Shower build is one of the more enjoyable bathroom remodelling tasks.
By looking for unusual ceramic or stone tiles and installing shelves and nooks inside the shower, you can uncheck your full creative potential.
Alternatively, you might designate to cut expenditures by using a prefabricated shower stall in place of tiling.
Even better, you may compromise by utilizing tile on the shower walls and a pre-made shower pan.
Building a shower enhances the beauty of your entire home, revitalizes your bathroom, and raises the value of your house should you decide to sell it.
Before You Start to Build a Shower:
Installing a shower involves a variety of home repair tasks including plumbing, tiling, light construction, obtaining permissions, and maybe even installing flooring and drywall.
You might be able to construct your shower if you’ve completed these tasks before and consider yourself to be quite experienced.
But generally speaking, it’s best to delegate this task to experts.
Give yourself plenty of time to construct your shower, whether you do it yourself or employ contractors.
During the duration of this endeavour, you’ll also need access to alternative bathing facilities.
Rules and Regulations:
In most localities, laying new or changing existing shower water supply and drainage lines requires a permit.
A construction permit can also be needed to construct one or more alcove walls for the shower enclosure.
Construction of a Shower:
Plan to create the shower early in the timeline if it is a component of a bigger bathroom remodelling project.
The shower enclosure must be installed together with other structural work in the bathroom.
How to Build a Shower Enclosure for Your DIY Bathroom Remodel?
Identify Mark Shower:
Mark the floor space where you want to place the shower enclosure with a pencil and a tape measure.
Insert Sill Plates:
You will need to add one additional wall to make an alcove if you want to put a shower enclosure in a corner.
Two-by-four wood needs to be cut to the width of the alcove wall and secured to the floor with deck screws.
Extend Studs to Ceiling:
The sill plate should be secured with two studs, which should then be extended to the ceiling.
The ceiling should be covered with a second two-by-four-length sill plate between those side studs, insert two extra studs.
Install the branch line and drain pipe:
Create a drain access hole in the floor where the drain is by using a jigsaw.
The drain pipe and branch line should be build beneath the shower floor by a plumber.
Using a hacksaw, remove the ABS or PVC pipe flush with the ground.
Boost Supply Plumbing Stabilizers:
To act as supports for the faucet controls and the showerhead, fasten two two-by-fours, one high and one low between wall studs.
Connect the tailpiece to the shower pan:
Attach the drain tailpiece that was included with the shower pan by turning it upside down.
The tailpiece can be tightened using a spud wrench.
Please take care not to damage the tailpiece.
Install the shower pan:
With a rag, wrap the drain.
Pour thin-set or mortar on the floor area surrounding the drain with caution.
This will increase the stability of the shower pan.
In the moist thin-set or mortar, lay the shower pan.
To level the shower pan, use a bubble level.
Connect the shower pan to the enclosure.
Install the shower pan’s top nailing fins against the wall studs.
Run the water supply lines to the control area.
The cold and hot water supply lines should be raised from the floor.
Use copper or PEX pipe, but not both.
At the lower support, halt.
Connect the shower valve to the pipes:
Connect the shower regulator’s water supply lines.
Continue Shower head area pipe:
One PEX or copper line should be continued upward from the shower regulator to the top support.
connect to an elbow with a 90-degree descent.
The elbow is fastened to the support with screws.
Cut cement board:
Utilizing a utility knife, cut pieces of cement board so they would fit inside the cage.
Score a line on the front of the cement board, snap it, flip it over, and then continue the cut on the back.
By using a jigsaw or a hole saw that is connected to a drill, build the holes necessary for the shower controls and the showerhead.
Add Seam Tape and Cement Board to Enclosure:
To secure the cement boards to the interior of the enclosure, use cement board screws.
All of the joints between the cement planks should be trimmed, and then taped.
With the putty knife, smooth thin-set into the seam tape and press it in.
Dry the thin set.
Using a stirring stick, blend the liquid membrane.
Apply the liquid membrane to all seams using a chip brush.
