Keep the shower curb high enough to contain water but low enough to meet accessibility needs.

For typical residential construction the thumb rule is a curb height of three to four inches measured from the finished shower floor to the top of the curb because this height reliably stops splashes and small overflows while staying modest for most users. When you aim for a curbless or low-threshold design you must design a continuous slope in the wet area of at least one quarter inch per foot toward a properly sized drain to prevent standing water and comply with accessible design guidance. Always plan waterproofing from the subfloor up through the curb or pan liner, extending the membrane up the adjoining walls by at least six inches to reduce leak risk. Use a mortar bed sloped to the drain when installing tile; compact the bed with hand tamping or a screed to achieve a uniform slope and avoid tile lippage. For thresholds with small height differences use a metal or polymer transition strip bedded in thinset to protect the tile edge and provide a clean seal with a backer of silicone at the joint. Before final finishes verify finished floor elevations in adjoining rooms so the sill does not create a trip hazard or force a steep exterior threshold.

Homeowners and installers commonly under-slope the pan or create low spots behind fixtures which cause standing water; fix this by regrading the mortar bed to a continuous slope and rechecking with a straight edge. Another frequent issue is improper waterproofing terminations at the curb or at the floor-to-wall junction; remedy this by extending the membrane up the curb and walls and using a bonded flange or proper clamping drain assembly at the penetration. A third problem is choosing curbless entry without accounting for the wider footprint needed to achieve the necessary slope; address this by increasing the wet area, relocating the drain if needed, or accepting a modest curb to reduce slope length.

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