The Basement Bathroom Plan Part 1

Time for a DIY post... as some of you know, I am turning that Pittsburgh toilet/shower I have in the basement into a real bathroom. Chewy will be happy.

The basic plan is to tile the shower, install a ceiling, refinish the cement floor, and install a vanity (there is currently no sink).

This is part 1 of the plan... the shower floor.

I need to make sure it is waterproof and that means a liner, a clamping drain, and a pre-sloped mud bed. When I finish the walls, there will be some 1 x 2 furing strips, a vapor barrier, backerboard, and tile. But, like I said, let's foucs on the floor.

Here is what the drain looks like now:

And here it the base of the drain I plan to use:

Obviously, I can't just sit that drain in the 4 inch hole. It would look like this:

Not only is the base not attached, it is sitting a bout a half inch off the floor.

My plan is to dig around the existing drain and cut about 6 inches from the top of the iron pipe. I will use a rubber Fernco reducer fitting that goes inside the iron pipe. A length of 3" PVC will go into that. And finally the drain base is attached. When it is all done. the drain base will be sitting on the floor instead of hoovering above it.

Of course, I will patch the hole with dirt and mortar.

Its worth mentioning the curb. It is constructed of brick and the top sits just a couple inches above the shower floor. I am going to build it up a few more inches with mortar.

Next, I will detail the plan for the walls.