specifier / flooring / 69

WHAT IT COSTS FLOORING

Level access showers can improve quality of life for disabled users. Peter Mayer of BLP Insurance
looks at the design options and lifecycle costs for retrofitting them into existing floors

I
ncreasing awareness of lifetime needs and
incorporation of accessibility as part of the
sustainable housing agenda are driving the
specification of level access showers. When
carefully planned as part of a new-built
housing development, the additional costs are
minimal. This is far from true for those who
are adapting an existing room for level
access. The cost and disruption will vary with
individual buildings.
Level access showers are the most common
adaptation within the Disabled Facilities
Grant provisions and costs vary enormously
from £1,000 to over £10,000 for the complete
installation. Most adaptations cost between
£4,000 and £10,000.
Key design criteria for the flooring
construction of level showers are succinctly
summarised in the draft British Standard,
DD 266, code of practice for Lifetime Homes
and BS 8300 designing to meet the needs of
disabled people. The floor finish should be as
level as possible within the constraints of
incorporating a fall (one in 50) to ensure
water drains away from circulation areas; the
floor surface should be slip resistant and
water tight; and the space requirement is at
least 1m x 1m for the shower. Slip resistance
is determined to BS 7976 and high slip
resistance values are preferred.
PVC is a commonly installed surface finish.
PVC may be specified to BS EN 13553 for use
in special wet areas for both PVC to BS EN
649 and PVC with foam backing to BS EN 651.
Achieving falls to existing floors can be
disruptive especially if the structural floor
needs to be adjusted. The least disruptive
solution is to install a 22mm-thick, preformed
glass reinforced plastics (GRP) board in place
of the existing floor decking, in the case of
timber floors. The GRP board is shaped to
falls within its thickness and includes a
preformed drainage opening. These are made
from a variety of plastics and resins
including materials with sustainability
benefits, such as recycled plastics.
Concrete or screeded floors offer different
issues. The area requiring falls can be cut out
and re-laid to create the fall. To avoid
slumping of fresh screed, a grid of plastic
formers can be used to maintain the correct
falls and levels. Grinding the screed to
required falls may be an option. Alternatively,
screed can be cut out and a preformed
plastics board inserted to provide a level
access surface.
A key issue with retrofitting a level access
shower is ensuring waterproofing. The design
needs to be well thought out with a “belt and
braces” approach. This is most important
when forming installations on timber floors
which are subject to thermal and moisture
induced movements.
It is advisable to install a proprietary
waterproofing system under the floor and
wall finishes. Adhesives and sealants should
be able to accommodate expected movement
while retaining their waterproofing function.
Particular care should be taken at junctions
and services penetrations.
Alternative solutions
Using an inset GRP shower tray to provide
both the falls and surface finish is an
alternative to insertion of a preformed
substrate which is subsequently covered with
a floor covering. GRP trays are less than
22mm deep and are inserted into the floor
following removal of the timber decking. The
GRP trays should be slip resistant, although
this is generally not quantified. The success
of an insert level access shower tray depends
on ensuring a good seal between the tray and
the adjacent floor finish.
A ramped or low-level access shower tray
with pumped waste water system is
commonly used where costs and disruption
is prohibitive.
Broader life cycle cost issues
The lifecycle cost assessment of level access
flooring alternatives is focused on the costs
from the owner’s perspective. The point of
view of a local authority might be very
different if the costs of installing a level
access shower enable a person to be provided
for by home-based care rather than
residential care, with payback periods of a
few months. There are also intangible
benefits to quality of life and dignity.
Further information is provided by the
Centre for Accessible Environments and the
Health and Safety Executive for guidance on
slip resistance.
BLP Insurance provides latent defect insurance for
building www.blpinsurance.com

Specification options Capital cost Lifecycle cost Expected service life

(£/m2) (£/m2) (years)
Level access shower in timber floor formed with preformed glass reinforced plastics (GRP)
board to replace floor decking. Waterproofing membrane. Floor finish: slip resistant vinyl sheet
flooring to BS EN 649 and BS EN 13845, 2mm thick installed to BS 8203 550-650 1,080 15
Level access insert GRP shower tray in timber floor to replace floor decking. Shower tray:
18mm thick with integral upstands and slip-resistant self finish 500-600 1,290 25-35
Level access shower in screeded floor reconfigured to falls. Floor finish ceramic floor tiles to
BS EN 14411, with enhanced slip resistance; 8mm thick minimum. Installation to BS 5385 500-600 1,089 60+
Low level ramped shower tray on screeded floor. Tray: GRP 40mm high with built in pipe duct
and slip-resistant self finish. 400-500 1,132 25-35

Table notes Net present values calculated with 3.0% discount rate for a 60 year period. Capital costs include preparation of existing floor to allow laid to falls surface, installation of new
floor or shower tray - nominally 1m x 1m, floor drain and floor finish. Costs-in-use include inspections, allowance for minor works, for example clearing drain; floor covering and shower tray
replacement. No allowance for cleaning. Costs of plumbing, wall finishes and enclosures etc are excluded from this analysis. The analysis assumes the plastic preformed board remains in
place throughout the 60 years. Life cycle costs are indicative and are based on the average of capital costs and service lives. Costs for new or retrofit installations are proportional to the
complexity of the design, size and access issues as well as materials specific costs. Service lives represent average lives.

BUILDING MAGAZINE 26.03.2010