Do-it-yourself shower stall: the procedure for constructing and connecting to communications. Homemade shower cabins for half the price: both beautiful, and simple, and “not like everyone else. We build a shower cabin with our own hands

If you have a great desire and need, you can try to make a shower stall with your own hands. Perhaps you want some special cabin, but can't find anything similar in stores? This happens often. For example, such an option as a do-it-yourself wooden shower cabin. It’s always nice to create something yourself, and you can be proud of the work you’ve done! To complete the task, you need to prepare tools, material and reserve time. As a result, you can get a real exclusive and, in addition, save a lot of money.

The advantage of shower cabins in our time is their mobility. That is, such a cabin can be freely dismantled and reassembled in a new location. The old version of the shower, unlike them, is stationary. It is precisely such a cabin, with durable tiled walls, that we will talk about in this article, where we will consider the question of how to make a shower cabin yourself and what is required for this.

In fact, this type of shower cabin does not need a tray - water simply pours onto the bathroom floor and is removed from it using the so-called drain. This way you can make a shower without a shower stall.

Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done in the bathroom is waterproofing the floor. This point is especially relevant for apartment residents - water cannot be given a single chance to penetrate to the lower floor. In addition, it is necessary to prevent moisture from entering the walls adjacent to the shower, which also need to be waterproofed to at least a two-meter height.

How to make a shower at home

How to make a shower at home? To begin with, p You need to completely remove the old screed and waterproof it from scratch, laying it in at least three layers. It is enough to cover the walls of the bathroom with bitumen mastic. Then the shower stall drain is installed, and the screed is poured over the entire area of the room. A video on how to make a shower can help you solve this problem.

To make a shower stall base like a tray, you will need a brick. In fact, a do-it-yourself shower involves building a fence small size so that water cannot spread throughout the bathroom. Therefore, it is more convenient to build a cabin in the corner of the room - for this purpose you only need to lay out one wall and a parapet small height- about 10 cm. Use better brick- it will cost less than plasterboard structures. In addition, a brick wall will be reliable and durable. However, you can always look for photos of shower cabins made of plasterboard if you like this material better.

Let's remember again about waterproofing the floor. But now it must be done directly inside our cabin. The principle here is the same - first bitumen mastic, then two, or even better, three layers of rubberized modern material.

Of course, you can do it the old fashioned way, completely plastering everything internal surfaces premises with cement-sand mortar, adding liquid glass. If you still decide to waterproof using modern materials, then on the floor on top of it you will need to pour a screed of at least 50 mm thick. Do not forget also about the slope of the floor - the water flowing down it must be directed straight into the ladder.

Shower cabin equipment: water communications

It should be noted that solving the question of how to build a shower cabin with your own hands has an additional advantage - it can be equipped with any equipment that seems suitable to you in the room, including hydromassage or Charcot shower. In this case, you will have to break through the walls for the pipes, and then put in the necessary communications, as well as make outlets in the necessary places to connect the equipment. Do not forget about electrical wiring for lighting the room and arranging forced ventilation. A photo of a homemade shower stall will help you understand the details.

A few words must be said about electrical communications. Electrical wiring should be laid outside the cabin whenever possible, and shower lighting should be designed for 12V. In addition, the wiring must be protected using a differentiated relay (in other words, an RCD)

Shower cabin finishing: materials

Finishing the shower stall begins with preparing the walls, because no tile adhesive will stick to it. Therefore, it is necessary to stuff a fine-mesh metal mesh over the walls, then plaster it. Or waterproof the walls using plaster with the addition of liquid glass- this will solve all problems at once.

You can also waterproof the walls with modern special dry mixtures, but this is done after plastering. In general, at this stage of work the task is to carefully level the surfaces to facilitate laying the tiles.

There are no deviations as such from the technology of laying tiles and installing plastic panels in our shower stall with our own hands. Is it better to grout the joints between the tiles using a silicone-based sealant, it is more reliable.

There are several cladding variations for the ceiling. Will also fit plastic panels from PVC, and tile, placed on thin layer glue, and slatted ceiling, and tension film. Look at a photo of a DIY shower cabin, for example, on the Internet, and decide what suits you best.

Installation of fittings in the shower cabin

You will need to install a faucet, a watering can and, if you decide, Charcot shower receivers - they will have to be made to order - however, such a pleasure will cost no more than a new heated towel rail. Don't forget about soap dishes and other necessary items.

By the way, a good option is a built-in shower cabin made of tiles. IN in this case The pallet will be replaced by floor tiles laid at a slight slope with a drain. To get a better look at this option, you can look at a photo of a tiled shower stall. This is affordable and convenient, although, of course, you will need skills in laying tiles and the ability to hide communications under the floor, because the siphon for the shower stall must be hidden under the tiles in any case.

Such a shower cabin is best suited for a private home, where there is more maneuverability, but in an apartment it is better to pay attention to this option: a shower tray and glass curtains.

First you need to select a couple of basic sets (curtains and tray) for the shower stall. If you want to make a shower cabin out of a bathtub, you need to take care of this as well. It is important to take into account the dimensions of the shower cabin with your own hands and the mounting methods. Qualified assistance on these issues can be obtained from construction stores or watch a video about a DIY shower cabin.

It would be easy for anyone to do this kind of work. home handyman, if you first prepare a place for installing the bottom.

Before installation you should find out:

Are the shower walls connected at right angles?
how tightly the base will be attached to the walls;
are there any discrepancies between the drain and the sockets of the sewer pipe. It is better to immediately connect the lower part of your structure to the waste pipe.

Cabin curtains

You can optionally purchase different parts of the shower cabin. Combined option, of course, it will look much more original, but it will cost more. One of interesting options- we install the base and lay out the shower stall ourselves ceramic tiles along the perimeter. You can also buy ready-made shower curtains and install them yourself. For clarity, look for a video about a do-it-yourself shower cabin: this will make the task easier.

