basement shower remodel

[stftfp]

Hello, I am going to be remodeling a shower adjacent to a sauna in my basement which was originally installed in the early 70s.

The drain for the shower is a bit odd. It is a three inch (not 2 inch) pipe set below the surrounding concrete. Immediatlely surrounding the drain is a "bowl" area cut concave into the concrete flloor around the pipe about 6 inches in diameter. The actual drain cover is large - 7 inches in diameter. Then sorrounding that is a 10"" square of some material I cant identify (maybe an iron plate) flush with the concrete and immobile.

So basically, ignoring the 10" square and the odd 7" cover and bowl for a moment, I really just have a 3" pipe for a shower. The base of the shower is all concrete surrounded by concrete barriers on all four sides of a foot or so high.

There is not a good slope so I intend to simply mud in a proper slope around the drain, or I may use one of the flloor pan kits.

But in any case, what do I do with this odd drain? Perhaps fill the "bowl" area around the drain with concrete to bring it level with the rest of the floor? And does anyone sell a 3 inch shower drain - I can't locate one. Or is there a way to use a standard shower drain in this set up? Or should I just try to find a new 7 inch cover plate and slope down to this weird existing set-up and tile?

By the way - this shower will barely be used, but it is there so I want to tile it and make it look nice.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Jadnashua]

You want to do this right, and none of your thoughts would pass code. I think you need to crack some concrete to put in a proper trap and shower drain. It also needs a vent, if it doesn't already have one. Also, even though the shower is on the basement slab, you need a pre-slope and liner, then a setting bed for the tile. Do not build this without a liner. There are surface membrane techniques that can also be used that would pass code. Check out www.schluter.com for their Kerdi system. There are others that work well, too. Check out www.johnbridge.com for tiling help. The plumbers here can help with the plumbing issues.

 

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[stftfp]

Thanks for the reply. I may not have been clear. I will absolutely use a membrane, and use all other proper procedures for the pre-tiliing floor construction and sloping. And the john bridge website is very helpful.

The real issue is the plumbing question: Should I be ripping out a perfectly good drain simply because it is bigger and odder than most and, assuming it's unecessary, is there a way to use a standard sized drain with this 3" piping? (By the way - absolutely if I had a 1 1/2" pipe it would be too small for code and I would have to rip it out, but this is the reverse situation, the drain pipe and cover is oversized - it's like a commercial locker room drain). Can't see a good reason to rip it out other than the fact that it may be difficult to tie into a normal drain and the existing drain cover is old and ugly and I can't find a replacement.... but I am no expert (thus my posting). Very much appreciate any thoughts.

 

[hj]

You are mistaken. It is NOT a "perfectly good drain". It is a floor drain, that someone cobbled up to use it with a shower. There is no way to make a proper seal to the membrane, nor to make a proper, and water tight, connection BELOW the membrane.