How To Pour A Shower Base Correctly On A Concrete Floor

Roughed in shower stall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reinforced fiberglass corners cemented.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary placement of wood slats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final float after angled wood slat removal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The freshly finished shower base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Pour A Shower Base Correctly On A Concrete Floor

Homeowners are sometimes afraid to use a poured shower base because they are notorious for leaking.  Instead they will choose a prefab fiberglass base that can detract from the beauty of the shower.

Poured shower bases don’t leak when they are properly installed.  This is a stepwise process that takes time, and because of this some contractors skip necessary steps that can result in a leaking shower base, and an unhappy customer.

Here are the necessary steps to properly install a poured shower base on a concrete floor:

  1. Install a wood shower curb to the existing concrete floor, using concrete screws.
  2. Install cement board where the shower walls and curb meet the floor.
  3. Re-enforce all corners with heavy duty fiberglass mesh.
  4. Pour the concrete base, making sure that it slopes towards the drain. We use wooden slats as guides to assure the proper sloping angle.

Stay tuned for a post on waterproofing the base as well as a post on installing a shower base over a wood floor.