With some effort, you can boast of a comfortable and beautiful shower cabin, made by yourself, in the reliability of which you will be 100% sure. We hope our article gave you the answer to the question of how to make a shower cabin yourself.

Increasingly, apartment and country property owners are abandoning a full bath in favor of small and comfortable showers. Such a solution allows you to rationally use living space, save water and energy, without limiting yourself.

It is not difficult to buy a ready-made cabin, but you can make it yourself. Of course, before you make a shower stall with your own hands, you need to choose the optimal configuration for it, prepare tools and materials.

Shower stall: pros and cons

The main advantage of the cabin is that it can be installed in almost any room of a house or apartment, the only condition is that it is necessary to install a water supply and drainage system. A correctly selected and high-quality installed booth will not only not spoil the interior of the room, but will also add originality to it.

Note! Shower cabin – The best decision For small apartment, studio or loft style interior.

Design is good, but saving water is just as important. To take a bath, you will need to consume 300–700 liters of it at a time. With ever-increasing water and energy prices, a bathtub can be a luxury, especially since 50-100 liters is more than enough for a full shower.

The only disadvantage of a shower stall is its high cost. This is more true for branded models, the price of which corresponds to the quality. Cheap models may suit the buyer in all respects, but quickly break down.

The high price is a disadvantage, but it can be overcome. It’s easy to make a simple and functional shower cabin with your own hands. It is guaranteed to be cheaper than a store-bought analogue, and if made with high quality, it will pamper its owners with a warm shower for a long time and delight with its original design.

Choosing a design to make yourself

In the case of a cabin that will be made at home, you will have to give up a large number of moving parts; they are difficult to make with your own hands; it is better if the cabin itself is stationary. From this we can conclude that a shower room made of tiles is most suitable for self-production; in fact, this is a part of the room separated by partitions in which the shower is equipped.

The easiest way is to install the cabin in the corner of the room; this allows you to save on walls; to create it you only need to build one fence and install a door. It is easy to make a partition or fence from waterproof plasterboard.

The advantages of this design are obvious:

relative ease of operation;
low cost of material;
smooth surface on which dirt does not accumulate;
high coating strength, scratch resistance;
aesthetic appearance of the structure as a whole;
the booth can be squeezed into any corner of the apartment;
plenty of design options.

Homemade shower cabin made using durable materials, will obviously have a longer service life in comparison with factory models, the design of which is dominated by plastic.

All these are advantages, but there are also disadvantages. You need to understand that a shower stall made by yourself will be simple; you will have to limit yourself to just one watering can. It is unlikely that you will be able to make a device on your own that has all the functionality of a modern cabin, including different hydromassage options. Another obvious disadvantage is the difficulty of dismantling it.

Of course, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just tiles. A cabin with walls made of glass blocks will look beautiful and impressive. IN wooden house It is possible and necessary to install a shower made of wood, but it is important not to forget about protecting the wood from moisture.

Functionality and dimensions

Before you get down to work, you need to decide on the functions that the cabin should perform and its size. Regarding the functionality, it would seem that everything is simple - they take a shower in the stall. This is true, but not only that. Often, especially if the stall replaces a bathtub, its tray is used to soak heavy items that cannot be washed in a machine.

A special approach is also required when you need to squeeze a shower into a narrow space, a niche in the wall or a cramped bathroom. Before you start making such a cabin, you should carefully measure the available space, choose the optimal mounting location for the shower and faucet, and the door mounting points.

The homemade cabin is not tied to standard sizes, therefore its dimensions are chosen based on one’s own preferences. In any case, you should not make a shower smaller than 100 x 100 cm. The height of the cabin can be equal to the height of the room, in which case it is additionally necessary to install ventilation or not to reach the ceiling, then ventilation will be carried out through the open “roof”.

Choosing an installation location

Having decided on the dimensions of the cabin, you need to find the optimal place for it. It is easier and cheaper to install a cabin in the bathroom. The benefit is obvious - the bathroom already has all the necessary communications, they just need to be slightly modified.

If this option is not suitable, then the installation location must be chosen based on the availability of communications. At the same time, do not forget that a shower is not only hot water, but also evaporation. If a well-made cabin protects against splashes, then it will not be able to prevent the free escape of steam. The room must have good ventilation.

Doors or curtain

The entrance to the shower stall must be closed, otherwise there will be puddles on the floor. You can close the entrance with a light curtain or door. A curtain is simple, but ineffective. It is possible to use a curtain only if a shower is installed in the bathroom or when creating a summer shower in the yard.

The doors provide sufficient tightness, which allows you to install the cabin anywhere in the apartment. There are several options for their design: hinged, retractable, folding.

Perhaps, the best option for the cabin there is a retractable door, it looks impressive, does not take up much space, but making it at home is problematic. You will need accessories that you definitely won’t be able to make yourself.

Swing doors are easy to make, they are best option for a homemade cabin. Of course, designing a shower with swing door, it is necessary to take into account the radius of its opening. Almost any sheet material can be used, but it is better to choose one of the following options:

silicate glass;
plexiglass;
acrylic glass;
polycarbonate

A glass door is practical and looks beautiful, but you will have to buy it ready-made.

You definitely won’t be able to do it yourself; it requires special glass; ordinary window glass is too fragile, which can cause an accident. It is easier to work with its acrylic substitute, polycarbonate or plexiglass (plexiglass). Each of these materials is characterized by ease of processing, sufficient strength and durability.

Acrylic glass is completely transparent, has a small mass, is easy to work with, just heat the sheet to a temperature of 120 degrees, and you can bend it by hand; of course, to get an accurate bend, you will need special equipment and skills in working with the material.

