In this article we will look at how to make a shower cabin with your own hands. Not everyone has a lot of time to take a bath. A shower is an outlet for those who are not accustomed to basking in the bathroom for a long time. But sometimes it also happens that the layout of the room does not allow you to install a full bathroom in it. But the shower fits in it without problems. And you don’t need to run to the store for a shower cabin - it’s quite possible to make it yourself, and literally from improvised materials. This is what we will talk about in our article.
What is needed for arranging a shower room
The shower stall must be equipped, looking not only at practicality, but also at hygiene. In general, all structures are easy to maintain, they occupy a small area. And thanks to the variety of building materials on the market, you can create your own unique option. Nowadays, shower cabins are mounted even in private houses, although there are no restrictions on the area in them, inunlike cramped apartments.
Please note that the cabin should not interfere with movement in the bathroom. Therefore, at the very initial stage, decide where it will be installed. It should not interfere with access to the communications that are in the bathroom - a washing machine, washbasin, etc. Since the shower cabin is an area in which there is very high humidity, it is necessary to think over the ventilation system in advance.
Shower wiring
As far as lighting is concerned, all wiring must be routed outside the "wet zone". It is recommended to use LED lamps with protection degree IP65 or IP67. These indexes mean that the devices are protected from direct exposure to water. It is recommended to use lamps that operate on 12 or 24 volt sources. This will protect people who take a shower from possible exposure to electric current. DC voltage 12-24 volts is completely safe. The maximum that a person can feel is a slight tingling. The power supply itself must be grounded and protected with an emergency shutdown device (so-called RCD).
Steps in making a booth
In the event that you nevertheless, despite numerous difficulties, decide to install a shower cabin with your own hands, consider in more detail all the stages of this case. Be sure to follow the sequence:
- Construction of walls - in the event that the room already exists,then this step is omitted. If there is no finished building, you need to delimit the entire bathroom space. Only after this is the installation of a shower cabin. It's easy to do it yourself, just follow the instructions.
- Production of a hydro-barrier for walls and installation of a pallet. This is a rather responsible and difficult stage, it depends on it how safe and convenient it will be to use the shower.
- Manufacture of a system for the removal of used liquid. The main thing is to place it correctly so that later it can be serviced without much difficulty.
- Purchase of finishing materials. It is advisable to buy only high-quality porcelain tiles, tiles or mosaics.
- Installation of communications in the walls.
- Wall cladding material.
- Installation of plumbing fixtures.
Following this sequence, you can pretty quickly make your own shower cabin in the bathroom.
Pallet: which one can I buy?
There are a huge number of ready-made pallets on sale. They vary in size and materials. Moreover, their cost is relatively low - this allows you to save a lot during construction. Very often, in the manufacture of booths, acrylic pallets are purchased, as they are not only cheap, but also warm and light. But they also have a drawback - low strength. Therefore, you will need to build a small podium before starting installation. Making a shower cabin with your own hands in a private house using such pallets is a trifle.
The second version of the pallet is enameled. Such designs are very reliable and easy to maintain. But the only trouble is that when wet, they have a very slippery surface. This, of course, can be solved. It is enough to use a cheap rubber mat with suction cups. But in the event that you have free funds, and even want to distinguish yourself, you can buy a copper pallet, glass or ceramic. When making a shower cabin with your own hands in a private house, they will come in handy. They cost a lot, but they look amazing. The dimensions of all pallets are standard - 80x80 cm, 90x90 cm, etc. Moreover, the larger the size, the higher the cost of the product. Pallets that are commercially available can be of several shapes:
- Angular.
- Square.
- Semicircular.
- Rectangular.
The choice of molds is small, but it is enough to make an attractive cabin on your own. You can build a shower cabin in the house with your own hands quite quickly, having a ready-made pallet.
Self-made pallet
But if you have enough building material, or you are not a supporter of purchased products, try making a pallet yourself. It can be made literally from improvised materials - from a block, brick, concrete. This type of pallet is quite difficult to manufacture, since it is necessary to allocate sufficient space. But you can make a booth of any size. First you need to make a frame,followed by waterproofing. The entire inner surface is laid out with mosaics, stone, tiles.
Pay attention to the fact that a shower cabin made of wood can be made by hand. From the inside, the shower stall can be finished with these materials. But for this purpose, only special breeds should be used, the main condition is that the wood is resistant to temperature extremes and moisture. And be sure to use impregnation and special equipment before installation. Experts do not recommend using wood for finishing, as it needs to be constantly looked after and processed.
Is it possible without a pallet?
By the way, at the peak of fashion is the manufacture of shower cabins without a pallet as such. Very attractive designs, quite comfortable and practical. In this design, the base is in the same plane as the bathroom floor. And visually it is not much different from it. Some may argue that such a system can cause water to stagnate, the room will be constantly damp, and mold and mildew will spread faster on the walls and floor. But you can make a shower cabin without a pallet with your own hands, but there will be no such consequences.
Mold and fungus will appear if technology violations occur during installation. But if you do everything right, keep the gaps up to a millimeter, then the area on which the water will fall will not be a problem area. This site will have a slightly noticeable slope, so the water will tend to drainhole, decorated with a special lattice. Anyone who has work experience and desire can assemble a shower cabin with their own hands and decorate it beautifully.
