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I’ve looked around for sources on this topic but haven’t found it mentioned – I assume it’s not a common endeavor, which is sorta why I want to do it…
I have a basement bathroom, maybe 10×10, with just a bath in it in one side. When the bath was put in, the concrete floor was broken through to allow the tub bottom to be at ground level, with drainage beneath (it’s a low ceiling…)
What I want to do is remove the tub, walls and flooring, recement the floor with the old tub drain in it, and build a big stone hottub/shower area. Basically, I’d be happy if I could just slope the ground to the drain and then get big granite blocks in there to make a wall, seats, terraced walls with ferns – reference the playboy grotto for inspiration.
So, doable? anyone ever done it? What are the big gotchas? Where would I look for more information? And:
I know that cement is not waterproof, but in a situation like this, where the water would not be sitting for a long time, but only for certain periods – could I use cement? is there waterproof cement? Is there some standard way of doing this that I don’t know of? The only thing I’ve seen that’s similar is fountains at public parks, which just seems to be cement & brick?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Eli
Replies
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eli----cement is waterproof..
they build boats out of it..
look for ((ferro-cement))
also they build a lot of gunite pools ((shot-crete))
and a lot of pools are built of cement
also ... ((cement stucco))....
so ... have a ball..
see you in a couple years.. hope your marriage survives (if you're married)....
gimme a call when you're done.. i'll bring the champagne.. you bring the babes....let's not invite hef.... he always hogs everything....
*Big granite blocks down the basement....hmmmmm, can you get a bobcat down there first to move them? Maybe take the roof off and crane them down the elevator shaft.......work with me here....I'm just brain-stormin'.
*Can't be any heavier than the big old Philco fridge I hauled down there this summer! Jeff
*Eli, from my days of hot-springing i can assure you that a smooth hot tub is more conducive to making your bunny hop than a rough piece of granite.
*good point on the granite - maybe that'll just be the exterior & decoration. Maybe a wood interior, like a hot tub.Thanks for the clarification re: cement... I got bad info, I guess. You guys think that if I make essentially a rock wall, with the aforementioned cement products, I'll be in business?Not married. Maybe this'll help.Thanks again!eli
*Mike don't forget ease of construction with concrete.Actually you can have one form fitted for free.Start a rumor that you know who iced Jimmy Hoffa.............:)Gabe
*Have a friend that built a big fieldstone 'hot tub' in his basement rec room 20 years ago - beautiful tub - hot babes - only problem was it was impossible to get water temperture above about 70 dF - unisulated walls=heat loss beyond the capacity of any reasonable heat source - something to keep in mind.
*Just remembered something a friend of mine did in his bath, made a rock wall like you're talking, Eli, and plumbed it for a shower, with the water cascading off some strategically placed rocks to a floor drain. There was a skylight and French doors to a magnificently landscaped little backyard that made the bather forget she was in Fresno for a long moment.
*How would I go about insulating something like this? make a foam layer between the outer rock and the inner tub lining? Thanks, everyone, for your input; it gives me hope. Does anyone know the type of person I would look for locally to get more input/guidance?Eli
*Eli Talk to your local pool man. Or if there is a commercial pond builder try him. If you can build a pan for a shower you can do this.Skip
*The Modonna Inn, in Calif (no connection with the singer) has a room with a rockfall shower, big enough for two.
*I have seen some fake fiberglas "rocks" that are fairly convincing on first glance. I think these are made using a styrofoam core, so they perhaps could solve the insulation problem. Should be able to mold them to whatever shape you need, although you might not get exactly the finished look that you ideally want. There are resources for creating fake rocks on the internet, a couple of them are:http://home.earthlink.net/~sairs/Rocks/making.htmhttp://home.flash.net/~blhill/pages.aux/pond/mrdanrocks.html
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I've looked around for sources on this topic but haven't found it mentioned - I assume it's not a common endeavor, which is sorta why I want to do it...
I have a basement bathroom, maybe 10x10, with just a bath in it in one side. When the bath was put in, the concrete floor was broken through to allow the tub bottom to be at ground level, with drainage beneath (it's a low ceiling...)
What I want to do is remove the tub, walls and flooring, recement the floor with the old tub drain in it, and build a big stone hottub/shower area. Basically, I'd be happy if I could just slope the ground to the drain and then get big granite blocks in there to make a wall, seats, terraced walls with ferns - reference the playboy grotto for inspiration.
So, doable? anyone ever done it? What are the big gotchas? Where would I look for more information? And:
I know that cement is not waterproof, but in a situation like this, where the water would not be sitting for a long time, but only for certain periods - could I use cement? is there waterproof cement? Is there some standard way of doing this that I don't know of? The only thing I've seen that's similar is fountains at public parks, which just seems to be cement & brick?
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Eli