When choosing a material for a door, you should also pay attention to the price. Acrylic glass is expensive, its cost is comparable to silicate glass, and often more expensive. Therefore, if absolute transparency is not required, it is worth paying attention to other similar materials.

Advice! Polycarbonate is great for a home shower. Monolithic and cellular varieties are available for sale.

From a buyer's perspective, the only significant difference is the level of transparency. The monolithic one is relatively transparent, but through the cellular one only blurry contours are visible, which is even preferable for a shower. The translucency of cellular polycarbonate is due to internal voids- “honeycombs”. They also caused the need to protect the ends from moisture.

With or without pallet

Another question that will have to be answered when designing a homemade booth is whether it will be on a pallet. Essentially, the pallet is the floor of the cabin. Of course, a floor is needed in any case, but it can be a steel or acrylic bath, which is purchased separately, or it can be formed from a screed during the manufacture of the booth.

Using a pallet can significantly simplify your work; such a cabin is easy to repair and maintain. But a cabin without a pallet is not limited by its shape and dimensions.

It is easy to create a tile shower stall with a floor drain that will be installed flush with general level floor. It will fit perfectly into a modern interior, especially emphasized by transparent walls. At the same time, you need to be aware of the complexity of creating a cast floor and the difficulties that will certainly arise in the event of dismantling or repairing a drain.

Stages of making a homemade cabin

Having analyzed all of the above, we can safely say that for making it yourself, a shower stall on a pallet with a partition made of plasterboard covered with tiles and a swing door made of plexiglass is best suited. This is a fairly simple option, however, first you should sketch out a drawing indicating the main dimensions. A simple sketch will make your work easier and help avoid mistakes.

Pallet

You need to start working on making the cabin from the bottom, namely from the pallet. As already mentioned, it is easier to use a purchased part, but you can create the base from scratch. Using a ready-made base will help to significantly reduce the amount of work performed, both construction and plumbing.

Pallets are available for sale, differing in shape, material and price; acrylic with legs seems to be the best. It is easy to install, it is undemanding to the quality of the floor, there is no need to mess with concrete, build in a drain for water drainage, just fix the siphon to the drain hole and lay the pipelines.

If you decide to do everything manually, you need to start by protecting the room from moisture. Depending on the floor material used roll waterproofing or mastic. The treated surface must be completely protected from water penetration, this applies not only to the floor, but also to the lower part of the walls.

Concrete is poured. The surface should have a slope towards the drain of about 2–3 cm per meter. If the layer thickness exceeds 50 mm, then it is imperative to use a reinforcing corner or profile, otherwise the screed will simply crack. Of course, before pouring, you need to lay drainage pipes and secure the drain ladder.

Drainage

Since the water drain from a makeshift shower stall is in hard to reach place, and in the case of a monolithic pallet it is completely filled with concrete, high demands are placed on its organization. Pipe connections must be reliable, and efforts must be made to collect the drain with a minimum of bends. This is especially true for pipes embedded in the floor. Joints can become a place for blockages to form that are difficult to deal with.

A purchased pallet makes it easy to organize access to drainage, cleaning and replacement of parts if necessary, but even in this case it is important to create a system with a minimum of joints and without sharp turns. When using a flexible corrugated pipeline, you must ensure that it does not bend or wrap.

Walls

To simplify the task, the booth is placed in the corner. This solution allows you to save yourself from the need to select material for partitions; the walls can be sufficiently protected from moisture and covered. The door will be used as the front wall, therefore, only one partition needs to be made.

There are two options for constructing a shower partition: you can install a blank wall the entire height of the stall or combine an opaque material with a transparent one. The opaque part is easiest to make from drywall. The first step is to create a three-dimensional frame from a metal profile. It is sheathed with waterproof sheeting. The surface is puttied.

If brick or cinder blocks remain after a recent renovation, the partition can be made from this material. Of course, in order for the wall to turn out smooth and of high quality, you will have to try. The finished wall is tiled, beautiful masonry can be left as is, especially if it fits into overall design premises.

Tiling

Due to the relative simplicity of work, the abundance of colors and textures, tiles are the best material for finishing a homemade shower stall. The colors can be chosen to suit any interior, bringing the most daring design idea to life.

Tiles are glued to the walls using special compounds, for fastening to drywall it is preferable to use sealant. Working with it does not require special skills; the coating will gain maximum strength in just a few hours.

Water supply

A shower whose supply pipes are hidden in the wall looks much more aesthetically pleasing.

In a room lined with plasterboard or panels, this is easy to do; if the wall is brick or concrete, you will have to drill a channel. In the niche in which the pipes are laid, lay mineral wool or other insulation, this will avoid heat loss and condensation. For the same reason, it is recommended to use modern plastic pipes; moreover, they are easier to connect and do not require welding equipment.

The pipes are inserted into the booth and cut, leaving 10–15 mm ends for installing the mixer. The terminals are covered with standard cones, and the wall surface is puttied.

Door installation

It’s easy to buy ready-made doors, but if the task is to do as much work as possible with your own hands, they can be made from polycarbonate sheets. When using the honeycomb variety, it is important not to forget to cover the honeycombs using a decorative profile, for example, made of stainless steel. To give greater strength to the door, the profile can be glued to the remaining edges of the sheet.

To attach the canvas you will need loops. The industry offers a wide selection of models of such accessories; you can buy simple and functional devices or truly unique products. In any case, the loops must be fixed. They will hold the door in closed position, so there is no need to install additional latches.

There are angular and straight loops. This must be taken into account when purchasing; it is also useful to make sure that they can handle the load; if thick polycarbonate is used, you need to choose reinforced models.

A good shower stall is expensive. It’s not difficult to save noticeably, you just need to make it yourself. This is economy, originality and practicality. For everything to work out, you shouldn’t take on too complex projects, but that’s not the main thing.

