How to build a podium for the shower

In most cases, a shower stall requires the construction of a stand - a podium that performs supporting and often decorative functions. In addition, this design perfectly hide communication from the eyes of the hosts and guests. In principle, it’s not difficult to build a podium for a shower cabin with your own hands; moreover, there are several different options that we will discuss in this article.

Why do you need it

In terms of design, the podium plays an important role as a space delimiter, which is used in adjacent bathrooms, and can also simply emphasize various elements, such as a bathtub or a shower cabin. In bold designer hands, it is possible to build a bath in the podium, create a Japanese-style bath, or a semblance of a Turkish bath (see also the article Wooden shower cabin - how to build a structure on your own).

There are quite a lot of materials used for the construction of the structure, but only three have become common. The most accessible is natural hardwood, the masonry of burnt brick is not far behind it, but the concrete monolith is considered the strongest.

In general, you can use any materials, the main thing is that they have sufficient strength, durability and are safe for health. The choice depends entirely on the decision of the owner.

Advice: if you want to know how to raise a shower cabin without a podium, then certain solutions are invented for this. One of these is to install the structure on a metal frame. This method is suitable only for some models, check this question in the store.

Some moments of installation

Despite the seeming simplicity, to mount the podium under the shower stall with your own hands is a matter that requires responsibility and compliance with certain rules and regulations.

• First of all, it is necessary to calculate the distance from the drain slice to the surface of the podium so that it is not less than 7 centimeters, which will provide the slope necessary for the steady flow of water into the sewer system.
• According to plumbing regulations, the drain must be installed with a slope of at least 3 °, so consider this important aspect when calculating the height of the podium. The price for ignoring this rule is regular blockages, but in some cases they are still quite difficult to eliminate.

Important: use high-quality and strong materials. The design you are going to build must withstand the weight of the human body, water and the cabin itself, and therefore sustainability is one of the most important aspects, if not the most important.

• Pay attention to the fit of the structure to the wall, consider this question. There are cabins that do not require this, and the layout of the room itself can exclude intimate contact with the wall, all these data contain instructions, but initially you should consult the store for this particular model.

Tree

One of the most simple, in terms of self-assembly, materials is wood. The use of a dry bar of deciduous breeds will be the most preferable, so the design gets greater durability and durability.

Important: in order to avoid the occurrence of fungus and other "live" troubles before using the wood should be treated with antiseptic agents, then apply a layer of drying oil. However, even these precautions will not protect you 100% from trouble, so watch out for the appearance of fungus in the bathroom.

When calculating the area of ​​the podium should be based on the size of the pallet, plus at least a couple of centimeters for stability. After the construction of the bearing part and the surface, the space between the pallet and the floor can be closed with plastic.

The advantages of this design is ease of erection and speed - you do not need to wait for any material to harden, it limits only your own speed of work.

Brick

The most common method of building a podium is brickwork. It is understandable, because the brick does not limit the imagination of the owner or designer, allowing you to easily implement a variety of forms, steps and so on. In addition, the brick has some other characteristics that are extremely useful in this case.

One of such important characteristics is ease of execution. Even without the skills of a builder, you can achieve a decent result. In addition, the fact that during operation it can easily withstand high humidity also plays in favor of the brick.

The minus can be noted perhaps the technology of laying, a little limited in time, because it uses cement mortar. After laying, it is necessary to wait for the mortar to harden, and only then continue to install the shower cabin and apply the finish, such as tiles, mosaics, or any other material chosen by the owner.

Concrete

The greatest indicator of strength among other materials has a podium made of concrete. Like brickwork, it can boast a variety of depicted forms, but the execution of such will be a very nontrivial task, and if you, say, want to make concrete steps, then be patient and strength.

However, the final result in this case will please you for a very, very long time.

• The instructions for the construction is quite simple, but, as already mentioned, requires responsibility and some skills. Before you make a podium for the shower, you need to clearly and correctly mark everything.
• The first item in the list of works is marking the area of ​​the shower tray. As in the case of a tree, make indentation from the edge of the pallet for greater stability and ease of operation.

• Next, waterproofing is applied to the supposed surface, bitumen mastic with roofing material is reliable and at the same time an inexpensive option.. After that, formwork is erected for future casting and a reinforcement cage is installed.
• Now comes the turn of the solution. By itself, the podium is a relatively small construction, so you should not drag a concrete mixer here. This amount of solution is not difficult to mix with your own hands on a piece of linoleum or in an old galvanized bath. As for the proportions of the solution, they are listed in the table.

• When you start pouring, remember the rule of 7 centimeters, choose a place for the future drain so as to meet all the conditions. In addition, from experience we can advise to immediately determine the veneering material. Ceramic tile, which is used most often, has clear dimensions, if they correspond to the height of the podium, later it will be much easier to revet the structure.
• After pouring the mixture and leveling the top layer of concrete, the waiting period will be about three weeks.. During this time, the monolith should be kept wet. After that, you need to start other work, specifically setting up the drain, sealing all the cracks, lining and the actual installation of the cabin.

The video in this article contains additional information on the topic.

Conclusion

The podium for a shower cabin is a highly demanded element of decor and allows you to realize a variety of ideas. Do not discard interesting solutions only because of the difficulties in their implementation, because the repair is not the thing on which you should save a lot of manpower and money (see also the article Shower enclosures with an acrylic tray: features, benefits, repairs).