Is it required to waterproof a basement shower when it sits directly on the cement floor? Can we use cement board on the curb or is it required to use mortor and build it that way?? Can be lay the floor tile directly to the cement floor? Any suggestions will be great?? Thanks
Lots of people think that cement is waterproof; it is not. Go to the John Bridge forum to get the best answers.
My dad is an architect, and when he designed the showers for his assisted living facility, he didn't use a shower pan. He put tile on the walls (you can get drywall made for bathrooms), and sloped the tile floor slightly, so that when the water splashes on the floor, it runs back into the shower. That way, there's less chance that the residents will trip getting out.
Crosst put you on right track. ADA accessible showers have no pan which would limit handicapped access. Walk in showers are fairly common even for non handicapped use , but are as large to contain spray if there is no door planned. Have seen tile set on concrete deck on new construction in healthcare facilities where the floor tile was run directly into the shower enclosure with no lip at all at entrance. Guessing ,but they probably achieved pitch by varying thickness of skim coat & thinset tile cement. Hope that helps also
you still need a shower pan. suggestion, buy a fiberglass showerbase instead. Then tile the walls.
Cement board and tile or a shower pan, unless your billy bob home improvement.
