Slab shower drain

I am replacing a fiberglass shower stall with tile. When I pulled the shower out I found a 1 foot square hole in the slab with the drain sticking out surrounded by dirt. I figure I need to cement this in but I'm not sure if this is correct. Also if I do cement the hole, do I need to leave a gap for a filler to allow for expansion, what do I need to put under the cement? I have more questions but before I list them all let me know what you think is the best way to deal with the hole.

Thanks,
jamie

post a picture and you'll get accurate information and feedback.

the new concrete will be "one" with the slab, bonded to it, and not separated by a gap. It's a small hole.

First plan your floor layout, ideally so you will get the drain right in the center. Plan for the slope into the drain. Then you'll know where to place the drain in the new concrete.

david

Before you get too far, check out www.johnbridge.com. There are a few ways to build a tiled shower right, and lots of ways to do it wrong...they can help you get it right. Personally, given a choice, I'd build a tiled shower starting with Kerdi from www.schluter.com. It's slick and has a bunch of advantages - the primary one is that the shower structure stays much drier than conventional methods and if built right, should never leak.

As an initial response, I'm uncomfortable with referring you over there. Not yet. Maybe after a couple posts here first. That site does have good information about a lot of subjects, but caveats apply. You may have a situation that does not fit into their thinking, and if so, you may not get --hmm -- clarity in return, since there is no big effort put into expressing alternative options over there. Some normal human self-censorship, and more.

Ultimately they will only claim to be the friendliest, not the place to get the right information at. Before you go over there and get charmed, you can post here about broader concerns: alternatives to choose from, floor layout, shower floor slope(s) optins, etc. Here, the viewpoint you'll get is broad based.

David

Agree with Jim. If you want excellent advice from professionals who do tile showers for a living, check out John Bridge forum.

And as David says, they're friendly too.

Charlie

drain

Fill the hole with concrete, but do not put so much in that you cannot place the shower drain fitting properly.

Thanks for the advice so far. It is what I expected on just put concrete in the hole. Note sure about the drain though as to how to properly setup for it. Attached is a picture to get you an idea of what I have to work with. I don't think I have a lot of choice on drain position so I am wondering if I just need to bring the pipe up higher and concrete around it. Then cut it off to a level that will work with my floor and shower drain.

Thanks for the help.

James Dewberry

You want the drain as close to the exact middle of the shower as you can conveniently get it, so depending on the size and placement you may want to move it. The actual height for the drain will depend on the type of shower you build. I highly recommend the Kerdi shower system by www.schluter.com. If you go that route, you need their drain which is only available in pvc or abs, so you might want to cut out the cast iron and replace it with pvc (or abs if it is the preferred material where you live) to put it exactly where you want it and at the proper height. Whatever drain and method you want, you need to provide good support for the shower pan, and that will require filling the hole with masonary products - basically cement.

jadnashua said:

so you might want to cut out the cast iron and replace it with pvc (or abs if it is the preferred material where you live) to put it exactly where you want it and at the proper height. Whatever drain and method you want, you need to provide good support for the shower pan, and that will require filling the hole with masonary products - basically cement.

Click to expand...

Actually that is PVC, its rather ugly, and the picture is poor. I do understand what you are going for though.

Thanks,