The main thing is to soberly assess your strengths, because making a shower stall is not so much construction as plumbing. This is a responsible job, and if it is performed poorly, instead of comfort, you can only get a lot of problems.

Installing a shower in a small bathroom is perhaps the best option if there is not enough space in this room. However, this pleasure is not the cheapest, so many owners decide to make a shower stall with their own hands.

Of course, you will still have to purchase some of the factory-produced spare parts, but the costs for them cannot be compared with the cost of the whole product. And although homemade shower cabins are not particularly mobile, unlike the industrial version they will last much longer.

Do-it-yourself shower cabin made of tiles: photo instructions

The most common material used for arranging homemade shower cabins is ceramic tiles, which, in fact, is quite reasonable. Firstly, this is the most suitable material for rooms with high humidity. Secondly, ceramics are characterized by fairly good strength, reliability and durability.

One more important factor One thing that speaks in favor of tiles is its hygiene. There are two options for making a shower stall with your own hands from tiles (photos of step-by-step production will be presented below):

You can make a shower cabin from tiles with your own hands without a tray. In essence, this is a simple covering of walls and floors with ceramic tiles. This method is characterized by simpler repair and finishing works, but requires carefully thought-out installation of communications.
In addition, there are more difficult option, when the shower tray is also made by hand and subsequently tiled. But the supply of communications in this case is much simpler; they are perfectly hidden under the bottom of the pan.

In both cases, bathroom partitions are used as one, two or three cubicle walls. By the way, it is for this reason that homemade showers are usually installed in a corner or niche. The remaining parts of the shower stall will have to be purchased or made independently from acrylic or glass.

Do-it-yourself shower cabin without a tray: preparing the base

Before you start installing a shower cabin with your own hands without a tray, you first need to take care of high-quality protection of the floor and walls of the bathroom from leaks at the installation site of the shower. Therefore, additional waterproofing is first required, and it is recommended to carry it out over the entire area of the bathroom:

To do this, the floor and walls involved in the installation of the cabin must be cleaned until concrete floor, on top of which waterproofing is performed. For this purpose, you can apply bitumen mastic, but the best option would be to use modern waterproofing materials, laid in 2-3 layers. The joints of the floor slabs and walls (especially the corners) are pre-glued with non-woven tape, and the exit point of the sewer pipe is insulated with a special gasket.
At the next stage, the bathroom floor is screeded, and a cement-based mixture must be used, since gypsum is afraid of moisture. For strength, the screed can be reinforced metal mesh.

Lay communications. Here you will have to rack your brains about how to lay the pipes in such a way that subsequently the water does not stagnate in the drain, but flows freely into the sewer. Otherwise unpleasant odors provided for you.
Now you can install a drain or, as plumbers call it, a drain, which is also hermetically sealed with a gasket at the junction with the pipe. As a rule, the drain hole is located closer to the wall opposite the entrance. Here it will not interfere with taking a shower, and communication will be much easier.

If required, lay a layer of the main filler - polystyrene foam or aerated concrete and fill in the finishing screed. At the same time, maintain a slight tilt towards the drain at the rate of 0.7-1 cm per linear meter floor.

Shower cabin on site

There is another option for making a shower cabin without a tray. In order to simplify the laying of communications, the floor is specially raised above the base:

To do this, prepare wooden formwork at the installation site of the shower stall.

Prepare the floor (perform waterproofing and pre-screed).
A layer of brick is laid on the site and a ladder is installed.

The formwork is filled with screed in compliance with the technology.

Remove the formwork and check the horizontal surface of the site along the edges.

The finished base is subsequently tiled.

Do-it-yourself shower cabin with a tray: installation of the base

Making a shower cabin with your own hands with a tray is more labor-intensive in terms of construction work, but communications are much easier to install. The height of the pan allows you to easily connect the sewer pipe to the drain hole.

In this case, waterproofing can be done on the floor or inside the pallet, but for reliability it’s a good idea to do both here and there. This is guaranteed to protect the floor from leaking, which means you won’t have problems with your neighbors:

Waterproofing the floor, wiring communications and cement strainer carried out in the same way as in the case of manufacturing a shower cabin with a tray. When placing the ladder, be sure to check that its top coincides with the level of the bottom of the future pallet.

After which you need to organize the pallet. For this, as a rule, ordinary brick is used, from which a parapet 10-15 cm high is laid. After laying the material, it is imperative to check the level of the pallet, otherwise the subsequent installation of the doors will be quite problematic.

Now the pallet itself is waterproofed. They use the same bitumen mastic or modern waterproofing agents. A special gasket is also installed on the ladder.

Aerated concrete or any other filler is laid on top of the insulation and filled with another layer of screed, taking into account the slope towards the drain hole.

If an additional side partition is planned during the manufacture of the shower stall, the low walls can be made from the same brick. For floor-to-ceiling structures, it is better to use moisture-resistant plasterboard mounted on a metal profile frame. Subsequently, the partition, like the walls, is covered with ceramic tiles. This approach will reduce the load on the floor, and installation work will be easier.

Shower lining and equipment installation

The finishing of the surfaces of the shower cabin is carried out using the general technology of laying ceramic tiles. As a rule, tiles of medium and small sizes are used for these purposes, excellent results obtained by tiling with mosaics.

For the floor, it is better to use tiles with a rough anti-slip coating.

It is better to hide the water supply pipes behind the cladding. To do this, grooves are first punched into the wall, into which communications are laid, a mixer is installed and the surface is finished.

You will also need to install electrical wiring for lighting and ventilation. It is better to lay it at some distance from the pipes and follow all precautions fire safety. Therefore, whenever possible, the wiring is installed with outside shower and must be protected by an RCD.

If installation is planned additional equipment, for example, a Charcot shower or hydromassage, it is better to seek help from specialists. Installation of devices necessary for proper operation requires appropriate experience and knowledge.

