Bathroom Floor Wastes: Choosing the Right Drain Grate

A floor waste is the drain set into a bathroom or shower floor that carries water away, and its grate is the part you actually see. Round tile-insert and grate designs each handle the job differently. This guide helps you pick the right drain grate for the floor you're building.

Tile-insert versus visible grate

A tile-insert waste has a recessed tray you fill with a cut of your floor tile, so the drain almost disappears into the pattern — the quietest option for a fully tiled or curbless shower. A visible grate, by contrast, shows a patterned metal face and makes a small feature of the drain. Round grates suit floors laid on a diagonal or with a central fall; the choice is mostly about how much you want the drain to show.

Getting the fall right

Whichever grate you choose, the floor around it does the real work. The screed needs to fall evenly toward the waste so water clears quickly and nothing pools at the edges. A waste set slightly proud or the fall running the wrong way are the usual culprits behind puddling, so it’s worth getting the levels right before tiling over them.

Size, outlet and finish

Confirm the outlet size and flow rate suit a shower, and match the grate finish to your tapware for a coordinated look. A removable grate makes clearing hair and debris far easier down the track. To compare round wastes, tile-insert trays and grate finishes in person, see the range of bathroom accessories at Just Bathrooms, a local showroom in the Illawarra region.