Installation
Ultra Drain Plus installation guide
For UDP 45, 75, 100 and 130. Join parts with PVC solvent cement and keep the construction cover in place until all concreting and tiling is finished.
Remove the Ultra Drain Plus from the box. Store the alloy grating safely away from the site until all concreting and tiling is complete.
Do not remove the construction cover from the base.
Lay out and establish the parts you need for your drainage design.
Join the modular drain with PVC solvent cement. Apply glue to each part you're joining, and fix right-angle corners and outlets in position as per your design.
Set the finished height and fall, then haunch the Ultra Drain Plus into place with concrete or sand and cement, keeping the construction cover neatly fitted.
Keep the construction cover in until tiling and concreting are complete.
Pour concrete around the haunched base to the finished height needed for tiling or finished concrete. Keep the drain straight and clean throughout.
Keep the construction cover in until tiling and concreting are complete.
Tile or lay your finishing product. Use a flexible product such as silicone or polythene between tile and drain, with a 4 mm joint to avoid movement and cracking.
Keep the construction cover in until tiling and concreting are complete.
Remove the construction cover and recycle it. Clip the alloy top into the base, starting at one end and pushing gently into place.
Clean only with pH-neutral products.
Your installation is complete. The alloy top will keep its sleek look for years to come.
Warning
- Not intended for heavy vehicular traffic over 5 tonnes.
- Clean the alloy top with pH-neutral products only.
- Always store in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.
UDP 45 Tile Insert
Tile Insert installation guide
The Tile Insert takes tile, paver or stone up to 20 mm thick.
Open the box and remove the Tile Insert drain. Set the 2 m insert tray aside until you're ready to lay stone or tile. Make sure the alloy side extrusions are fitted to the channel with the protective tape on.
If the side extrusions aren't installed, slide them into the channel from one end.
Do not remove the protective tape.
Connect the fittings to the channel with PVC solvent cement. Once laid and connected, leave the protective tape on the side extrusions to keep cement off them.
Once you've set the finished height and fall, haunch the drain into place with concrete or sand and cement.
Pour concrete around the haunched base to the height needed for tiling or finished concrete.
Leave a 2–4 mm expansion joint when using finished concrete.
Tile or pour finished concrete. Seal between channel and screed with a silicone or polyurethane product to avoid movement.
Remove the protective tape. Cut and fix tile, paver or stone (up to 20 mm) into the 22 mm insert tray, then place it between the side extrusions. For 10 mm tiles, use a 10 mm packer of water-resistant villa board for a flush finish.
Tip: cut the tray into 1 m lengths to make removal for cleaning easier. Clean the alloy with pH-neutral products only.
How it goes in
Installation video
Council & compliance
Level-entry thresholds & E2
The NZ Building Code's acceptable solution for a level-entry threshold drain is 150 mm deep and 200 mm wide. Ultra Drain channels are slimmer, but they can still be approved as an Alternative Solution under E2 External Moisture. The Code is performance-based, so council must assess the evidence you provide, not just the dimensions.
What to include with your application
- Fall rates for the surrounding surfaces that discharge to the channel
- Hydraulic calculations showing the drain's flow capacity
- Supporting documents, such as our threshold letter and a precedent council approval
Proven with Auckland Council
On a recent Auckland project, the originally specified threshold drain was replaced with an Ultra Drain UDP 100 through a Minor Variation Application, which council approved. Our download includes that approval (personal details removed) and an installed photo.
Guidance only. Approval sits with your Building Consent Authority; check with your architect, engineer or council early in the process.
Quick flow check
NIWA has recorded up to 123 mm of rain in one hour in NZ, about 2.05 L/min per m². Enter the area that drains to your threshold:
Rated flows from the 2026 Ultra Drain brochure. Use the outlet layout and falls in your calculation.
Trade pricing
Trade pricing available
Builders, landscapers, pool builders and plumbers: enquire direct for trade pricing on the full range.
Free delivery NZ-wide
Talk to a drainage expert
Tell us about your project and we'll help you pick the right channel, outlets and accessories.
- Phone 09 415 4588
- Email hello@ultradrain.co.nz
- Showroom
SSL Distributors showroom, 98 Hillside Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0630