"homemade" shower stall

[cc-rider]

Is there any reason I can't buy a shower bottom, and use durock or cement board to frame it in, and then tile it for a shower? I want a 48" shower stall, and the premade plastic things are expensive!!!!

CC

[minnikin1]

Why not just tile the floor too? I think it would look nicer that way.

[Windy in Kansas]

It is done on This Old House all of the time, so yes it would work just fine.

[whocares]

we used that plsatic wall board, kinds looks like it's crinkled for shower walls, shower is 4 feet square and has 2 shower heads, so we can shower together...

[Scrounger]

When my wife's grandmother moved in with her son, we built the entire shower stall out of "wetrock" (the greene stuff....), and tiled the whole thing. Be careful with the floor tiles, use the ones designed for shower floors so they don't get extremely slick..

[Beaners]

Could anyone elaborate for me on how they tiled their shower? We are going to have to do a bathroom remodel, and I would prefer tile to the inserts. Do you need to use a special grout to keep the water from leaking through, or is a tight fit with regular grout enough? How do you keep it from breaking down?

Kayleigh

[ericjeeper]

Originally Posted by Beaners

Could anyone elaborate for me on how they tiled their shower? We are going to have to do a bathroom remodel, and I would prefer tile to the inserts. Do you need to use a special grout to keep the water from leaking through, or is a tight fit with regular grout enough? How do you keep it from breaking down?

Kayleigh

Use what is called durock. basically a sheet of reinforced concrete 1/2 inch thick. Tile will bond to it much better than counting on it always sticking to paper on green board.
If it was on a wood floor I would opt for a good high end shower pan for the base myself.. On concrete I would go from the floor up with tile..

[Beeman]

I've been looking into doing this in our bath. For tiling the floor I've seen a membrane that you have to put down first, then tile over it. I'm thinking more of using a premade base, duroc on the walls, and tiling over that.

[cfabe]

For a shower or other wet area, you absolutely don't want to use just green board with tile over it, and using durock with tile is just a step better. Both of these materials are not completely water proof and eventually will allow water into the wood framing. If you are interested in a good quality tiled shower that will last a long time you should look into one of the drain/liner systems, one I know of is called Kirdi and it consists of a styrofoam base, a liner that covers the whole shower enclosure and a drain assembly. It's not cheap though and probably won't end up being cheaper than a prefab fiberglass shower. If you want cheap go with one of the premade plastic pans and use shower board or a manufactured surround. Just make sure you keep up on the caulking because once it fails the shower will leak.

[Shawn]

Simply, yes you can use the preformed base and then run cement board for the walls and tile over it. The shower pan base has a lip that will go behind the cement board. You them line up the sheets and screw them into the studs. After that, apply thinset (tile adhesive) and set your tiles.

An extra step might be to use the ice and water roofing shield as a added layer behind the cement board. This adds a layer of water protection and will seal around the screws you run into the studs. Just make sure that it too runs over the lip of the base.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by cfabe

For a shower or other wet area, you absolutely don't want to use just green board with tile over it, and using durock with tile is just a step better. Both of these materials are not completely water proof and eventually will allow water into the wood framing. If you are interested in a good quality tiled shower that will last a long time you should look into one of the drain/liner systems, one I know of is called Kirdi and it consists of a styrofoam base, a liner that covers the whole shower enclosure and a drain assembly. It's not cheap though and probably won't end up being cheaper than a prefab fiberglass shower. If you want cheap go with one of the premade plastic pans and use shower board or a manufactured surround. Just make sure you keep up on the caulking because once it fails the shower will leak.

I don't remember the brand name but when I was at Home Depot they had free info and the material to do this with. That's where I was reading about a membrane under the pan.

[cc-rider]

My floors are wood, and it is upstairs, so I definately don't want a leak. That's why I was thinking of using the preformed plastic base. The "ice and snow" roofing shield is a good idea, too. Or I could just coat the entire back of the duroc with some sort of tar stuff, I guess, since it will be all exposed for awhile.

I have ceramic tiles on my showers in my current house and I love them, but I'll never go with white tiles and white grout again!!!! My son just did his bathroom with a dark tile and grout (very mediterranean looking) and it is beautiful.

Thanks for all the tips. Very encouraging!

[cc-rider]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I don't remember the brand name but when I was at Home Depot they had free info and the material to do this with. That's where I was reading about a membrane under the pan.

So, you'd put the membrane AND the pan?? Hmmmm.... I wonder if you could put just a membrane down, like a pool liner, and run it up the sides a bit, and then tile the whole thing?

Except, with the preformed pans, it all slopes to the drain, which is a good thing! I hate water standing in corners, etc.

CC

[tn_junk]

I did exactly what you are describing. Just be real sure and have the tile slightly overlapping the shower insert. Don't want water seeping down the outside of the shower insert and dampening the floor. Pulling the last five rows of tile off and replacing them to stop a minor leak ain't no fun.

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by cc-rider

So, you'd put the membrane AND the pan?? Hmmmm.... I wonder if you could put just a membrane down, like a pool liner, and run it up the sides a bit, and then tile the whole thing?

Except, with the preformed pans, it all slopes to the drain, which is a good thing! I hate water standing in corners, etc.

CC

I didn't mean use both, sorry if I didn't sound clear. The membrane is made as you describe, like a pool liner that seals to the Drain and runs up the sides. I believe to make just the membrane work you would need to use concrete or something similar to shape the bottom to the drain.

[celticfarmgal]

I did mine with spray in insullation and then tar paper over a 2X4 frame followed by a layer of Cement board(duroc) for the walls ,
and for the floor its wooden framing with a layer of foam spray in insullation then tar paper and membrane that goes up the walls 4 inches under the layer of duroc and over the tar paper followed by a layer of actual cement then I tiled it it isnt totally finished but what do ya think??


when finished it will have glass block above the shower doors ( because of the dang waterfall showerhead that DH chose and my 9ft ceilings) it also will have a handheld shower that comes off the side that you can turn off and on when ya need it (not the one in the pic it was to make sure I did the water right) I am claustrophobic and the in the box showers seemed too small for me the one I made is about 6 1/2 ft X 4 1/2 ft

[cc-rider]

That's a really cool shower! I'd love to see the "back" of it.

Is this correct..... you built a 2X framework, and filled it with foam (what was the purpose of that?), and then the tarpaper is on the outside or inside?? The duroc is obviously on the very inside.

Then the layer of cement is over the duroc?

I love the size and color!!!

[celticfarmgal]

its a really old house and I was already insulating the place with the spray in insulation . it was suggested to me by a friend as the foam also seals out water. on the floor(base part the foam is "carveable" and sandable so we were able to get the right slope from the corners to the drain to allow for proper draining and it wasn't as heavy as if we had done the whole thing with the cement( instead the cement is only about an inch thick as opposed to 3 inches) the tarpaper is on the inside and under the durock . only cement type stuff on the seams to tape it like drywall then used mastick( probabally spelled wrong) to adhere the tile to the durock on the walls and on the floor

[Shawn]

As for the membrane you put that on the stud walls behind the cement board. It should run down the walls and then run onto the lip of the pan. This will let any water that does drive through a bad grout joint down and not get onto the wood studs and cause rot. It also will seal up the nail or screw as they drive into the studs.

I would not do it in place of the pan like a pool liner. You need something more solid. The molded pan will also be contoured to run the water to the drain.

Hope this helps...