Water Proofing for a Zero Barrier Shower Pan

How to Build a Zero-Barrier Shower

Hey, everyone. Today, we’re in the master bathroom of a custom home that we’re building right now in San Diego, California. Behind me is the shower. I wanted to show you how we do a zero barrier shower and how we waterproof it. You can actually see the hot mop pan that we use to make that happen. Let’s go ahead and get started.

Getting Familiar with the No Barrier Shower San Diego, California

All right, so out in front of me is the master bathroom shower. It’s recessed into the slab foundation. All the black area that you see is what we would call a hot mop. This is a combination of shingles, like asphalt shingles, and tar. The shingles are used to slope the pan all the way to the drain in the center. Then, we use the tar to build it up. The bathroom shower pan slope starts from the inner edge and then slopes down to the shower pan center drain san diego california on all sides.

Side note: You can do a linear drain and slope it to one side, but the expert can do that after we get this prepped for them.

Zero Barrier Shower vs. Normal Shower: What's the Difference?

The no barrier shower is actually the opposite of what you’ll see in a typical shower, where you’d have a curb. Usually, you put some 2x4s or 2x6s here, build them up, and then the tile would come up, over, and back down.

But when it comes to the former, it is actually recessed. The idea is that on these showers, you have the tile will run out in front of you and straight into the shower. Then, the shower pan slope san diego california goes down over to the shower pan center drain.

Who Benefits From Zero Barrier Shower Installation San Diego, California?

There are many reasons for this kind of shower installation. This zero barrier shower san diego california could work well for someone who doesn’t want to step over a curb or someone elderly or someone who has trouble stepping over a curb. It could also be just for a wheelchair for handicap shower access.

Step 1: Depress the Concrete

Based on the level of the house, depress the concrete down where you’ll pour the slab. This is about three inches, and it’s flat in the bottom whenever we depress it. We don’t slope it just yet. It’s just like a three-inch depression here in the concrete.

Step 2: Decide Where the Shower Glass Enclosure Will Go

We can come outside the water barrier shower san diego california to check where the glass for shower enclosure san diego california will be set. What will likely happen on this one is that where the waterproof shower seat comes up, the glass enclosure will run right up its side and straight up the wall.

When you don’t have your glass for shower enclosure, your water runs out of the waterproof pan and up. But since you’ll have your glass enclosure san diego california aligned with the edge of the seat, the water cannot travel past the glass. If it’s going to hit the glass, come down to the bottom, and run over. Even if it soaked through and pushed over here, it’s not getting out of the pan onto your water barrier shower floor san diego california. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish by making the depression further out than the glass will be on the shower enclosure.

Step 3: Ensure the Other Side of the Shower Is Also Secured

This is what we also do on the other side of the depression. The glass would run all the way out to the corner. Then, we’ll turn to the right, and the other side of the glass enclosure will end up a couple of inches away from the edge of the shower pan to tile over san diego california if needed.

Step 4: Enclose the Back of the Shower Seat

You can get an idea of what this looks like when looking at the waterproof shower seat san diego california. There is another block on the back to ensure the water won’t come up and splash out.

Protecting the Waterproof Shower Pan to Tile Over During Construction

We’re getting ready to insulate this place and will put up the drywall for bathroom shower san diego california right after that, so we will protect the pan. There are wood shavings on the water barrier for shower floor of the waterproof shower san diego california from when the workers were doing the straight edging on the walls, but we’ll get it clean before laying a piece of drywall for bathroom shower.

Quite often, we’ll fill the water barrier shower floor with water, so there’s no issue with the guys stepping in it. That’s one way to protect it from getting damaged. We also don’t want any nails dropping in it and creating a problem.

Quick Summary

Anyway, I’m going to give you a quick summary of building this zero barrier shower. So, the three-inch depression of the water barrier for shower floor san diego california is completely outside of the enclosure. You can see that again on the other side where that glass will go. Then, you get the guys to do the hot mop and have them slope it back into the drain. They put their asphalt shingles down and then hot mop right over the top of that. Now, you have a waterproof bathroom shower pan san diego california and zero barrier going into the shower.

Contact Us for Your Custom Home Needs

All right, I hope that was helpful. I hope you learned a little about how these zero barrier showers are put together before the tile goes on them and what you must do to ensure they are waterproof and will last a long time.

Feel free to contact us if you need more information about building a custom home, building an ADU, or even doing a whole house remodeling project. We have a ton of answers to the questions you might have. We look forward to seeing you again soon.