - the fittings will have structure behind them, the light fittings will have a stud installed to take the weight etc etc.  
I would have thought it easier to drop the floor 50mm with smaller joists (given usuall size of bathroom) - mine are 250mm spanning 4m, then 200’s for the bathroom - though I could imagine if frames are pre fab there might be more economical ways

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