Custom Shower Floor

Posted by Leonardo on January 12, 2007, 9:18 am

We have decided that we are going to live in our current house for the
duration, so 'My Big Plan' is to Seniorize the house. I've just
completed all the lighting upgrades and I'm now moving on to the one of
the big ones. I will be tossing the shower/tub surround unit and
building from scratch a fully enclosed, floor to ceiling shower only,
with a low or no stepover, in the same space using the existing plumbing
layout. There is one hitch (so far). Those stock size, overpriced box
store fiberglass floor pans won't work for me. I need a custom dimension
floor.

So far its been suggested that I use a cement board underlay then trowel
out some kind of mix on top to get the slope to the drain, then tile.

Someone tried to describe a method where a waterproof membrane is put
down first... I didn't really catch what he meant.

The framing under the surround was properly built up to support the
current unit, so weight shouldn't be an issue

I'd appreciate hearing your ideas

Lenny

Posted by on January 12, 2007, 9:39 am

> So far its been suggested that I use a cement board underlay then trowel
> out some kind of mix on top to get the slope to the drain, then tile.
> Someone tried to describe a method where a waterproof membrane is put
> down first... I didn't really catch what he meant.
> The framing under the surround was properly built up to support the
> current unit, so weight shouldn't be an issue
> I'd appreciate hearing your ideas
> Lenny

I'm about to undergo a similar bathroom refit and I found a ready-made
shower pan (which goes in before the tile goes on) online: check out
www.tileredi.com -- and I'm sure there are lots of tile-ready (no
trademark) shower pans available. Your local tilemen use them, I bet.
Also, I think Swanstone (www.swanstone.com), producers of a
cast-"stone" shower stall base (and matching sinks) makes various sizes
of solid bases, in many colors. But if your size is unusual, you may
have to go the traditional way, of making the pan yourself.

CC

Posted by on January 12, 2007, 9:40 am

If you have never done this job, its a pain in the *ss.

Step two is not to use the local Lowes or HomeDepot for
the shower base. Any decent plumbing store will have a
larger selection of good acylic/fiberglass shower bases.

The one I put in is 5 feet wide (as big as a normal bath)
and was around 400.00 for it. Real nice heavy unit that
should last for MANY years to come.

Tom

Leonardo wrote:

> We have decided that we are going to live in our current house for the
> duration, so 'My Big Plan' is to Seniorize the house. I've just
> completed all the lighting upgrades and I'm now moving on to the one of
> the big ones. I will be tossing the shower/tub surround unit and
> building from scratch a fully enclosed, floor to ceiling shower only,
> with a low or no stepover, in the same space using the existing plumbing
> layout. There is one hitch (so far). Those stock size, overpriced box
> store fiberglass floor pans won't work for me. I need a custom dimension
> floor.
> So far its been suggested that I use a cement board underlay then trowel
> out some kind of mix on top to get the slope to the drain, then tile.
> Someone tried to describe a method where a waterproof membrane is put
> down first... I didn't really catch what he meant.
> The framing under the surround was properly built up to support the
> current unit, so weight shouldn't be an issue
>
> I'd appreciate hearing your ideas
>
>
> Lenny

Posted by yourname on January 12, 2007, 11:31 am

tksirius@gmail.com wrote:

> If you have never done this job, its a pain in the *ss.
>
> Step two is not to use the local Lowes or HomeDepot for
> the shower base. Any decent plumbing store will have a
> larger selection of good acylic/fiberglass shower bases.
>
> The one I put in is 5 feet wide (as big as a normal bath)
> and was around 400.00 for it. Real nice heavy unit that
> should last for MANY years to come.
>
> Tom
>
> Leonardo wrote:
>

>>We have decided that we are going to live in our current house for the
>>duration, so 'My Big Plan' is to Seniorize the house. I've just
>>completed all the lighting upgrades and I'm now moving on to the one of
>>the big ones. I will be tossing the shower/tub surround unit and
>>building from scratch a fully enclosed, floor to ceiling shower only,
>>with a low or no stepover, in the same space using the existing plumbing
>>layout. There is one hitch (so far). Those stock size, overpriced box
>>store fiberglass floor pans won't work for me. I need a custom dimension
>>floor.
>>So far its been suggested that I use a cement board underlay then trowel
>>out some kind of mix on top to get the slope to the drain, then tile.
>>Someone tried to describe a method where a waterproof membrane is put
>>down first... I didn't really catch what he meant.
>>The framing under the surround was properly built up to support the
>>current unit, so weight shouldn't be an issue
>>I'd appreciate hearing your ideas
>>Lenny

>
>

installed a tiled, no step shower ~2 years ago. radiant floor, plywood
sub floor. built up the rest of the floor by 1 1/2 inches, then the tile
guy used a Schluter system. Be aware the drain needs to match the
membrane. This system is actually pressed into the mortar, up the walls
and across the floor. There is then an orange dimpled product[now sold
at the despot] that goes down before the tile. Works well so far.

Just remember, for no step you still need a slope to the drain, so the
whole floor must be modified. My bath is 14 ft deep, so it wasn't a
problem. I put a small [3/4] step at the door, which you don't notice,
then a 4 foot ramp up the other 3/4, 5 ft level[where the sink is] and
then the shower starts sloping down to the drain. Tiles are cut for relief.

Ours is wide open, no curtain, no door, just keep a towel on a hook and
it takes care of the splash. Looks very cool.

Posted by Ralph Mowery on January 12, 2007, 11:59 am

> We have decided that we are going to live in our current house for the
> duration, so 'My Big Plan' is to Seniorize the house. I've just completed
> all the lighting upgrades and I'm now moving on to the one of the big
> ones. I will be tossing the shower/tub surround unit and building from
> scratch a fully enclosed, floor to ceiling shower only, with a low or no
> stepover, in the same space using the existing plumbing layout. There is
> one hitch (so far). Those stock size, overpriced box store fiberglass
> floor pans won't work for me. I need a custom dimension floor.

We had a local marble company do this for us. They come out and measuer the
size of the base, go to their shop and mix up and pour out what is needed.
This is sort of an epoxy type mix. They then bring out the coustom sized
base. We also had them do the walls of the shower for us. Then install a
glass door. The stepover is only 2 or 3 inches high. Just enough to keep
the water in the shower and off the floor. As we have another full bath, we
can take a tub soaking if we want to.

Don't think I have been in the tub in about 25 years due to the shower, but
my wife likes to soak about once a month. We really like the walk in
shower.

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