1.) Make your base waterproof.

Shower floors leak for two main reasons, 1) the grout isn’t waterproof or 2) the tile isn’t waterproof. Even if they are it is a must to build a waterproof barrier for your shower base. This consists of a vinyl sheet.

Place the sheet on top of the first masonry layer and you can be sure that the water stops there.

2.) Don’t forget the slope.

This is my number one pet hate with shower bases. It’s disgusting to get into a shower to find you are stepping into the dirty water of the previous user, nice eh?

The worst part is how easy it is to build it right, and it doesn’t cost a penny more. So please do me a favor and put a nice slope into your shower base. Over the waterproof membrane, the vinyl sheet you need to place the second or top masonry layer. Don’t forget to slope the base toward the drain. If you don’t do this water will accumulate on the floor base and the membrane sheet creating a haven for mold, mildew and mosquitoes larva, depending in which part of the world you live.

3.) Remember you need two drains.

Make sure you remember to create a second drain for the membrane sheet. This sheet is designed to collect any water that falls through the mortar or tiles. If there is no drain then you have simply built an expensive water collector and an inefficient one at that. So remember, two drains, one for the shower floor where you stand and one for the waterproof membrane on top of the bottom masonry layer.

4.) Build with mud.

Most of the shower base floor you will need to build with mud. By mud we mean sand, Portland cement and water; you might have heard it called deck mud. Make sure you get your mix right; you don’t want unseemly cracks in your brand new shower base.

5.) Don’t forget the walls.

I know this is a shower base guide but I’m betting you occasionally wet the walls of the shower. This means that the walls need to be waterproof also. This is done in the same way as the shower base. You need to build in a waterproof liner behind the wall’s shower tiles. This liner will keep water and moisture from the walls, avoiding mold and mildew from building up in your bathroom.

It is worth spending the time to build your shower base well. You can buy plastic shower bases that can be installed in half the time, the only problem being they don’t last. Quality takes time and money, however this is a simple project you can do yourself. So get your working clothes out, give your wife a surprise and start building your new shower base.