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- 1). Build your framework for the shower. Before you even consider laying the shower pan, you need to have the framework for your shower and the rough in for the drain. If you're a newbie to home projects, it's often easier to allow a plumber to do the rough in portion for the drain. It's best to use a clamping ring drain for extra protection. Measure the distance from the middle of the drain to the wall. You'll use this to calculate the slope. For every foot of distance you'll need to raise the concrete on the outside edge 1/4 inch. If your drain middle is 3 feet from the edge, the outside concrete height is 3/4 inch.
- 2). Measure up and make marks on the wall for the height of the concrete. Use a straight edge to connect the marks all the way around the shower. Check the line with a level. Put the clamp ring from the drain into place. Don't clamp it down yet. Cover the opening in it so concrete doesn't find its way to your drain.
- 3). Cover the sub floor with either 15 pound roofing felt or thick plastic. You need to create a barrier between the concrete and the wood floor to prevent the concrete from drying rapidly and not curing correctly. Overlap the edges an inch where they butt up against each other. On top of this, put a layer of galvanized mesh wire. Nail them down to the sub floor every 6 inches. Prepare the concrete. Use a mixture of 1 part Portland cement to 3 or 4 parts water. Make it a dry mix but still moist enough to form a ball. You can use a latex additive instead of water if you choose.
- 4). Layer the concrete along the wall up to the line you marked. You'll then skip to the area around the drain and put a very thin area. Once this is complete, fill in the surface between the two areas. This gives you the slope. Pack it down with a board and smooth it. Use a level to check the slope. Let this dry overnight before you go on to the next step.
- 5). Apply a skim layer of thinset on top of the concrete. Let this dry, and as you do, prepare the rubber membrane. Use a marker to put all the measurements onto the face of the membrane. You need the membrane to rise up the wall at least 2 inches higher than the top of the threshold. Mark the area for the drain. Once the thinset dries, put waterproof take on all the joints and corner areas as a second line of defense. Next, install the rubber membrane.
- 6). Secure the rubber membranes to the drain area. Remove the drain cap. Use plastic cement to secure the membrane, put the drain cap back into place and seal the area by locking it down tightly. Use nails at the top of the membrane to connect it to the walls, then fold the corners and secure them. You'll most likely need additional pieces of membrane over the corners of the threshold to make sure that all areas have protection. Let this all dry and then do the leak-test. Plug the drain, put in an inch of water and let it set overnight.
- 7). Proceed if there's no evidence of a leak. Let the area dry. While you wait, attach wire mesh to the threshold, then put backerboard on the outside of it. Put the barrel into the drain. Adjust it for the end height. Keep the weep holes around the outside of the drain open by putting pea gravel on them. Lay an inch of concrete on top of the membrane, then put a layer of wire mesh and finish with another inch of concrete. Make sure you pack the threshold full of concrete.
- 8). Smooth the concrete with a board. Check for the angle of the slope with a level. Let the floor dry. Hang the backerboard, just don't nail it below the top of the membrane liner. Your custom concrete shower basin is complete. Now all you need to do is put on the finishing touches once it's dry. If you're tiling the area, use a layer of thinset to hold the tiles to the shower basin.
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