Floor Wastes

The Essential Guide to Floor Wastes

A floor waste is the drain set into your bathroom or laundry floor. The main decision is the grate on top: a square grate, a round grate, or a tile insert that hides the drain under a piece of your own floor tile.

Tile insert vs square floor wastes

A tile insert floor waste has a shallow tray on top that holds a cut piece of your floor tile, so the drain almost disappears into the floor. A square or round grate shows a metal cover instead, and costs less. Tile insert has become the popular pick for new bathrooms that want one clean surface. A standard grate is perfectly fine where the drain sits out of the main sightline.

The tile insert does cost a little more, and it asks the tiler to cut and set the insert tile neatly. Done well, most people cannot spot it.

What size floor waste do you need?

Floor wastes are sold by outlet size to match your drain pipe, commonly 50mm, 80mm or 100mm. Most bathrooms and laundries use a 100mm body with a 50mm or 80mm outlet. Measure the outlet on your existing drain before you order, since the new waste has to meet the pipe already set in the floor.

If you are tiling over the top, the body depth matters too. A shallower body suits a thin screed, while a deeper one needs more fall built into the floor.

What is a puddle flange, and do you need one?

A puddle flange is the flat collar on the waste that bonds to the floor waterproofing membrane and stops water tracking under the tiles. Any floor waste in a wet area needs one. Most quality wastes either include a flange or take a matching one, so check this before your waterproofer starts.

Floor waste finishes

Floor waste grates come in chrome, brushed nickel, brushed brass, brass, matte black, and stainless steel. Chrome is the everyday default and the easiest to match to existing fittings. Brushed brass and matte black suit warmer or darker bathrooms. Stainless steel turns up most in laundries and outdoor areas, where it shrugs off corrosion. Match the grate to your tapware finish and it reads as deliberate, even when you can barely see it.

Smart floor wastes and odour control

A smart floor waste uses a one-way valve, usually a silicone flap or a floating ball, that opens to drain water and shuts to block sewer smells and insects. It does the job of a water trap without relying on a constant water seal, which helps in floor wastes that dry out between uses. They suit ensuites and guest bathrooms that sit unused for long stretches.

Brands we stock

The range covers Nero, Meir, and Phoenix for tile insert and square wastes across the popular finishes, plus Stormtech for tile insert and grate drainage. Every product is WaterMark certified for Australian installation, so a licensed plumber can fit it without compliance issues.

Floor wastes and the other drains

A floor waste handles the open floor of a wet area. For a long slot drain across a shower entry or against a wall, see shower channel wastes and grates. For the wastes that sit in a basin or bath, and for traps, start at our wastes, traps and grates hub.