A working shower is a requirement for an occupancy permit. Since when is the ability to take a shower a life or death situation? Arguing with the building inspector, however, might be.
When we poured the concrete slab, which will be the finished floor, the idea was to have a shower floor with a smooth transition and no curb between the shower and the main bathroom floor. To make that happen, the area where the shower was to be installed should have been blocked off and filled in later. Since it was all installed at the same level, we are stuck with building a shower pan on top of the concrete slab with some sort of curb, or transition between the shower and the main floor.
For the pan, we decided to use a prefabricated system. This one, made by Schluter, is sold everywhere and is almost idiot proof (perfect for the home owner DIY customer)
The walls are made waterproof with the Schluter membrane, and all the seams and joints are sealed with specially made pieces. The drain is made to be integrated with the system.
We decided to install the floor tile first, a decision some professionals may not agree with. But what do they know?
