New Poster, long lurker. Just demo'd my old prefab shower...

[BobinChicago]

Hi everyone! What a great forum, thank you all for contributing!

I have done just a bit of research, and, to be honest, this is all a bit overwhelming. I am a very capable DIY'er, having finished everything from a complete kitchen remodel (pluming, electrical, pouring my own concrete counter tops, etc) to hardwood floor installation.

This past weekend, I removed the fiberglass shower that used to reside in our guest bathroom- the shower actually leaked at the drain and stained our downstairs ceiling, which served as the catalyst to go ahead and remodel the thing (although I wonder if my wife just sprayed the ceiling with water to get the project rolling ). Anyway, as it stands now, I sit upon a complete blank slate for this project and was looking for a bit of direction, as the information is overwhelming.

The dimensions that I am working with for this three walled shower are, 8 foot ceilings, 38" deep, and 48" wide.

I would, ideally, like to create a walk in shower that has a very warm feel to it, mixed with minimalist features. Something along the lines of natural stone colors, brass hardware, glass doors, etc.

All of this being said- where do I begin? Like I've said, my research yielded way too much information- should I use an off the shelf shower base or try to pour my own? Should I tile the entire recessed area, floor to ceiling?

Anyway, thank you guys again for a great forum and I look forward to any input!

Thanks!

[Marge]

Bob, welcome to the forum.

Doing your own pan in mud is easier than it sounds. If you purchase JB's shower book you'll have just about all the info you need to do it (see a link in my signature line). And you can, of course, ask away here too.

You'll need to have tile to just above the shower head, but running it to the ceiling is certainly an option. I think it looks a lot cleaner when run to the ceiling...personal preference.

Good luck on this project and if you have more questions, please post them in this same thread. We like to keep each project in one thread so all the background info is together.

[BobinChicago]

Thanks for the input!! I just ordered John's book off amazon- I look forward to diving in.

[BobinChicago]

Another question for you guys:

How would I go about adding a translucent piece of glass to a niche in the shower? The idea would be to punch through the drywall on the opposite wall (which overlooks a stairwell below) and allow some ambient light into the shower. Am I just asking for trouble with this?

I was thinking of buying one of those ready made recess pieces, cutting out the back and applying the piece of glass to it via epoxy.

Any ideas?

[BobinChicago]

Thought I'd pick a few brains here again; my shower enclosure is 48x32". I was all set to do the Kerdi shower system, but it doesn't seem that they make a tray that size. What do you guys suggest? Build my own tray?

[ddmoit]

Hi Bob,

Building your own custom mud pan is the way to go. It's how most Kerdi showers end up being built.

There are instructions and pictures in the book you ordered - and a bunch of folks here waiting to help out if need be.