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Showers
Top Ideabooks
- Convert Your Tub Space to a Shower — the Planning Phase
- Steam Showers Bring a Beloved Spa Feature Home
- Polish Your Bathroom's Look With Wrapped Tile
- Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — Choosing Accessories
- Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — Waterproofing and Drainage
- Convert Your Tub Space Into a Shower — the Tiling and Grouting Phase
How to Build a Better Shower Curb
Work with your contractors and installers to ensure a safe, stylish curb that keeps the water where it belongs
I'm a bathroom builder, a Houzz Contributor, a blogger (http://www.no-curb.com), a linear drain salesman and "Coach" to about 24 North Shore Girls Soccer players.
A dream client for me is someone looking to build their dream bathroom - not someone looking for a cheap fix.
I live for snow days and love the work we do. My newest love is LED lighting and we are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in a high end shower!
If you are looking for inspiration come check out my Ideabooks on Houzz. I have a ton of them - http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/johnfrwhipple
I'm a bathroom builder, a Houzz Contributor, a blogger (http://www.no-curb.com),... More »
Taking a shower without soaking the entire bathroom floor comes down to the ever-important curb. Understanding how to build a shower curb and what products to use can get complicated. But getting the curb right makes all the difference for a shower — and might save you thousands of dollars down the road.
A shower curb should be no higher than any stair riser in your home. It should be low enough to step over and look seamless, but high enough to keep water out. Many states require that the shower curb is at least two inches higher than the drain, but these measurements can be altered if building a shower for a disabled person.
Here are some points to keep in mind when designing a curb for your new shower.
A shower curb should be no higher than any stair riser in your home. It should be low enough to step over and look seamless, but high enough to keep water out. Many states require that the shower curb is at least two inches higher than the drain, but these measurements can be altered if building a shower for a disabled person.
Here are some points to keep in mind when designing a curb for your new shower.
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Although it's difficult to see in pictures, curbs need to be tilted toward the shower so they drain properly.
Tip: When working with natural stone, avoid drilling glass door hinges into the curb because that can cause leaks. If you're stuck without an alternative, make sure that your installer drills only through the tile and not the shower curb's waterproofing.
Tip: When working with natural stone, avoid drilling glass door hinges into the curb because that can cause leaks. If you're stuck without an alternative, make sure that your installer drills only through the tile and not the shower curb's waterproofing.
Solid stone is a wonderful touch for a tub deck, shower bench and, of course, a shower curb. Zero or limited grout joints help keep this very wet area easy to clean.
Tip: Get your stone contractor to bring your shower curb to the job site before it's actually needed. Many tile installers can put it in after they finish most of the tilework, which can ensure better installation.
Tip: Get your stone contractor to bring your shower curb to the job site before it's actually needed. Many tile installers can put it in after they finish most of the tilework, which can ensure better installation.
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| Always consider your curb a potential tripping hazard. A curb set with the same tile as the shower and bathroom floor can be hard to see for someone with a visual impairment. Choose a contrasting tile color to avoid this danger. Tip: If you live with someone who's visually impaired, you may want to get a better idea of what they see when they're in your new bathroom. Smear a little Vasoline on safety goggles to see how someone with poor vision can navigate the space. |
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| Safety is always a concern in a bathroom. A natural stone shower curb should be polished (corner eased) on both edges to avoid injury. Tip: Many fabricators use coin profiles to define eased edges for natural stone. A quarter round edge will be 1/4 of a quarter. That radius is larger than a dime edge. The larger the profile, the safer the edge. Older homeowners and those with small kids should specify a quarter round nosing profile to ease the natural stone curb for maximum safety. |
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A shower curb should be seamlessly incorporated into tile placement and grout joints. This is a fine example of a tile setter taking great care in installation and layout.
Tip: Before starting the tiling of your shower, ask your tile setter for a mockup. Look carefully at the grout sizing and ask how the shower curb and niche details will be installed.
Many tiles don't have a full color throughout, so they can show an unsightly change in color. Ask your installer to miter the edges to hide this from view.
Tip: Before starting the tiling of your shower, ask your tile setter for a mockup. Look carefully at the grout sizing and ask how the shower curb and niche details will be installed.
