NOOB, need shower curb advice.....

[Houston Remodeler]

Jim,

In my fair city, and most I know of, don't allow for copper connections to be buried in concrete. Any connections have to be made above slab grade, so that will take care of that issue.

There is a very very good reason to fill the bottom of that hole with packed sand, then topping it with 3-4" of concrete; One day you'll want to remove it. Generally there is no real need to chemically bond the new to the old. The jagged sides provide all the grip you need in that small area with low point loads. This isn't a driveway so we don't have to make a repair to that standard. (thank you jebus) Brush and/or vacuum the sides of the hole to get it all nice and free from dust. Pack the bottom with very dry to slightly damp beach type sand, filling in all the nooks and crannies. Top that with sidewalk ceement, all the while making sure the drain is perfectly plumb. Using a Tavy puck makes this job much easier as you can leave it atop the drain pipe during the process.

[eokie1]

What impact, if the PVC flange, is not plumb......it is not WAY off, but it is NOT plumb.....

I was trying to kind of "eyeball it", but it is 1/2 a bubble or more, off....???

[eokie1]

I levelled / plumbed it, as best I could, and poured concrete.....

also, re-ran the hot water line that I demo-hammered a nice hole into.....through the studs...

Now, will place stud blockers over where the pipes are, and put 2x12's to staple to, at that bottom all around......right ????

Should I tar paper over the bottom of the plate, to cover it for my pre-slope layer ???? I have to buy a huge roll of roofing felt, is there something else I could / should use ????

Gotta frame the door in, also....I think I am gonna ditch the 1962 24" shower door, and buy a 28" or so one, so I don't have to frame as wide, and will give much more comfortable egress/ingress..........?? (also, ditch the 23" wide concrete curb, and build one from 3? stacked 2x4's...to fit the new, wider door)

THANKS !!!!

[Houston Remodeler]

Jim,

You'll find life much easier if you frame the doorway so the door jambs are parallel with each other. Way easier.

as for the mud base - what kind of waterproofing method are you using?

[eokie1]

yes, I have to add the door jamb back, I tore it out, as those where the most rotted, mildewed boards.

[Houston Remodeler]

Your preslope can go up against the studs. The area is so small and the amount of expansion and contraction will be negligable. If you want over the top, add a foam gap around the vertical edges where the ceement touches the wall

[eokie1]

Sorry, just want to make sure I understand. No need to put anything between the deck mud and the studs, even the plates....? I don't think my preslope will go higher than the plate, but the top layer, *might*.....
So, you mean a bead of spray foam insulation, to prevent it resting against the sheetrock of the opposing wall?? I thought that I read that they recommended wrapping felt paper over the 2x4's making up the curb, before wrapping PVC liver over it....??? Maybe I misunderstood....

THANKS !!!

[Houston Remodeler]

Jim,

I assume you are doing a traditional vinyl liner. In that case there should be wood blocking between the studs set back a little from the face of the sole plate. The bottom edges of the wall studs are cut back a little to allow for the thickness of the liner when folded to create the part where the folds are made for the walls. That wood will hold back the liner from flopping into the wall cavity. The mud and liner can't get past the wood blocking, shich should be at least as high as 3 inches over the top of the curb, and in my fair city the blocking and liner need to be 12" above floor height. You'll need to back track a little, read all the parts of shower base construction then you'll get to the mud parts. Have you handled your drain plumbing?

[eokie1]

Yes, I already have purchased a 2x12x8', for the blocking between the studs...just haven't cut and attached, yet. OK, so once I put those in, I wil not need to cover, with roofing felt, or anything....got it. Yes, I hammered up the old ci p-trap, put in a new PVC one, with a no-hub coupling to attach to the old ci, sawed it off with sawzall. How is the first board of the shower curb normally attached to floor ??? Just use concrete screws, or lag screws with anchors....??? thanks !!!

[bbcamp]

Tapcons are fine. A better plan is to use bricks and thinset or brick mortar to build the curb. Zero chance of rot, swelling or warping if the wood absorbs moisture from the slab.

[eokie1]

OK, what was THERE, was a ~22" wide, 4" x 4" inch block of concrete, for the curb......

Any reason, I couldn't use that, and just use some CB board, at the ends, to use as my curb ???....I was going to try to get a wider door, but it looks like only a 24" - 27" shower door, is gonna fit, w/o major re-framing.....so the existing curb, is just about the right width....

Just secure the concrete curb, to the slab, with slurry of thinset...??

Here is what I got accomplished, tonight (not much, I have to quit at 8:30 bedtime, for my 3, 8 and 11 year old girls......)

[Edthedawg]

Jim,

Izzat PT lumber? Or regular KD?

[bbcamp]

Set the 4x4x23 block to the slab with brick mortar. Thinset will squoosh out.

[eokie1]

wall blocking is just KN, didn't think it needed to be TP ??

[eokie1]

ha ha ha PT that is....