Building a Curbless Shower: A Four-Step Plan for Accessibility and Durability

Everyone deserves a safe shower, especially older or handicapped individuals who require easy access to this essential bathroom feature. Curbless or barrier-free showers are designed with accessibility in mind, allowing people to walk into the shower or roll in with a wheelchair. In this article, we will explore how to build a curbless shower that will last for decades using a four-step plan.

Understanding How Curbless Showers Work

The idea behind curbless showers is simple: there is no curb to step over, allowing people to walk into the shower or roll in with ease. This design concept also allows caregivers to assist individuals with mobility issues more easily. It's essential to understand that building a curbless shower requires careful planning and attention to detail to ensure that it meets local building codes and safety standards.

Building for the User

When designing a curbless shower, it's crucial to build it around the user's needs. For example, we recommend making the opening big enough for a wheelchair or walker. Additionally, you can make a curbless shower relatively small by using a pre-sloped shower pan. In fact, in one bathroom project, a 32" x 60" pre-sloped shower pan was used to replace a bathtub with a curbless shower. It's essential to consider the user's needs and requirements when building a curbless shower.

Step 1: Framing and Plumbing

The first step in building a curbless shower is framing and plumbing. We started by installing a prefab Schluter shower pan that required a depth of 32" and a width of 60" to fit the existing space. It's essential to ensure that the edge of the shower is 15 inches from the toilet centerline to maintain local building codes. This step also involves recessing the shower floor, which was done without cutting the floor joists. Instead, we removed the subfloor where the shower pan would be installed and inspected the floor joists to ensure they were level.

Inspecting the Floor Joists

Before proceeding with the project, it's crucial to inspect the floor joists to ensure they are level from front to back and side to side. In this case, the floor joists were found to be level, which allowed us to proceed with sistering new 2x4s to the old floor joists using 3" construction screws. The screws were staggered every 6 to 8 inches along the 2x4 span and were placed at a depth of 3/4". This ensured that the shower drain was centered in the area.

Using Temporary Riser Pipes

To help get the drain centered, we used temporary riser pipes to support it. It's essential to use these pipes to ensure that the drain is properly aligned and secure. Once the drain was in place, we added new 3/4" plywood over the 2x4s to create a recessed area for the new subfloor panels.

Securing the New Subfloor Panels

To secure the new subfloor panels, we used 2" screws with construction adhesive. Ideally, the screws should penetrate into the 2x4s by at least 1 inch and be spaced every 4 to 6 inches along the perimeter. In addition, the American Plywood Association recommends spacing the screws every 6 to 12 inches in the field. For the final subfloor panel, we created a slight incline to ensure that water flows properly.

The Finished Shower Floor

After completing the subfloor installation, the shower floor was ready for finishing touches. The finished shower floor required careful attention to detail to ensure that it met local building codes and safety standards. By following this four-step plan, homeowners can create a curbless shower that is safe, accessible, and durable for years to come.

Building a Curbless Shower: Tips and Considerations

Before starting your project, it's essential to consider the following tips and considerations:

* Always follow local building codes and safety standards.

* Build the shower around the user's needs and requirements.

* Use pre-sloped shower pans to create a level surface.

* Ensure that the edge of the shower is 15 inches from the toilet centerline.

* Use temporary riser pipes to support the drain.

* Secure the new subfloor panels with screws and construction adhesive.