Constructions of this type have a clear advantage - it is very easy to care for. Since the floor is in the same plane, there are no joints, it can be washed without problems. But it is more suitable for buildings of commercial use or in the private sector - there is a need to raise the level of the floor to ensure good drainage. It is almost impossible to do this in apartments.
Which drain to make?
There are various ways to divert and collect water. The simplest is the installation of a siphon. When making a pallet, one thing must be taken into account - there must be easy access to the drain system in order to service it in the future. Passages to the installation site of the siphon can be decorated with hatches or gratings. Sometimes they install doors lined with the same material as the pallet. And now about how to make the right drain in the shower cabin with your own hands.
In order to clean the pipes in case of blockage, you need to lay them with an angle of rotation of no more than 45 degrees. It is desirable, of course, that there are no turns at all. It is also worth remembering about the slope - about 2 degrees per meter. Only in this case it will be possible to avoid the formation of stagnation. The ladder is considered the most reliable and wear-resistant system for draining waste water. This design takes up slightly less space in height.
Modern materials make it possible to manufacture systems that can providedrainage of water at a speed of up to 0.8 liters per second. And now a few words about how to make a ladder and a funnel in the shower cabin with your own hands. In the drain, the funnel comes complete with dirt traps - they are easy enough to remove and clean when clogged. And do not forget about the water seal - it will prevent the backflow of liquid from the sewer.
Another system that looks a bit like a ladder is called a drainage channel. In it, the tray is very similar to the one used in the previous design. But it has a slightly larger area for collecting water. Water is collected using a plastic or metal gutter. It allows you to provide a maximum withdrawal rate of 1.2 liters per second. Channels can be mounted both in the walls and equipped in the middle of the shower. The installation scheme is quite complicated, so it is rarely used in practice. In addition, you will have to make an additional niche in the wall.
How to equip a shower stall with a tray: the initial stage
Before starting the main work on the installation of the cabin, you need to make a base - the entire surface is cleaned of debris and dust, after which a primer layer is applied to it. If you are making a pallet from blocks or bricks, then you first need to make a rough (primary) screed. In this case, it will be possible to complete all processes without additional alignment.
And if the sides of the pallet are poured with concrete mortar, you will need to install the formwork strictly according to the size. After the base is ready, lay the drain, strictly observing the slope. The entire structure must be covered for the entire installation time so that glue or concrete does not get inside. In this way, making a shower cabin from tiles with your own hands is done.
To carry out additional insulation of floors, it is allowed to use expanded polystyrene. On top of it, it is necessary to pour a screed with reinforcement. Then, after the screed, it is coated with waterproofing material. You can use both ordinary bitumen and various mixtures that are used in the arrangement of pools. Remember that the reliability of the entire structure depends on the quality of the hydrobarrier. The number of layers is at least two. But before starting work, be sure to read the instructions.
Waterproofing & Finishing
At the junction between the floor and the wall, be sure to stick a waterproofing tape with a width of at least 10 cm. Due to this, moisture will not enter the neighboring rooms. After waterproofing, you can make a screed. In its manufacture, beacons are used, but one point must be taken into account - the slope is made towards the drain hole.
When arranging the screed, it is necessary to use only those solutions that contain various additives with water-repellent properties. It is recommended to add PVA glue or liquid glass to the mixture - these substances provide additional waterproofing. Please note that do-it-yourself installation of a shower cabin should be done only after the waterproofing of the entire room has been made.
After the concrete mortar has set, it is treated with a waterproofing material. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a cement-based composition, since it is he who is able to perfectly adhere to any tile coating. Be sure to use water-repellent mortars when laying tiles.
When making them, strictly follow the instructions. All seams after laying the tiles are filled with hydrophobic grout. Seams and tiles can be varnished with water-repellent properties. It looks like making a shower cabin from tiles with your own hands.
Barrier-free space in showers without a tray
This work must be carried out when forming the room screed. Calculating the height in this case is much easier. First, the sewage system is arranged, all communications necessary in the bathroom are laid. A tray cut in advance is built into the floor or wall. It must be securely fixed to the surface. After the installation of the siphon is completed, all components are joined together. Making a shower cabin with your own hands in a wooden house is not much different - waterproofing should be of the highest quality.
A box is built along the entire perimeter of the zone in which it is necessary to locate the cabin. It will allow you to separate the cabin area from the rest of the floor of the room. With the help of such a simple action, you can bring the level of the main part of the floor to zero. Before starting pouring the screed, the floor is insulated - polystyrene mats are used for this. As soon as the screed grabs, it is madebase - be sure to observe a slope of no more than 2 degrees.
In the event that you plan to install a floor heating system, the screed is built in two stages. First, the first layer is laid, it is reinforced, and after the mortar has set, pipes or heating mats are mounted. Then it is necessary to fill in the second layer and apply a waterproofing material on top of it. When laying a decorative coating, use only materials with a thickness of 8-10 mm. Using tiles of this thickness, you can make a shower tray with your own hands that will be reliable and durable.
