skip to main content

questions about barrier free tile shower over concrete slab

14 years ago

my desire is to have an open , barrier free shower area. i will be removing the current cheap plastic shower stall, and hope to use the existing drain. our house is built on a concrete slab. can i use redguard or something similar directly over the concrete floor and tile directly over this or do i need a pan? i would use hardi backer for the walls. please advise the simplest way of doing this. thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

jjaazzy
14 years ago
I see no one has answered you so I will give you a couple of places to go to look for examples close to what your wanting to do. I am doing a trench drain with no curb and plan on using kerdi the orange stuff as well as Noble the blue stuff. you can find info on this subject with installation instructions that you can adapt to your situation. www.quickdrainusa.com Also you might find some information on johnbridge.com web site. Just go into the tile advice forum and look around and do some searches. You can also find some info in respect to handicap showers as they are built similar. I don't feel qualified to give you any instruction cause were figuring out as we go and God willing it will be correct. Good luck and if you find any good info let us know in here.
davidro1
14 years ago
suschmoo2 you can have it the way you want it. My guess is you will end up with a custom built shape floor, and so this is best membraned with a liquid, paint-on or trowel-on membrane like Redgard (or many others). You can build a small speed bump, as a sill, if it's a small shower. To make the shower floor slope, you can build up a slope on top of the slab, or cut a bit into the slab. Your drain can be a trench drain, either by cutting or by building up. All this assumes you own the slab (if it's not a condo) and you know enough to be sure the slab can be cut without risking other problems. It assumes also that you want to breathe concrete dust by cutting. The point is that you must plan for a slope, and it is either made by cutting down or by building up.

I found john bridge and the key people at his site to be dodgy about helping anyone study options that would result in a non-Schluter solution. Schluter makes Kerdi, Ditra and other good things. Also, at the time I was there, some key contributors didn't understand that there is no deflection in a slab (it's not made with joists) so this alone might raise eyebrows. Also, they couldn't handle the idea that a homeowner might want a flat sloped floor with a straight line drain at the end; instead the inverted cone floor with a centered drain was the only way to go... I could give you other examples of a lack of understanding in general, but I'll spare you the details. They are good but only so far and not more. The pro's in their pro forum do not help newbies with non-Schluter or non-Kerdi things.
Related Discussions
Moisture Barrier over Concrete Slab
Q
Comments (15)
Well, its been almost 6 months since you posted about your Bamboo - how did it go and how is it holding up??? We installed 1000 feet of this exact product in Nov 2012 - we are currently in the process of pulling it all up,, YUCH... moisture issue???? not really sure what happened,,, installer is being real good and standing behind it all - the house is 1/2 up and the rest is coming out tomorrow.. going with eng Hickory in its place - also laying down a very expense moisture barrier (painted on) Only used Glue that was suppose to have a moisture barrier in it??? floor was 14 years old in Central CA - maybe 10" of rain a year and NO problems in the past... anyway,, moisture test is in progress at this moment - Wish you luck with your Bamboo - wife liked it but it does NOT like any moisture and does NOT like spoons dropped on it,, LOL - still a very pretty floor,,, oh well, live moves on
...See More
Help, old concrete slab and new floor questions.
Q
Comments (4)
We are just finishing up a renovation project in the kitchen part of our 4 year old house. The vinyl tile there now was basically destroyed - and must be replaced. The house sits on a concrete slab. My 93 year old mom lives with us - so natural stone or tile flooring is out of the question. I had thought about Duraceramic but am concerned about chipping and cracking. We also are considering Armalock by Armstrong - laminate flooring that looks like stone. It is a floating floor over a cushy layer. What kind of flooring would be best?
...See More
Radiant heat under laminate over concrete slab
Q
Comments (12)
True. There will be heat lost to the ground. Nonetheless, do not conclude there is no point at all in having a layer of insulation: any break is better than no break at all. Think of wearing one layer of light clothing as protection against the cold: better than bare skin. Any small R (e.g. R2, R3) still directs more heat upwards than not. To place radiant heat directly on the slab means more and more heat is lost as floor temperature rises, not just 50% but a far greater fraction. "thin" , "not very" , "useful" -- terms undefined. A separation layer is better than none. Not to overthink this, just to drum it in. "Something" is more than nothing, and this is the significant point, not whether the R factor appears low or high. Once your floor temperature rises, you want to prevent sending most of it into the ground, which is what happens when there is no insulation / isolation / separation at all. Note that the definition of R rating testing does not allow one to distinguish between heat transfer occurring by conduction or by radiation. In many circumstances this is not critical. If you want to get into this level of detail, it will take a few dense paragraphs. Suffice to say that R ratings will be misleading and inaccurate for this application so do not rely on the apparent differences between R numbers. They are all small and that is OK. They are almost meaningless in this situation of a slab-floor separator with a thickness of from 2 to 16 mm. It is obvious that with electric cables you have more room for a thicker insulation layer. HTH -david
...See More
Basement bath concrete floor and walls -shower moisture barrier?
Q
Comments (7)
Concrete will just wick moisture everywhere that it’s attached to. The framing and any vanity that touches the floor will rot out pretty quickly. An epoxy kludge isn’t a substitute for proper construction practices that include proper waterproofing for wet spaces. If you want the look of a concrete shower, then you can go the traditional construction method and use a micro topping over the cement board walls. You would need to pay attention to proper detailing to the max and have a capillary break installed all the way around where the micro met the existing. Not cheap. There is nothing magic that is cheap and that would provide acceptable conditions for a wet use area.
...See More
joanr
14 years ago
suschmoo2 I believe that there are some regulations that state you have to have a 2" barrier in case of flooding. I recently visited some friends and they solved this problem by building a bump and slopes on either side of the bump. That way you could wheel a wheelchair over the bump if you would every need to. If you do a search on this site you should be able to come up with some threads on this subject.
suschmoo2
Original Author
14 years ago
thanks davidro1, you are very helpful.