After installation of the equipment, all surfaces are covered with ceramic tiles using conventional technology. In this case, it is better to use a special sanitary sealant as a grout for joints. It will not only protect against leakage, but also prevent the appearance of mold and mildew at the joints of the tiles.

Choosing doors: shower cabin made of glass or acrylic

For homemade showers, there are several door design options. The most commonly used material is cast acrylic, which is quite easy to process. Or you can make shower doors out of glass:

You will need glass cut to size (can be ordered in the workshop) and the corresponding fittings: canopies, handles, etc. All this is sold in specialized stores. If part of the cabin walls are also made of glass, additional corners for installation are purchased.

The only drawback of this choice is the high fragility of the glass and the high likelihood of injury if it is damaged. You can partially protect yourself by gluing a special film to the surface; in this case, the glass will not crumble into small fragments upon impact. Or use another option, make shower doors from tempered glass. But then you don’t have to think about saving.

Cast acrylic (in the past it was called plexiglass) is more impact resistant, and its scope of application is somewhat wider. With some skill, you can even make bent sliding shower doors from acrylic. To do this, you will need a hair dryer, a template and a little experience working with similar materials. You will also need guides on which the door leaves, rollers and metal profiles for racks. All this is mounted into a single structure, and as a result you will get a practical and inexpensive shower stall.

If working with acrylic and glass seems too much for you difficult task, you can purchase the required components from manufacturers of factory models. Even though it will be a little more expensive, the installation will be much faster, and the booth will be practically no different from the industrial version.

Shower cabin made of glass blocks: original and attractive

Modern materials and technologies make it possible today to produce the most original items interior Yes, it appeared relatively recently new material, allowing you to enliven the design of the bathroom: a shower cabin made of glass blocks can become a real highlight of this room.

Thanks to the huge variety of colors and design ideas, choosing the material that is suitable for your bathroom will not be difficult. Impact-resistant and durable blocks, devoid of the main disadvantages of glass, are produced with corrugated and smooth surface, matte and transparent and even with internal filling. The free space inside this kind of brick can be filled with various decorative elements: shells, corals, algae and other items (usually marine themes).

Another advantage of this material is the ability to manufacture both flat and curved partitions with almost any radius of curvature. At the same time, the installation of the wall is simple and not much different from laying ordinary bricks. You can use a cement mixture or ceramic tile adhesive as an adhesive solution.

If the partition being installed has an area of more than 15 sq.m. For installation, a special reinforcing system is used. At the same time, remember that such walls are non-load-bearing structures, which means that when hanging strips or cabinets on them, be careful.

In general, the option of a shower cabin made of glass blocks is extremely practical and durable. This design is easy to care for, since dirt does not linger on the glass and mold does not form, and what remains can be easily removed using a non-abrasive detergent. And such a shower will last for many years without losing its originality and attractive appearance.

There are a large number of different shower trays available. They are quickly installed and affordable absolute majority users, quite practical to use. But experienced plumbers do not recommend installing such devices in bathrooms.

Simplified construction works, the amount of unproductive waste of expensive floor tiles is reduced. Marking is much faster; it is possible to completely match the tile joints on the walls and floor.
Fewer tiles need to be cut. Due to this, construction time is reduced and, as a result, financial savings are achieved for the customer.
The process of cleaning the room is carried out in one step simultaneously with washing the bathroom floors. Most shower trays are made of plastic, which can react negatively with certain cleaning products.
The operating time of the shower cabin increases. Over time, all plastics lose their initial ductility and the material becomes brittle. With minor mechanical forces, cracks appear that cannot be repaired. The plastic tray needs to be completely changed, and this is not only a big loss of time, but also money.
The comfort and safety of using the shower increases. The floor is located on the same level, there is no need to step over artificial obstacles, which is especially important for children and the elderly.
Users can independently adjust the size of the shower. Moreover, change this not just once, but as needed. The space for the shower can be fenced off with a curtain; rehanging it to a new place is no problem.

Cladding the walls of a room does not present any problems; the technology is common and no different from the widely used one. Some difficulties may arise during the installation of floors. Each type of drain has its own characteristics, but there are general recommendations for all.

The optimal slope of the floor surface is 1 cm per linear meter. If the slope is greater, the comfort of taking water procedures is significantly reduced, and the risk of injury increases.
The smaller the floor tiles, the easier it is to work with. Please note, not faster, but easier. The fact is that when finishing a floor with a slope, inconsistencies appear at the corners of the tiles; the size of the inconsistencies has a direct relationship with the size of the tile. Experienced professionals strongly recommend using mosaic tiles; they can be used to join areas with different angles of inclination. And such situations arise when, for various technological reasons, it is impossible to install the water drain exactly in the center of the shower.
The water drainage system is in most cases not available for periodic technical care and repair work. In this regard, it is recommended to be very careful about its installation, strictly follow the manufacturers’ recommendations, and check the tightness of the connections several times.
It is much better to start tiling from the drain. If you do it in the opposite direction, the drain may end up in the middle of the tile; it is impossible to cut an even hole in this place. You will have to join in segments, and this is very ugly and indicates the low qualifications of the performer.
Always buy Construction Materials with a reserve, depending on the qualifications of the performer and the complexity of the room configuration, the reserve ranges from 5–10%. Use only quality materials, attempts at excessive savings can cause significant material losses.

The water is removed into a drain or channel. The drain is located approximately in the center of the shower; the channel is installed near one of the walls of the room. As an example, we will look at the most common option for a shower without a tray - the drain (drain) is located in the middle of the shower.

Table. Types of shower drains

shower drains

Marking and preparing the base

This is a very important stage of construction; it is difficult to correct mistakes; you must carefully carry out all recommended operations.