By following these tips and considerations, you can create a curbless shower that is both safe and durable. Remember to plan carefully, follow local building codes, and attention to detail to ensure that your curbless shower meets all safety standards.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIn this video, you'll learn how to build a curbless shower. Everyone deserves a safe shower. And curbless or barrier-free showers are especially safe for older or handicapped  people. These showers are easy to access and help caregivers as well. This tutorial will show you the four-step plan for building a curbless shower that will make  it last for decades.It's important to  understand how curbless showers work.The idea is simple, there’s no curb to step over. And this allows people to walk into the shower.Or roll into the shower with a wheelchair.  On that note, I recommend building the shower to fit the user. For example, I always make the opening big enough for a wheelchair or walker. And in terms of length and depth, you can make a curbless shower relatively small. For instance, in this bathroom, I used a 32” x 60” pre-sloped shower pan. Thus, you could replace a bathtub with a curbless shower. But always consider the building codes in your area. My first step for this curbless shower involved the framing and plumbing.  My prefab Schluter shower pan had to be 32” deep and 60” wide to fit the existing space. And I ensured the edge of the shower was 15 inches from the toilet centerline. This helped me maintain the local building codes.The next step was to recess the shower floor. And I did this without cutting the floor joists, which I don’t recommend. Instead, I removed the subfloor where the shower pan would be installed. I then inspected the floor joists to see if they were level. Fortunately, the joists were level front to back and side to side. I then sistered new 2x4s to the old floor joists using 3” construction screws. I staggered the screws every 6 to 8 inches along the 2x4 span. I have new 2x4s along the entire perimeter of the shower area. And they are 3/4” below the floor joists.I used a piece of 3/4” plywood to get the  sistered 2x4s to the correct depth.At this point, I ensured my new 2”  shower drain was centered in the area.I used a temporary riser pipe to help  me get the drain centered.And that's always important. Once the drain was in place, I added new 3/4” plywood over the 2x4s. This allowed me to recess the new 3/4” subfloor panels. I used 2” screws with construction adhesive to secure the new subfloor panels. And ideally, the screws should penetrate into the 2x4s by at least 1 inch. In addition, I added screws every 4 to 6 inches along the perimeter. And 6 to 12 inches in the field per the American Plywood Association. For the final subfloor panel, I created a 5\" hole for the drain. This 5” hole is the maximum diameter allowed by Schluter for the shower drain. Now my entire curbless shower area is recessed, yet it's even with the floor joists. The goal here is to have a level substrate that doesn’t move. And that's super critical for any pre-sloped shower pan like the Schluter pan I'm using. Now here’s one step that some folks skip and that’s inspecting the stud walls. I placed a level along the studs to see if they were plumb and even. This is important for the shower wall backer board. So for example, I'm using cement board but even if you're using a foam board,  it's important to inspect these studs.Once I inspected the studs and fixed any  problems I installed the shower valve.I highly recommend installing  a valve that has a shower wand.And normally that necessitates a separate valve. So in this case, it's a Delta diverter valve.This is especially important for  older or handicapped folks.And using PEX A along with these  Delta shower valves made this process super easy.My next step was to waterproof the shower walls. Normally I use KERDI-BOARD but in this shower, I used cement board. Then I waterproofed it using KERDI membrane.The only reason I did this was because  KERDI-BOARD was out of stock.I prefer waterproofing the walls  first then installing the drain.To me, it's really important that  the drain be level.And it’s really easy  to do this witout the shower pan in place.So once the drain is installed I then set the  shower pan in thin-set mortar.Sometimes the shower pan is  slightly higher than the bathroom floor.And that’s okay because I added DITRA-XL,  which is 5/16 of an inch.And so what that does  is rais the main bathroom floorAnd in turn it keeps the main bathroom floor  even or slightly higher than the shower pan.The reason that’s important is because it  keeps the water in the shower area.Waterproofing is critically important  for curbless showers.And here’s how I do it. First, I waterproof the pan against the drain.This circular piece of KERDI comes with the pan. Then I waterproof the inside corners of the shower using KERDI-KERECK. I follow that with KERDI-BAND.And then I install the KERDI-BAND so  that it overlaps the corners by 2 inches.It also overlaps the shower tray  and walls by 2 inches. And that's a really important  principle to the Schluter shower system.I extended the KERDI-BAND outside the shower. And I used one long piece that goes from the shower the whole way to the doorway. And the final step is to add KERDI membrane to the pan and the DITRA-XL. It extends 6 inches into the shower and 36 inches outside the shower. Now Schluter only requires the KERDI or the KERDI-BAND extend 2 inches into the shower area. But I like exceeding the requirements to ensure the pan is waterproof. I also recommend pulling back the KERDI and checking your coverage. By the way, I’m using Schluter ALL-SET mortar and a KERDI trowel to do all this waterproofing. And I waterproofed all the DITRA-XL with KERDI membrane. Here’s a huge pro tip for the shower glass.I use DECO-SG as the U-channel for the glass. And I bond it to the floor with ALL-SET and KERDI-FIX. And I ensure it’s equidistant off the main shower wall. Then I install the vertical DECO-SG with the same method. It’s really, really important that the vertical piece is plumb. Now this U-channel will accept the shower glass. And the benefit is it doesn’t require screws which  can pierce my waterproofing.And make sure you choose the  DECO-SG based on your shower glass thickness and as well as the tile size. After the shower waterproofing, I began the tile installation.  And I always get questions about the tile installation sequence. I like to install the tile shower floor first.And the reason why is I can leave a little  expansion joint between the tile and the walls.And that'll be covered up by my wall tile. I  worked my way out of the shower toward the bathroom doorway. And then I let that all set up for a day. And then the next day I began the tile on the shower walls. And used a vertical 12 x 24 porcelain tile. I really liked this porcelain. It was easy to cut.And I think it's very pretty for a big tile. I started the wall tile on the biggest wall. And I used a half-pattern offset  per my client’s request.And I also used a tile leveling  system to keep the grout joints even.And reduce the tile lippage. I then installed the side wall to the left. And finished the tile on the plumbing wall. By the way, I capped the tiles using a black metal profile. It's Schluter JOLLY.And then my final  step was to tile the shower niche.I really like how this niche turned out. I used a black metal profile for the niche perimeter. And a glass mosaic on the back of the niche - I like how that looked. It really makes the shower niche pop.And the black shower shelf that I used  also matched the shower drain and the metal profiles because they're all from Schluter. By the way, I pitched that shelf slightly so that water would drain into the shower. And then my final step was to grout the shower. I like using Laticrete Spectralock 1 which is a  premixed grout but has epoxy-like properties.I like this grout because it makes any touchups  or repairs super easy for myself or the client - they can do it themselves. Plus it doesn’t have to ever be sealed.And that's always a bonus. I used the same grout color on the floor as I did for the walls. And then I applied Latasil silicone between the tile shower floor and the wall tiles. I also used this in the corners because it’s a change of plane. So anywhere where you have a change of plane, you need flexible sealant. I’m pleased with the final look and my clients were as well. And the curbless shower design, porcelain tiles, and grout selection made this  shower clean, safe, and functional.I hope this video helps you save time and  money when you're installing a curbless shower.If you're doing a bathroom remodel like this  and you want more tips and tricksvisit homerepairtutor.com today Thanks for watching this video and I'll see you in the next one\n"