Building a ceramic tile shower stall

Building a ceramic tile shower stall will not only enhance the look of you bathroom, it also provides you with many other advantages. Ceramic is a very attractive material, offered in a wide variety of design and quality. It is highly scratch resistant, long lasting and requires very little care. If you wish to install ceramic tiles , you should carefully select a kind of tile that suits your installation. Therefore, for a shower, consider choosing ceramic or mosaic floor tiles that are glazed. Have a detailed plan ready to help you figure out the number of tiles required, and don’t forget to add 10% for waste. This job might seem fairly easy at first sight and can be done within a few days, but you should be cautious when installing tiles, so have a long lasting installation.
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1. Framework and plumbing
2. Install the concrete panels
3. Pour cement on the floor
4. Install the membrane on the floor
5. Install ceramic on the floor
6. Install ceramic on the walls
7. Install the door sill
8. Finishing

1. Framework and plumbing

Prepare the walls and the plumbing for the shower before beginning work. Insulate between the studs, for soundproofing. Make certain you have enough studs and a good nailing strip to fix the water-resistant concrete panels to the framing. Add some furring strips if needed for sufficient nailing surface.

Take the measurements of the walls, marking for all the plumbing openings, the floor and the edge of the shower. Transfer these measurements on to the concrete panels.

2. Install the concrete panels

Cut the fibreglass mesh on one side of the panel with a carbide tipped knife and a T-rule then snap the sheet like regular drywall, and make the openings for the pipes. To anchor the panels to the framing use galvanised or aluminium roofing nails to the studs, rough side facing the inside of the shower. Put the fibreglass mesh joint tape to seal the joints and generously apply a coating of polymer (ceramic tile) glue, particularly in joints and corners.

3. Pour cement on the floor

Place a sponge in the drain to avoid blocking it with dust or residues. From the drain, using the level, make a mark on the walls around the shower, measuring 6,3 mm (¼ in.) for each foot between the drain and the walls. Then, draw another line with a red marker, about 25 mm (1 in.) above the first mark, to make sure the difference between that mark and the level of the cement is consistent. Using the marks, draw levelled lines all around the walls on the inside of the shower. Screed the cement with a slight incline towards the drain. When dried, smoothen the surface with a block of concrete and remove the dust.
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