Step 1. Connect the sewer to the location of the shower compartment. For installation, the wall will have to be tapped; the diameter of the pipe for draining water in the shower is sufficiently 50 mm. The pipe exit from the wall should be located in the center of the area; to achieve this position, the plastic pipe should be cut.

Practical advice. You don't need to strive for great precision. The fact is that the socket connection of the elbow makes it possible to slightly adjust the position of the outlet hole. The limits of fine adjustment are ± 1–1.5 cm, this is quite enough to eliminate mistakes.

Step 2. If there is no screed for floor coverings in the room, then determine the level of the zero mark. The front part of the ceramic tile is placed at the zero mark; all dimensions below are indicated with a minus sign. Those on top are indicated with a plus. This applies to all indications of the level of architectural elements during construction various buildings and premises, such standards apply in construction drawings.

Step 3. Install the laser level and adjust it so that the beam is in the middle of the sewer pipe located in the wall.

Place the ladder at the intended installation location and adjust its position so that the axis of the inlet pipe is slightly higher than the beam. For example, if it is located at a distance of one meter, then the height difference should be approximately one centimeter.

Practical advice. Don't make the slope too big, the water will drain away just fine. And the large slope of the floor tiles causes a deterioration in the comfort of taking water procedures.

When setting up the drain, take into account the height of the glass; when assembled, the drainage device will be slightly higher due to the upper platform. The thickness of the top platform of the glass is approximately a centimeter. Make a mark one centimeter above the beam on the wall; this will be the level of the drain hole of the drain being installed.

Step 4. Make marks above the beam at a height of approximately 2.5 cm to tilt the surface. The mark indicates at what level the ceramic tiles will lie against the wall of the room. The same marks should be made along the entire perimeter of the shower stall. The thickness of the ceramic tiles is within five millimeters; it can be ignored; it will not have any noticeable effect on the quality of the pallet. The total thickness of the screed will be slightly more than twenty centimeters. This indicator needs to be known to determine the amount of cement-sand mortar for pouring and screeding the base.

Step 5. Make marks with a pencil along the beams of the laser level, and then mark lines on them with a rope and blue.

How to make a base

Specific materials and technologies must be selected taking into account the overall thickness of the concrete. In our case, the layer height exceeds twenty centimeters, which is quite a lot. To simplify and reduce the cost of work, we offer the following technology.

Up to the level of the junction of the drain pipe with the sewer pipe, you can make a screed from cement-sand mortar with expanded clay. By using expanded clay, the amount of cement is reduced, work is simplified and the floor under the shower is additionally insulated. The solution should be prepared in the following proportions: one part cement, one part sand and two parts expanded clay. Water as needed.
On frozen solution a layer of waterproofing is laid, and on top is a slab of extruded polystyrene foam approximately five centimeters thick.
The last layer is a cement-sand screed for ceramic tiles. The thickness is approximately five centimeters, it is advisable to use a semi-dry solution. It is much easier to work with it, it is possible to save materials and time. In addition, such a screed has two more advantages: a low thermal conductivity coefficient compared to ordinary concrete and a short hardening time.

Mark lines on the wall along all layers; there is no point in following them exactly, but such marks will be useful for orientation.

Important. Before pouring the solution, be sure to waterproof the joints between the floor and walls. Use any existing materials and technologies for this. Practitioners recommend using liquid mastics and special waterproofing tapes made from nonwovens. Their cost is insignificant, and their efficiency is at the appropriate level.

Before starting pouring, you should carry out a set of special construction measures to connect the drain; we will discuss them below. The base must be completely hardened before the top tile can be laid.

How is the drain connected?

Before starting construction work, carefully study what parts the ladder consists of. This knowledge will help you correctly resolve issues that arise during pouring and avoid mistakes when marking.

Step 1. Using a tape measure, determine the exact location of the ladder.

It is advisable to install it in the middle of the shower, but with certain adjustments. We have already mentioned above that the edges of the ladder must rest against the edges of the tiles, otherwise great difficulties will arise when cutting them. And the cut tiles in the center of the floor look very ugly.

Practical advice. If the tiles in the room have already been laid, and only the area under the shower remains to be completed, then the position of the drain must accurately take into account the location of the tile joints.

Cut tiles should be placed near the walls, where they are not so noticeable. If you cannot match the position of the outlet pipe of the drain and the sewer pipe, this is not a problem. Due to the rubber seals, the device can be slightly moved in one direction or another.

Are these adjustments not enough? The problem will have to be solved by bending plastic pipes. How to bend them? Gently heat the plastic pipe construction hairdryer around the entire circumference, constantly monitor its temperature with your hand. Once the plastic becomes soft, begin to slowly bend the pipe in the desired direction. Make sure there are no sharp bends. Hold the pipe in the desired position until the plastic cools. In order to speed up the cooling process, the pipe can be cooled with a wet cloth.

Step 2. Make formwork for the ladder. It can be made from OSB board, plywood or moisture-resistant plasterboard. Before production begins, temporarily connect the assembled drain to the sewer pipe and install it in place. Take the dimensions of the formwork. The distance between it and the elements of the ladder should be only a few centimeters. This technological distance is required to facilitate the final installation of the drain.

Knock down the formwork with small nails or self-tapping screws; the height of the formwork should be several centimeters higher than the diameter of the pipelines connected to the ladder.

Step 3. Place the assembled formwork on the ceiling, check its position using the lines drawn on the wall. To prevent the structure from moving during concrete pouring, it is recommended to fix it. You can drive several nails or dowels around the perimeter, the main thing is that the formwork does not change its location during work.

Step 4. Prepare cement-sand mortar. If possible, use expanded clay as additional fillers; if not, then fill with one solution. Pour it in turn on each side of the formwork and carefully level the plane with a trowel.

Step 5. Check that the filling is correct and allow time to harden. The time depends on the composition of the solution used; in most cases, work can be continued a day after the end of pouring.