Apply liquid membrane on cement board by rolling:
Put the liquid membrane in a paint tray with a liner.
Roll out the membrane across all exposed areas of the cement board after fitting a roller cover onto a paint roller.
After the membrane has dried, apply a second coat.
Horizontal Tile Design Plan:
Make plans for the tile pattern while the liquid membrane is curing.
Either wall should start horizontally with one tile in the middle and then expand symmetrically on each side to neighbouring walls.
The end tiles will likely need to be trimmed to fit this area.
Adjust the centre tile if the two end tiles won’t be cut to the same width.
Design Tile Plan Vertical:
Calculate the beginning of the second row of tiles from the bottom using the tape measure, pencil, and one of the tiles.
Tiles should be installed vertically such that they are 1/8 inch or less from the upper lip build of the shower pan.
Sometimes the tiles will fit precisely, although this is rare.
Insert Ledger Board:
Just beneath the second row from the bottom, screw in a ledger board made of one by twos.
Water should be added to dry thin-set until a peanut butter-like consistency is achieved.
Just above the ledger board, use the notched trowel to apply the thin-set to the bottom region.
Work in 2-foot by 2-foot pieces.
Attach Tiles:
Press tiles firmly into the moist thin set.
To confirm that it is completely covered in the rear, pull off the first tile.
Place plastic spacers between the tiles after every few tiles.
The tiling over the ledger board should continue.
Cut tiles with a wet tile saw or a rail-style tile cutter.
Finished the first row to shower pan:
Remove the ledger board after a few hours.
Complete the first tile row.
To fit each tile properly, you might need to cut it separately.
Apply grout:
Remove the tile spacers once all of the tiles have been installed and are set.
To apply grout diagonally over the surface of the tiles, use a grout tool or the rubber tile float.
To ensure that the grout covers the seams, press hard.
Use warm water to wet the tile sponge before using it to scrub away additional grout.
To get rid of extra grout, gently wipe the tile’s surface.
Keep all of the moist grout in the nooks and crannies between the tiles.
Apply grout sealant to make the grout waterproof once the grout has dried.
Include Silicone Sealant:
The caulking gun should now include a tube of silicone caulk.
Cut the tube’s end, then apply caulk to all tile joints, including those at corners below the tile’s lower edge, and at the very top where the tile meets the ceiling.
Add a shower head and finish the shower controls:
Install the escutcheon and the remaining shower controls.
Screw the showerhead into the arm after assembling the shower arm and flange.
Place in a shower door:
Measure the shower’s aperture before choosing a door with an adjustable frame.
To install, adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The jamb piece will often be trimmed to size before a bottom track and seal are installed.
Each jamb consists of two pieces that fit together perfectly, one is attached to the stall using screws and anchors.
After installing both jambs, choose which way the door should swing, and then instal the hinged insert using the provided clamps.
After installing the door, capping it, and adding the door handle.
Adjust after installing the second jamb insert.
FAQ- How to Build a Shower?
Q1. What does it cost to build a shower from the ground up?
$3,411 – $10,757 is the usual range.
The average price to add a shower is $7,072, though this can alter based on reconfiguring your bathroom.
There is a specialized shower type whether you’re replacing an outdated unit or turning a bathtub into a shower.
Q2. Which showering technique is the least expensive?
Between acrylic and fibreglass will depend on the shower’s remodelling budget.
Prefabricated acrylic panels can be used to swiftly and easily cover the shower’s walls.
To apply acrylic to a flat surface while replacing tiles, all the old tiles must be taken out first.
Q3. Is it possible to shower without tiles?
No, it’s not necessary.
There are no other materials to provide decorative, waterproofing to bathroom walls.
Tiles have always been used in bathrooms’ wet areas (around the bath and inside the shower enclosure).
Conclusion:
Your bathroom’s appearance can change with a new shower build.
It can give you additional space and privacy enabling you to transform a simple bath into a tranquil hideaway.
This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to construct a shower enclosure including advice to set up the foundation, frame the walls, and add tile.
