Achieving a successful installation when it comes to a shower stall is not as difficult as you may think. Given your ability to follow instructions and a reasonable amount of construction knowledge it can be quite rewarding in the end. With quality renovation professionals becoming more and more illusive and the investment at times exceeding your budgeted amount DIY is on the rise.

First you will need to temporarily shut off the water to the shower unit, don’t worry once the plumbing is capped off you can turn it back on. Now remove the shower stall as it is now. Depending on whether or not you have fiberglass unit, cast iron tub, or existing tile stall your demo method will differ.

Now that demo is complete determine where you want your new shower valves and fixtures to go, and rough these now. Most of the time when a tub has been removed you will need to install the drain to the center of your new stall opening, Also common today are shower niches or soap dishes, placement and framing of these along with any type “knee or pony walls” is done now as well,

Pre-sloping of the slab with a form-able mud material will be installed now. Marking on the slab or sub-floor the final depth of the new shower stall will give you a stopping point for your pre-slope. ext install the shower pan liner attaching it to the drain and running it up the wall above the height of your seat or around 20 inches. Next form your curb that the shower door will set on to a desirable height,usually 5 inches, with a 2×6 pulling the pan up between the form boards and pouring on each side with concrete encapsulating the pan.

Installation of duroc material or a concrete based backer board and mesh taping the joints will be done now. Once this is done use a waterproof paint or membrane and cover the entire shower stall except the floor. When dry packing the floor on top of the shower pan is very important to keep at least 1/4 inch per 3 foot fall to the drain this will ensure the water will drain properly.

After completing this step you are now ready to begin the installation of your shower floor tile material. Once this is dry the wall tile installation can begin. after the tile installation is completed you will need to clean all the tile and grout lines before grouting begins.

Finally install your new shower fixtures and shower door to begin reaping the benefits of your hard labor..