Bathroom Shower

 Ok- so the basement bathroom was supposed to be the one part of the basement renovation that we did ourselves. I originally planned for us to do a little bit of it each week, generally staying on the same schedule as the rest of the basement project. Unfortunately- we hit some hiccups, like finding major termite damage in the ceiling, that had to be fixed by the contractors, forcing us to wait around.  Other than the original demolition, we haven't done anything in here.

Where the contractors left the shower

Once the contractors finally repaired the ceiling, upgraded the plumbing and electrical and hooked up the gas line for the new kitchen stove which is directly above the bathroom, they were finally finished in here, and we could get to work. The bathroom needs to be done for the final inspection, which is sometime soon. So after all this waiting around, now we have to jump into action and play serious catch-up.

This week was all about the shower. Each step requires letting the materials dry for about a day before moving on to the next step, so it was easy enough to work every night for an hour or two.

Day 1: Shower Pan and Curb
The contractors did the first step of building the shower pan, which is to create a curb and fill with cement to make a level surface. Unfortunately the curb was way too small, so our first step was to beef it up with 2x4's and some clever wood cuts. Then we added the shower membrane, which is really thick plastic to prevent leaks. Then the wall boards went back up, and we added metal lath to surround the new curb. Finally, we filled with more cement/sand mixture at a slope. Shower pan complete!

Beefed up curb

Membrane attached

Filled with cement/sand mix

Day 2: Tape the Seams
Next we got to work on sealing up the enclosure so that it won't leak. We got self-adhesive tape that's meant for cement boards, and taped over all the seams. We probably could've gotten more done on this day, except that we originally bought the tape over the weekend and left it at the checkout counter, so we started this evening with an extra trip back to home depot to get another one.

Seams taped

Day 3: Fill the Seams
Once the tape was on all the seams, we covered it with thinset to fill in all the gaps and holes. This should make a pretty impervious wall.

Seams filled with thinset

Day 4: Rubberize
Even though we had already taped and filled the seams, we went the extra mile by covering the whole space with a rubber paint. After dinner, we added a second coat, so this should be a really water-tight enclosure. Enclosure and pan complete!

Everything coated with rubber paint

Day 5: Tile the Shower Floor
Once we had finished all the prep work, it was finally time to start tiling. This is definitely my favorite part because it quickly and easily takes a space from nasty construction site to finished room. The mosaic we ordered for the floor is the same as what we'll use for the kitchen backsplash and as a border on the shower walls. It has marble pieces as well as glass and stainless steel. Unfortunately, the stainless isn't ideal for showers, so the first step was to remove all of them. Then we dry-fit the tiles onto the shower floor and started gluing them down.

our mosaic with stainless steel, marble and glass tiles

Tiling is quick- we just mix up the thinset, smear on with the trowel, and place. On the first night, we just tiled the inside of the shower floor. We had to stop at the point where tiles needed to be cut.

the shower floor is tiled

Day 6: More Shopping
The next day we head back to Home Depot to rent a tile saw and get the remaining materials to tile the shower walls. We wanted the white subway tiles for their classic look, and chose a mosaic arrangement of them that's 1 ft2 partially because it should be easier to install than a bunch of individual tiles, and also because they were out of the individual tiles. The only tile saw they have to rent is a small one that's not in great shape. Generally, renting tools is great because you don't have to worry about maintenance, but that's only true when the store is maintaining their tools- and this one isn't doing a great job.

Day 7: Finish the Shower Floor & Shower Walls
Early the next morning, I spring into action tiling the walls. It's a little tricky because gravity keeps pulling everything down, but after a little tweaking and lots of spacers, I figure it out and get moving.  I tiled almost the whole thing myself in a whirlwind 10-hr tiling session,  while R ran a half marathon. Right at the end of the day, the saw crapped out, leaving just a handful of tiles to be cut. We were disappointed not to have a completely tiled shower, but so exhausted and broken we were happy to just return the saw and finish another day.

the almost completely tiled shower

exhausted but proud

Next Steps:
So the next time we need to rent a tile saw, we'll finish up the remaining tiles that need to be cut. Then it will get grouted. We'll add shower doors and the faucet, and the shower will be done.

Total time = 7 days
Total Trips to Home Depot = 4