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I am currently at the beginning stages of building a house. I am using a slab foundation and have two showers in the house. I am planning to block out the showers in the slab pour and place the concrete in the shower areas 3-1/2″ lower than the rest of the slab to allow me to infill with a sloping mortar bed to the drain. I am planning to slope the floor of the shower without the use of a curb (easier to get in and out) – in a semi – ADA compliant manner. I plan to place the concrete low, fill in the slope with deck mud, install the membrane liner (run up the walls 6″, then install deck mud above to make the final slope. How do I terminate the liner at the entrance to the shower since I don’t have a curb? Should it turn out and lay flat under the first couple inches of the tiles at the shower entrance or should it just be cut flush at the floor level? Am I missing anything? Is the membrane required on a slab foundation (I assume it is, but I dont know)? Is there an easier way? What is the standard way to install this type of shower? I am planning to set the drain 2″ lower than the main slab elevation and slope as necessary, not exceeding 1/2″ per foot slope for the main part of the shower. If the shower drain is near a wall, how is the backslope best handled? should I slope it more steeply or bring the wall tiles down further (have a sloping bottom line for the wall tiles)? I think the latter would look funny, but if the drain is 2′ off of one of the walls, there will be a 1″ per foot drop if the wall/floor intersection is kept level. Is this too much?
It must be obvious that I am an ametuer at shower building, any sage advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Sami Kader
Replies
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Sami
I don't know the rationale for all the work that you're planning to do, in order to install a shower on a slab on grade installation.
If you cast a trench drain at the showerhead side of the shower and if you form and pour it monolithic during the initial pour of your slab on grade, you have little need for any membrane/mortar bed etc.
Gabe
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Thanks for the advice, Gabe. I am guilty of over-engineering the crap out of that shower design. The reason for the block out in the slab pour is just to be able to install the sloping concrete for the shower under more controlled circumstances than the big slab pour day. I thought the membrane might then be necessary to avoid having water in the concrete. I guess that I can probably still do the blockout and then just fill with grout and no membrane. No harm in getting the little bit of moisture on the concrete which seeps through the grout lines and mortar bed of the tile, eh? - It'll just drain through the weep holes in the shower drain.
Thanks, Again.
Sami
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I am currently at the beginning stages of building a house. I am using a slab foundation and have two showers in the house. I am planning to block out the showers in the slab pour and place the concrete in the shower areas 3-1/2" lower than the rest of the slab to allow me to infill with a sloping mortar bed to the drain. I am planning to slope the floor of the shower without the use of a curb (easier to get in and out) - in a semi - ADA compliant manner. I plan to place the concrete low, fill in the slope with deck mud, install the membrane liner (run up the walls 6", then install deck mud above to make the final slope. How do I terminate the liner at the entrance to the shower since I don't have a curb? Should it turn out and lay flat under the first couple inches of the tiles at the shower entrance or should it just be cut flush at the floor level? Am I missing anything? Is the membrane required on a slab foundation (I assume it is, but I dont know)? Is there an easier way? What is the standard way to install this type of shower? I am planning to set the drain 2" lower than the main slab elevation and slope as necessary, not exceeding 1/2" per foot slope for the main part of the shower. If the shower drain is near a wall, how is the backslope best handled? should I slope it more steeply or bring the wall tiles down further (have a sloping bottom line for the wall tiles)? I think the latter would look funny, but if the drain is 2' off of one of the walls, there will be a 1" per foot drop if the wall/floor intersection is kept level. Is this too much?
It must be obvious that I am an ametuer at shower building, any sage advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Sami Kader