I am building a shower and dont want to use tiles. The pre fab plastic showers are mostly small and or expensive. I want to build a 5'X5' shower on a pre existing concreat floor that has a drain allready. Can I just pour cement and slope it with an outer curb and then paint it with waterproof paint. Rockboard on top of water resistant dry wall is the usual procedure for the walls, but I'd like to skip that expensive rockbord and just coat the drywall with a waterproof paint. This is for a loft and It doesn't have to last more than 5 years. They sell paint for boats and a couple of diferent dry wall moisture resistant stuff. Can I use this alone with A coat of concreat and many coats of paint and caulking to seal everything up? Oubviously it isn't code standard but I dont care. Oh I'm also on the second floor so it all needs to be watter tight. Any serious sagestions?

speedball1

Hi Andrew,

If this were a basement project I would say that I can find no fault with your idea. Just break the cement up, install a floor drain and slope to it. However, your last sentence .( "Oh I'm also on the second floor so it all needs to be water tight.") put the kabosh on that.
Being on the second floor will require you to install flange type shower drain,(see image) and a shower pan before cementing. The reason for this is that some water is bound to seep past the drain no mater how much water proof paint you slap on it. With just a concrete base and a drain this water has no place to go but down through your ceiling. The shower pan will catch this leakage and the weep holes in the flange type drain will divert the seepage back into the drain line. Do you need instructions on how to pan out your shower? Regards, Tom

Andrew M C

thanks for your prompt reply and good advice. I guess a rubber liner up the side and over the shower curb will do for a pan and I'll check out the cost of the drain. Its only plastic it cant be that expensive, right!

speedball1

Not quite as simple as you make out. We use Blue Compaseal to pan out our showers. For instructions on how to form and pan out a shower click on:
http://www.thetiledoctor.com/howto/showers.cfm
Good luck, Tom

Andrew M C

OK!! The Kerdi drain go's for $80 and a standard shower drain cost $8. ? Haven’t found the flanged drain pictured yet but will go to a pluming supply place to see what options they have. Your link is stunning. Talk about overkill construction, wow. I checked out other site and know one went that far with four layers of flooring and then more tiles!! Not to mention metal lath and concrete reinforcement wire. I'm sure that shower would stand up to an atomic blast. Of course the rubber pan liner only comes 4'X5' and my shower is aprox 5'X5'. which means I'll need two liners and glue. What about fiberglass instead of concrete and rubber?

speedball1

You don't purchase a shower pan for a tile shower you form your own out of Blue Comaseal. You fold the corners so they're seamless and run the sides up 8 inches. The bottom of the flange type shower flange will go under the Compaseal while the top part with the drain will bolt down on top. You don't use a standard shower drain with a shower pan unless you don't wish a tile floor and use a manufactured one, Regards, Tm

Andrew M C

thanks tim. I found a flanged drain for $16. I'll take pictures and show you all what I'm doing. Then you can discuss the merits of my work. Some times examples of what not to do can be informative.