| In
This Article:
The shower base is laid in
place to mark the drain hole location. A hole is cut for the
drain. Durock is bonded to the floor and the shower base is
adhered to the cement board and screwed to the wall studs. |
Related Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
3 (Moderate) |
Time Taken:
2 Hours |
By
Bruce W.
Maki, Editor
Start:
This "neo-angle" corner shower has three main sections: the base,
the shower surround that is glued to the walls, and the glass front.
The base is the trickiest to install.
This shower base had to be installed before the PVC drain
plumbing could be completed. Consequently, the base may be
subjected to some damage while the other tasks are completed (such
as installing and finishing the drywall).
 |
I set the shower base in place to determine if
it would need any shims to make it level. Even after our
extensive modifications, the floor still has a slight slope. |
| This is the drain fitting supplied with the
shower. It uses a black rubber gasket and a huge hex nut to seal
against the shower base. |
 |
 |
The 2" PVC drain pipe seals against the
corrugated rubber gasket on the inside of the fitting. |
| Using a permanent marker, I carefully
transferred the outline of the hole in the shower base onto the
floor. |
 |
 |
I cut out the hole with a reciprocating saw. |
| Even the side of a floor joist had to be trimmed
slightly. The hole must be big enough to allow the hex nut to be
removed or tightened using a pair of jumbo Channel-Lock pliers. |
 |
The Cement-Board Underlayment:
 |
Then I cut the drain hole in the piece of
Durock. I used a jig saw with a carbide blade. I also could have
used a reciprocating saw with a carbide blade. |
| This jig saw blade is narrow and allows for easy
cutting of curves. |
 |
 |
The holes actually lined up properly! |
| The Durock was cut to (almost) exactly fit the
shower base. I should have made the Durock exactly the same size
as the base... I later had to trim off a thin strip. |
 |
My original plan was to use ½" Durock as tile backer in the
bathroom, but I later changed to ¼" Wonderboard, so the total floor
thickness would not exceed the hardwood floor in the hallway.
 |
I mixed up some thin-set mortar in a plastic
tub. |
| I applied some mortar to the floor, pushing the
mud into the floor grooves with the smooth edge of the trowel. |
 |
 |
Then the notched side was used to create the
proper bonding surface. |
| The Durock was laid in place and made level with
some wood shims. Once the mortar has hardened, the shims won't
be necessary. |
 |
 |
I tapped the high end with a hammer and a board. |
| I drove in some 2-1/2" deck screws to hold down
the Durock. The screws need to go into the floor joists. Earlier
we had doubled-up the floor joists, so I marked each joist
location and drove a few screws into each side. |
 |
| I drove screws along twin layout lines, (lines
that corresponded to the floor joists). |
 |
 |
In order to prevent the screw heads from
sticking up, I had to pre-drill a small countersink for each
screw. Since Durock is so hard, the screws will not bury their
own heads, like they do in wood. |
| I simply used a large carbide-tipped masonry
drill bit to make the counter-sinks. |
 |
 |
The cement board after installation. |
A Couple Of Days Later:
 |
The shower drain was installed onto the shower
base, while the base was leaning against the wall. |
| Just to be sure, I applied a bead of clear
silicone under the flange of the drain before I installed it. |
 |
 |
I used a pair of 18" Channel-Lock pliers to
tighten the nut. This huge tool is very useful around the house,
especially for plumbing projects. |
| I applied a bead of Liquid Nails For Tub
Surrounds to the Durock underlayment. |
 |
 |
I set the shower base in place and installed the
4 screws that held the base into the studs. (First I pre-drilled
the holes) I applied as much weight as possible to hold the base
down. Old college textbooks were the best thing I could find. |
| The next day, after the glue had dried, I
removed the weights. This is an early stage in the remodeling
project. It took over a month to do the rough plumbing and
drywall work that enabled me to complete this installation. |
 |
Related Info:
Read about a HammerZone.com visitor whose neo-angle shower had a
nasty leak.
|
Tools
Used:
- Cordless Drill/Driver
- Masonry Drill Bits
- Notched Flooring Trowel,
¼"x¼"
- Reciprocating Saw
- Jig Saw with Carbide Blade
- 24" Level
- 18" Channel-Lock Pliers
|
Materials Used:
- Shower Base
- Durock, ½"
- Deck Screws
- Thinset Mortar
- Liquid Nails For Tub
Surrounds
- Clear Silicone
|
Back To Top
Of Page
Search Page
Home
What's New
Project Archives
H.I. World
Rants
Contact Us
|
|