Step 6. When the solution has hardened, dismantle the formwork. To do this, use a hammer to carefully beat off the formwork parts one by one, trying not to damage the fill. If during dismantling it is discovered that the solution has often not reached the minimum strength, stop dismantling and wait another day.

Important. If the room is very warm and dry, then the solution should be moistened generously with water every day. Without water they cannot flow optimally chemical reactions, the solution will never gain the planned strength.

Step 7 Install the ladder in the prepared place and check its position.

Most devices have height-adjustable legs, which greatly facilitates installation of the equipment. Connect the drain outlet pipe to the sewer pipe. The device includes a plastic pipe for these purposes. Measure the required length and cut.

You can cut with a grinder with a metal disc or a hacksaw. After cutting, be sure to remove the burrs and make a chamfer. The hangnails are cut off sharp knife, you can chamfer it with a grinder. Hold it in one hand and carefully press the end of the pipe against the flat surface of the disk with the other. Rotate the pipe constantly until a chamfer is formed. There is no need to be upset if the width of the chamfer is not the same around the entire circumference; this parameter has no meaning. The chamfer is needed only to ensure that the rubber seal is not damaged when connecting the elements. Before joining, the surfaces should be moistened with soapy water or any oil used.

Practical advice. In some models of drains, the pipes are connected with glue, this somewhat simplifies the installation process. There is no need to make chamfers; the ends of the pipes are lubricated with glue and inserted into each other.

Applying glue (on both sides of the pipe)

Step 8 Cover the surface with waterproofing. It can be purchased separately, but there are options for completing devices with waterproofing. Level the surface of the material, be sure to bend it at the junction of the floor and walls. The height of the hem should be 1–1.5 cm lower than the plane of the ceramic tile.

Step 9 Check the connections for tightness. To do this, pour water into the drain hole, wait a little and inspect all connections. The water should completely go into sewer pipe, and the surface under the drain elements remains dry.

Step 10 Cut off excess waterproofing taking into account the height of the hem. Make marks at the extreme points and use the end of a mounting knife under the ruler to remove excess. Attach the bends to the wall with waterproofing mastic and allow time to dry completely. The length of the overlaps at the corners must be at least 10 cm.

Step 11 Insert a plastic cup into the drain.

Manufacturers specifically make its height with a margin, which allows, if necessary, to reduce the element. Using a level, determine the slope of the floor plane and adjust the glass to the required height to ensure the required value. Cut with a hacksaw, remove burrs with a file or knife. Lubricate the outer surfaces of the glass with oil, put on the rubber o-ring and insert the element into place. Cover the hole with a temporary cover. It prevents the solution from getting inside, and is removed after laying the tiles.

Fastening the glass

Step 12 Place marks on the bent waterproofing that will be used to make a screed for the base of the ceramic tiles. Do not forget about the slope, check the markings several times for correctness.

Step 13 Prepare the screed solution and pour it gradually onto the waterproofing. Use a trowel to level the surface. This is the most difficult operation for beginners. The point is that you need to simultaneously make a slope and divide the square into four identical segments.

How it's done?

When leveling the mortar, pay attention to the marks on the wall. This is the first line of control. The second is the edge of the ladder; the screed should be about a centimeter below the upper plane.
Using a level, check the horizontality of the screed along all edges of the area, correct deviations if necessary.
Using the tip of a trowel, draw straight lines from each corner of the ladder to the corner of the floor. If it’s difficult with your hand, then use any long, straight ruler.
Using a trowel, slowly remove the mortar on each segment in small portions, trying to remove any existing curves. Keep in mind that you will have to work by eye, do not rush. If you see mistakes, then sketch out the solution again and start all over again.

Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work out the first time, over time you will gain experience and the work will go much faster. At the finish line you can use special grater, it has one end in the form of a triangle. If you don’t have such a tool, then select any strip according to the length. The dimensions of the slats should be 1–2 cm smaller than the distance from the ladder to the wall. Place the bar in the center of the segment, let one end rest against the ladder, and slowly move the other to the left/right and level the surface in this way. A small bump near the wall is then leveled with a grater. Everything is fine - leave the base to harden.

Laying finishing tiles

If the base is made with high quality, then big problems There will be no problem with laying tiles. Before laying tiles on the floor, finish the areas of the walls adjacent to the floor. The technology is ordinary; to maintain the same width of the tile joints, use standard crosses.

Step 1. First, the second tile is laid. Its angle should lie at a distance of 2–3 mm from the line dividing the square into segments. The distance depends on the width of the seams and is selected in each case individually, taking into account the characteristics of the materials.

Video - Laying tiles in a shower stall

The advantage of a shower stall in an apartment is that there is no need to prepare a specially equipped place. A shower stall, which you install in your home yourself, can be located in the room next to the bathroom. The main thing is that there is access to a common water supply and sewage system.

The described device has a compact and partly autonomous design, built in the house in compliance with the requirements and current sanitary standards. Moving a stall to a new location allows you to free up some space in the bathroom for other purposes, as well as save space occupied by plumbing fixtures.

The main reason that homemade shower cabins have become popular is the savings on their construction. Prices for samples of goods with a kit additional functions(including Charcot's shower) will simply shock buyers. It seems that manufacturers do not take into account the capabilities of the average user and make booths only “for the rich.”

Most craftsmen who have already tried to build such a structure did not notice any noticeable financial savings.

The option considered here is beneficial to those people who plan to assemble a simple shower stall, intended only for washing and replacing a cast-iron bathtub.

Another reason for making a shower cabin from a bathtub with your own hands is the ability to install it in any living compartment of the apartment.