Many tiles don't have a full color throughout, so they can show an unsightly change in color. Ask your installer to miter the edges to hide this from view.
by KellyBaron
»
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Simple, clean shower lines are very popular today. Often, this look requires the most work.
Some beautiful shower curbs look like one large stone slab. In fact, each side is a separate piece, all mitered and epoxied together to look like one solid stone. Using tile or having exposed grout joints is easier but often doesn't have the polished look that this bathroom showcases.
Tip: When choosing a slab of stone for your shower, finding the right installer is key. Ask for references, and check with the fabricator or installer to make sure your stone is a good choice before purchasing.
Some beautiful shower curbs look like one large stone slab. In fact, each side is a separate piece, all mitered and epoxied together to look like one solid stone. Using tile or having exposed grout joints is easier but often doesn't have the polished look that this bathroom showcases.
Tip: When choosing a slab of stone for your shower, finding the right installer is key. Ask for references, and check with the fabricator or installer to make sure your stone is a good choice before purchasing.
| A profile on the edges of a curb, like this Schluter Systems trim, makes for a nice transition, especially when using two different tile choices for the curb. A profile can also make the curb safer with an eased edge. Tip: Ensure that any grout or thinset is wiped off right away when installing. The thinset or grout can eat away the finish if left on too long. |
Ideabook published on Sept. 19, 2012.
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These clients of mine bought two condo's on the same floor in a wonderful Coal Harbour Condo. Complete renovation. One year later in the first six months of retirement the client slipped golfing and broke her hip.
This standard curb was a barrier so high that this client had to be driven to the YMCA for 3 weeks while we re-did the shower. She could not stand the pain of stepping over the curb.
If you plan to age in the home - consider a barrier free shower or low curb version. Here in Vancouver many of the curbs we build are only 2" - 3" off of finished grade.
JW
We are in the middle of a barrier free curb less build ourselves out in Denville, NJ (Morris County). This particular design came about for exactly the reason you depicted, they have retired and plan to live out their happy days in their home. And so we are building a fantastic bathroom complete with grab bars, seat, and curb free shower.
I cannot wait to finish this project and get some pictures up, it is very custom and classy... not what you would expect from an ADA bathroom.
Again, great article and you are absolutely right. Everyone who is in the process of remodeling his bathroom, should consider to go curbless even if this would cost him a bit more than going conventional with a curb. There are so many great products available on the market so actually everyone can have a curbless and barrier free shower.
We just finished a shower transformation for one of our clients. She is in a wheelchair and very happy now: "What use to be a very difficult procedure entering the shower stall is now an effortless transition."
http://www.houzz.com/viewReview/9126/3D-Tile-Design---Bertram-Tasch-review
BTW: Thanks for including one of our pictures.
Regards.
3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch
Maple Ridge, BC (Greater Vancouver)
http://www.3D-Tile-Design.ca
.
When building curbs for my clients I use bricks or concrete. No wood.
Wood is not better - it's faster.
I have seen many shower curbs build with three 2"x4"'s nailed one on top of another. The worst repair was one we ripped out nearly four years ago. Each 2"x4" was installed with three 3" nails. A total of 9 nails for a shower curb measuring 60".
When designing a shower curb you should be considering the finished inside measurements of the shower. Remember that most tile is sold in Metric Sizing so quickly making a shower 3' wide inside can leave you short if your tile is a 30cmx60cm tile.
Plan the curb when designing the shower. After the tile is selected. Have the tile setter build the shower curb for you - not the framer.
JW
Bobbie I have been wondering what can be done to prevent people from building "Cheaply" for the sake of making extra money. It is a hard thing to detect.
About all a new buyer can do is check and see if the bathroom or renovations had permits pulled on them. Even then you will not know if the bathroom's shower curb was built properly.
Perhaps when purchasing a new home it could be written into the agreement that the showers where built to TCNA or TTMAC Specifications.... I'll ask a few real estate professionals for some advice here. I have been pondering this topic for ages now.
In my last post when I say I build my curbs out of brick or concrete - this means that the material below the waterproofing, thin-set and tile is brick or concrete and not that the curb itself is concrete.
