How to Frame a Cement Shower

The shower pan’s frame must be built before placing mortar or cement.

Prefabricated shower pans and walls offer easy and fast installation but provide only limited designs, sizes and materials. As an alternative, a homeowner or builder may build a custom shower, often tiled, that accommodates unique desires or needs. One of the first steps required for custom shower construction is installing a frame around the shower pan that forms the curb at the threshold that contains the mortar bed and guides building.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Carpenter's pencil
• 2-by-4-inch lumber, length TBD
• Saw
• 16d galvanized nails
• Hammer
• 2-by-10-inch lumber, length TBD

Instructions

1. Measure the threshold’s opening the where the shower curb is placed. The curb should align with floor joists and wall studs.

2. Transfer the threshold measurement to 2-by-4s. Three sections of 2-by-4s of this length are required.

3. Cut the 2-by-4s to the specified length. Stack them at the threshold.

4. Nailing the stacked sections to the floor joists and wall studs at the shower threshold forms the curb.

5. Measure the openings between the wall studs around the shower perimeter.

6. Transfer the measurement of the stud bays to 2-by-10s.

7. Cut enough sections of 2-by-10s to fill all of the stud bays around the shower pan perimeter.

8. Install the 2-by-10s in the stud bays using 16d galvanized nails forming a low wall around the shower pan.

References

• Black & Decker Complete Guide to Plumbing; Creative Publishing International
• Working with Tile; Tom Meehan, et al.
• Ultimate Guide to Ceramic and Stone Tile; Creative Homeowner