Before you make a shower stall with your own hands, calculate the costs for the following structural elements:

Reliable waterproofing, made of protective film, used for finishing swimming pools.
A convenient drain that is built into the floor and requires its dismantling and strengthening.
For finishing flooring You will need tiles with a ribbed (non-slip) surface, as well as a water-repellent adhesive composition.
To this is added the material for the walls (polycarbonate or fiberglass with a set of guides), a ready-made pallet, which you will have to buy in the store.

Regarding the last point, you can make a pallet yourself (from brick, for example).

To save money, instead of sliding doors make do with a curtain. This option is suitable when a permanent structure in an apartment has been replaced by a temporary one.

For those who plan to further reduce consumables, experts advise making simplest option shower cabin. By it is meant an ordinary corner (its appearance shown in the picture on the left and above).

But in any case, the performer will first need to familiarize himself with the simplest technical solutions, which will allow not to exceed the costs included in the estimate.

Selection of tray and drain

A simple way to make this part of the structure is to use a ready-made pallet installed on a brick pedestal or base, which is laid out from light foam blocks.

If this option is not suitable, use a raised platform, which is laid out from the same brick or poured concrete (photo on the left).

When choosing this method, it is better to cover the finished elevation with a pallet with ceramic tiles, which is technically easy to do.

When making a drain with a tray in apartment building You should think about reliable waterproofing of the subfloor in the place where the construction of a shower stall is planned.

Another option (intermediate) is possible. First, a “trough” of the required size is constructed from metal by welding, which is then protected with an anti-corrosion coating. Later it is installed on an already prepared brick podium with a pre-equipped drain and lined with the same material on the outside. To prevent slippage, the inside of this container is lined with mosaic tiles.

From the examples considered, you can choose for yourself the option of making a shower structure.

Once you have decided on the choice of tray design, it is worth understanding the dimensions of the homemade shower stall from the base side. From possible options suitable size 100 x 100 cm or more.

Regardless of where the shower stall will be - in the bathroom or in an adjacent room, it is better to choose its size a little larger than what is required for the average person.

It is equally important to think in advance about how the drainage will occur in the place where the booth is supposed to be located.

When choosing design For this element for the shower we will proceed from the following options:

The classic siphon shown in the photo below.
Drain simplest design, called a ladder.

A siphon is cheaper, but when using it, the issue of repair work arises. Therefore, before making a shower siphon, it is worth providing a reserve place in normal conditions closed by a door.

The drain costs a little more, but it does not take up much space and is more reliable than a siphon. So, when making a pallet, it is boldly poured with concrete, which is usually done after choosing a design.

In addition to these points, it is important to provide for, and later correctly organize, the slopes with which the pipes extending from the ladder are laid towards the sewer receiver. They are selected in such a way that per 1 meter of length the difference in height is 4–5 cm (4–5%). The same slope is applied to the subfloor in the cabin.

Making your own pallet

Before assembling the shower cabin yourself, you will need to thoroughly prepare the floor and walls in the place designated for the pallet. To do this, perform the following operations:

They mark the future structure and install water pipes.
The surface of the wall, under which the water supply lines are hidden, is leveled (a watering can and taps for the mixer are left outside).
The next step is to lay the base of the pallet, which is done using one of the described methods. With any of these options, it is necessary to provide for its reinforcement with a metal mesh and space for laying a branch to the sewer and installing a drain.

To make a pallet with your own hands, follow construction technologies for screeds, when work begins with the installation of beacons.

At this stage, make a slight tilt of the base and pipes towards the drain.

Further work is performed in the order below:

When the brick tray and drain are ready, they move on to waterproofing them, including the adjacent walls at the same time.
For this purpose, use film or ready-made acrylic primers, applied on the pallet in a layer of 1 mm (on the walls - 0.8 mm).
Next comes tiling them. It is laid using moisture-resistant adhesive mixtures used for ceramic tiles.

On final stage we do work on the manufacture of the base of the future product finishing touch– we mount attachments booths with subsequent sealing of the resulting joints and joints.

Wall material

To make a comfortable and not too dark shower stall, you will need a transparent lining that hides the details. Best suited for this transparent plastic or polycarbonate. Plastic fencing is disadvantageous in that it becomes cloudy and can break (crack) under heavy loads.

In contrast, a polycarbonate shower cabin is better suited for apartment conditions. Its impact strength is an order of magnitude higher, and it weighs even lighter than wood.

For a cabin installed in a bathroom with your own hands, monolithic rather than cellular polycarbonate is suitable.

There are reviews from people in which preference is given to cellular material as lighter and more durable. However, the vast majority of users believe that the monolith looks more beautiful and is also suitable for decorating a cubicle door. In addition, it is quite durable and easy to handle (this is especially noticeable when cutting and installing it).

Ventilation

In the absence of receipt fresh air in an area where moist vapors accumulate, the walls and ceiling adjacent to the booth may become moldy over time. The easiest way to prevent this unpleasant phenomenon is to provide forced ventilation near the open part of the cabin. Any small amount can be used for this powerful fan, mounted on suspended ceiling, For example.

However, its use does not eliminate the need for constant ventilation of the room chosen for installing the booth. Therefore, before attempting to install the wiring to the fan installation site, make sure that the natural ventilation and good air exchange, without forced intervention.

When choosing an electrical appliance suitable for the specified needs, the following requirements are taken into account:

Firstly, when organizing the ventilation of the cabin and the bathroom as a whole, attention is paid to the safety of its operation, which is possible only if it is waterproof.
Secondly, this device must provide power sufficient for long-term rotation of the executive part without overheating and excessive energy consumption.

In this case, a fan that is too powerful is just as undesirable as a low-power model of the device.

In the first case, you will have to pay more for electricity all the time, and in the second, removing humid air will be slow and ineffective. The issue of room ventilation becomes important when installing a booth in a private home.

Features of arrangement in a private house

When considering the issue of self-manufacturing a cabin in country house it is necessary to take such points into account.