JW
I used common grey bricks and instal them with thin set. Once set we wrap them with a stucco mesh and a scratch coat of thin-set.
JW
It is not impossible however there are way better systems on the market to build a better curb! But sometimes when the tile setter "arrives" on the site, the homeowner has already everything??? "Prepared". For example this was the case in the last picture of John's informative article.
The homeowner had the floor tiled by himself and the curb was already very poorly built from two stacked 2x4's. (I avoid to say 2" x 4" because they are actually just 3 1/2" x 1 1/2) Only 2 screws in the middle of each stacked curbside were holding the curb in place. The corners were not even overlapping each other. We could easily move each curbside to the left and the right without an effort. (Picture 1)
So, what were our options? Tear everything apart? The homeowner didn't like this Idea and was asking for another solution. Finally we screwed everything with twenty two 4 1/2 inch wood screws down to the subfloor to fasten the curb pieces. (Picture 2) Thereafter we applied all around on all surfaces strips of reinforced cement board. For screwing down the cement board we used ca. 100 drywall screws 1 1/4 inch length. (Picture 3)
As I mentioned before, there are way better systems on the market. The shower in picture 4 was completely built with the Wedi system. The wall panels, shower pan and shower curb are produced from closed cell Styrofoam which is both sides reinforced with an in cement bedded mesh. This material is extremely durable, light weight, very easy to work with and completely waterproofed. To build this shower took us only half a day and we flooded the shower for the water test the same day.
For more information about the Wedi System please visit: http://us.wedi.de/training-videos/videos.php
Regards.
3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch
Maple Ridge, BC (Greater Vancouver)
http://www.3D-Tile-Design.ca
.
Do you mean a penny floor like this?
I would build a 12"x12" template/stencil from wood or cardboard in which I would place the prior properly cleaned pennies. Then I would add a sheet 12"x12" clear adhesive film on top of the pennies to mount them to the sheet and hold them together. Now you have created your own "penny-mosaic sheet" which is not very different from "face-mounted/mashed" glass mosaic sheet and you or your tile guy can easily work with these sheets.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/grafix-dura-lar-clear-adhesive-backed-film/#videos -
For glueing down the penny-sheets you'll need a special glue (not thinset!) and also a very even surface. This means you have to prepare/level all surfaces (shower pan and curb) very well.
Here are some suppliers for clear adhesive films.
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/adhesive-film-roll-acrylic.html
Happy gluing. ☺
We plan to cover the installed floor with a two part resin rather than grout, do you think that will be a problem?
The 12"x12" clear adhesive film sheet ON TOP of the pennies are only sticky from one side and are only for the purposes to mount the pennies to the sheets and hold them together during the installation process. Otherwise you would have to glue down every single penny separately.
After you have glued the pennies to the subfloor (the clear adhesive sheets are facing to you) and after the glue has cured, you have to pull off the clear adhesive sheets and then you can grout the pennies. I would also recommend to use a two part resin or epoxy to grout the pennies. Standard grout would not work.
Please have also a look at this discussion how much a sheet of pennies (1 sf) would cost you. And don't forget to add the cost of the clear adhesive film. ☺
http://www.houzz.com/discussions/145235/Copper-penny-bathroom-floor
About your question: "...does anyone know if glass mosaic tiles are safe for use in a fireplace? Or will they melt?" I would assume they can melt if installed INSIDE a fireplace but they will for sure crack and probably pop off. On the outside of a fireplace e.g. for a fireplace surrounding, glass mosaic works fine.
Regards.
3D-Tile-Design - Bertram Tasch
Maple Ridge, BC (Greater Vancouver)
http://www.3D-Tile-Design.ca
The step in was less than 1" down and the floor gently sloped to the drain. Never needed shower door. Even with two people taking a shower at one time, never had a drop of water come out into the room. Slope put the drain low enough to meet code.
Great for someone needing to use a walker, no tripping step and wide opening. Easiest shower to clean we ever had. Was great for washing two Labs too!
All this in a space for s standard tub.
