Building a cement shower

Mmsangria
by Mmsangria
Hi! I'm trying to get information on how to build a cement shower indoors. Does anyone have any advice to offer? Thanks so much!
  4 answers
  • D & K D & K on Apr 01, 2015
    That depends on what you mean by cement shower. You can use cement board underlayment and apply a stucco like finish to the exposed areas. I would advised against using or creating actual cement walls. This was done many years before cement board became popular. If you were to actually use cement, like the old thick set used to create showers in years past it would need to be covered with some type of tile or final finish. Water penetrating the cement would cause the lath, the metal needed to strengthen and support the cement on the walls, to rust. If you use aluminum lath that eliminates part of the problem but the screws and nails used to attach it to the walls will rust. Once either begins to rust and expand, the cement falls apart. If you decide to use cement board you would need to use a waterproofing membrane underneath it like a 60 mil PVC. If you're going with tile over the top then you can paint 2 coats of a membrane like RedGuard applied to the surface. First however, install your drain to a final height and install a 60mil PVC liner over the subfloor and up the walls at least 6 inches above the final floor height. Install your cement board for your walls using a PVC liner underneath or a painted on membrane. If you're using a paint on membrane, paint your walls after they've been installed. For the shower pan or floor, mix a slightly dryer than normal cement mixture using 4 parts sand to 1 part portland cement by volume. Add just enough water to get it mixed but keep it thick and stiff. You do NOT want it pourable. Pack it tightly to the floor and around your drain to remove any voids and build up the pan with about 1/4 inch slope per foot running away from your drain. Allow it to dry overnight. After it dries, set your floor tile followed by the wall tile and grout. If you have any questions about specifics, just ask.
  • Donna L. Woods-Clements Donna L. Woods-Clements on Apr 02, 2015
    First--you don't want cement, you want concrete. Cement is a component of concrete.
  • Sonja Sonja on Apr 02, 2015
    I planned to turn my 100 x 140 cm toilette into the spa - to make a bathtub of it with concrete. I moved the toilette in another space, introduced water pipes, made a drain, and then professionals told me that I can not cover such a big space with hard concrete on a 4th floor of 1900. y. building:-( Sooner or later it would crack and flood the neighbors. Old buildings are breathing, they told me, and moving. I could make it in the house, on ground floor. So my spa stands empty for over a year, while I'm thinking what to do with it. I can not give up my dream bath, and I can not make it. My advice is: ask professionals for advice before you start remodeling.
  • Mmsangria Mmsangria on Apr 03, 2015
    Thanks Sonja! I hope you find a way to make your spa. There has to be a way, don't give up!