Related Stories

GREEN BUILDING Considering Concrete Floors? 3 Green-Minded Questions to Ask

By Melanie Loftus

Learn what’s in your concrete and about sustainability to make a healthy choice for your home and the earth

REMODELING GUIDES 9 Hard Questions to Ask When Shopping for Stone

By Ventana Construction LLC

Learn all about stone sizes, cracks, color issues and more so problems don't chip away at your design happiness later

MOST POPULAR 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Meeting With Your Designer

By Kelli Kaufer Designs

Thinking in advance about how you use your space will get your first design consultation off to its best start

KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS Elephants of the Kitchen? What to Know About Concrete Counters

Concrete countertops are beautiful, heavy and cool — and have their own peculiarities. And a lot in common with certain gray pachyderms

KITCHEN BACKSPLASHES Why You Should Embrace a Solid Slab Backsplash

By Toronto Interior Design Group

The effect is stunning, and yet the cost can be minimal. Here’s what to know about using full slabs of stone in your kitchen

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: Making Over a Rental for About $1,500

By Becky Harris

Fresh paint, new hardware, added storage, rugs and unexpected touches breathe new life into a Los Angeles apartment’s kitchen

REMODELING GUIDES Considering a Fixer-Upper? 15 Questions to Ask First

By Sarah Phipps Design

Learn about the hidden costs and treasures of older homes to avoid budget surprises and accidentally tossing valuable features

REMODELING GUIDES Concrete Driveways: Poring Over the Pros and Cons

By Erin Lang Norris

Concrete adds smooth polish to driveways and a sleek look to home exteriors, but here are the points to ponder before you re-surface

DOORS 5 Questions to Ask Before Installing a Barn Door

By Apartment 46 for the Home

Find out whether that barn door you love is the right solution for your space

ARCHITECTURE The Truth About 'Simple' Modern Details

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

They may look less costly and easier to create, but modern reveals, slab doors and more require an exacting hand

Sponsored

More Discussions

Any photos of Daltile Valor Gold Quartz

4

What are these countertop spots?

16

wood look Ribbon tile trim

0

Winifred or Hibiscus

1

bathroom remodel fan placement

0