Thank you for this thoughtful article but I have to say, you've missed the boat on this one. Shower thresholds exist out of mis-conception or for economy. They are not desirable. The best shower threshold is NO THRESHOLD. That is to say, drainage happens due to sloped floors to the drain. Thresholds other than this are a trip hazard.
Such shower basins are typically more expensive as the rest of the floor has to be raised or something clever done with joists and flooring around the shower to make enough room for the grade but it is worth it.
If somebody does not want to go all of the way with a threshold-less shower, then there is relevance to your article but I think it is a second choice.
k.
You picked obviously the wrong guys. And even If you had used porcelain tiles instead of stone, you would probably have the same problems. At least at the joints and in the corners.
When the water doesn't drain properly after having a shower, then it is clearly the fault of your tile guy. He has to check the slope before he starts tiling in thinbed (with thinset) and it's not enough slope, he has to prepare the shower bed by building a proper slope. And if he was setting the stones in thickbed (mud) then it is his fault too because the tile guy has to build the slope while setting the tiles.
What exactly did the plumber? Did he install a traditional shower-pan-liner and thereafter he did also the mud bed? Did he presloped the shower floor before he installed the pan liner? Maybe he plugged the weeping holes around the drain. How did the tile setter lay the stones in thick bed (in mud) or in thin bed (thinset)?
Regards, Bertram
It could also be because the stone was installed with a "Mastic" or "Glue" instead of "Thin-Set".
@ Linda - not always can I force my will on new builders and build curbs from bricks. I keep a number of 2"x4" 's in my mechanical room that dry out and get all toasty. These 2"x4" 's are used when needed. Using Plywood is another way to build a curb with wood if that is what is requested or wanted.
In so many showers I see a floor mounted door hinge and wooden curbs. With even a little moisture this wood will swell and stress the waterproofing system. Many tile setters are lazy and use nails to nail down "Expanded Diamond Lath" over the rubber liner. These nails go through the liner and of course add a hole in the assembly.
Water will follow the path of least resistance - so if it can wick through a hole faster than following gravity to the shower drains weep holes this is what it will do.
I've really enjoyed this article and will pass it along to our installers for reference. We have had many a tile installer get mad at us for pointing out there is no slope, or not enough slope, when we measure for a shower door. But our customers are very happy!
Perhaps you have not had a problem but I have repaired countless failing showers because of water damage. Most times the bulk of the moisture is at the curb and these showers have had their membrane compromised.
Perhaps a hybrid approach? If you want a floor hinge (personally I will not specify them) then ensuring that the curb has a good 1" mortar screed reinforcement over top is the key. Then a 1 1/4" plug could be drilled in place and still not hit the membrane.
I prefer wall mounted hinges or glass to glass hinges in my jobs.
JW
2 main problems with everyone going curb free
#1.
there are very few (currently) qualified professionals that can perform a build like this! There are many more critical steps for both proper preparation and installation. We all have torn out failing assembly's, some of us see these every other week! it seems that many contractors either don't know or don't care about "best practices" let alone TCNA guidelines.
#2
The majority of homeowners either can not or will not spend the extra money needed for the additional time with premium materials required for it's successful consummation. given the bottom line numbers, most will choose the more economical build. it is what it is.....
There is, however, a pocket of colorful homeowners that want more... it is more than a domicile, it is an extension of their personality's! We are a people who see value in aesthetics and function, quality and performance. I am sure i don't need to describe the Houzz member....
Curbs will never go out of fashion. This Ideabook was not about curbs or curbless showers, but about building a shower curb better.
I love barrier free showers! - Don't get me wrong. Last time I checked my blog site was no-curb.com. That said we build easy 80% Low Curbed Showers and the other 20% are the tricky ones. The barrier free versions.
JW
When I took out my tub and put in a shower, the first issue is finding enough depth for the drain. Even buying the shallowest drain meant that the shower bed had to be raised a couple of inches. Then the curb was another couple of inches.
One compromise was to cap the curb in beautiful stone but tile sides. If we build the sides, especially the inner, from stone, the installer had one shot at getting the cut right. So I made the job easier and saved some money.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and I really enjoy this site! Wish I would have found it earlier in the project!
How well was that curb built? I often see as little as 8-10 nails in an entire shower curb.
JW
~Mike