How to Install a Shower Drain in a Concrete Slab | Step By Step Guide

These days many people ask how to install a shower drain in a concrete slab. If you want to shower on a concrete floor, a fiberglass shower enclosure may be best.

It is known to have a rough drain, as the pipe will protrude a few inches from the floor. Otherwise, it will be necessary to go through the concrete to make an exclusive line for installing a shower cabin.

Ideally, if you have a clogged pipe, you should call a plumber who did the work to confirm this. This pipe is usually the shower or bathtub drain. So you will need to align it precisely with the drainage hole at the bottom of the shower. This is where the location of the pole walls near the shower is established. Ideally, at this point, the supplier will provide you with a dimensioned drawing of the shower cabin, so you should not place it first anyway.

Read More: How To Clean Stone Shower Walls

Installing a shower in the basement on concrete is a little tedious procedure, but you must consider that you need all the materials for a proper installation. If the drainage pipe is not where you want it, it will be necessary to break the precise one and arrange the drainage again. You must make sure that the drainage pipe is at least one inch longer than the one specified. The installation of the shower is a necessary process for this.

If the pipe is quite short, you will have to break the fitting and lengthen it. You will also need at least 1-1/2 inches—the space between the pipe and the pin to arrange the drainage group. If there is no space, you must carefully chisel the pin near the pipe.

How to Install a Shower Drain in a Concrete Slab: Materials Needed

Goggles

Dust mask

Saw

Hammer

Slip joint pliers

Plumber’s putty

Angle grinder

Drainage Pipe

How to Install a Shower Drain in a Concrete Slab

Step 1

In this step, you will need to mark the cuts with a red crayon

Here you should draw a path at least 6 to 8 inches wide on the ground of accuracy from the obsolete drain location to the location of the new drain with a red crayon.

Here it would help if you chose the shortest path. The red crayon remains apparent as the concrete is cut.

Step 2

· Shut all doors to prevent drafts and contain dust as much as is realistically possible.

· Open the window and switch on the extractor fan.

· Wearing a dust mask and safety eyewear is required here. Lift the concrete slab with care.

Step 3

• Cutting with an angle grinder
• You will need to make a precision cut with an angle grinder equipped with a 4-inch precision cutting blade.
• A precision cutting blade has a diamond-encrusted blade with slots that extend to the center of the blade.

Step 4

• Now break the concrete into smaller pieces. Here you will have to remove the precision slab between the cutting lines with an electric chisel hammer.
• Once this is done, you can start in a corner and work your way through the slab until the chisel hammer’s paper reaches the ground underneath the slab.
• You can remove all the broken concrete from the path. At this point, you can dispose of the debris.

How to prepare for the New Drainage line

Step 1

• You have to dig a trench to get a new pipe.
• It is necessary to dig a trench in the ground under the precise removed with a narrow shovel.
• Once this is done, start at the previous drainage location and work at the new location.
• The depth of the trench should equal the depth of the bottom of the old drainage line.

Step 2

• You can buy a drainage line of the right size.
• For this, it will be necessary to check the label printed on the side of the pre-drain line for its size and type of material, usually “SCH 40” and “1 1/2”.
• The drain line extension should use the same size and material as the pre-drain line. Measure the distance between the new and old drain line.
• Finally, purchase a new drainage line of the correct length, size, and material. Floor drains in concrete is a bit of a tricky subject.

Step 3

• You can cut the old drainage line. You will need to cut the horizontal pipe of the old drain with a saw option.
• Now, you can make the cut at least 3 inches from the 90-degree fitting that turns the drain upward.

Step 4

• Locate the old part of the drainage line

It would help if you placed the cutting portion of the old drainage line at the new drainage location. Finally, point the 3-inch cut-off at the pre-drain line.

How to Cut a New Drainage Line

Step 1

Here you must measure the distance between the horizontal pipe and the cut part’s radical cut with a tape measure.

• To locate the drain, you will need to turn the extension pipe, place a 45-degree fitting in the trench where it is essential, then measure from the fitting to each cut root.
• Do not use 90-degree fitting to extend a drain line.
• You can transfer the measurements to your new drainage pipe part and mark the pipe with a pencil.

Step 2

• Cut the innovative drainage line.
• Cut the drainage pipe with an optional saw at the pencil marks.

How to Assemble the Pipes and Fittings

Step 1

• Glue tubes and couplings
• You can glue a coupling to the old horizontal pipe and the side of the 3-inch pipe that was cut from the horizontal pipe using PVC pipe glue.
• It would help if you also glued the extension pipe to the couplings with PVC pipe glue.
• The extension pipe will need 45-degree fittings. You will need to glue them in place.
• After that, let the glue dry.

Step 2

• Code sloping pipe
• You have to put a bubble level on the extension tube.
• If the extension pipe does not tilt towards the old drainage pipe, you need to lift the pipe radical and put soil underneath.

That said, you should continue to gather soil under the extension pipe until the slope reaches 1/4 inch per foot and all hips and valleys are gone.

Step 3

• Test the drainage pipe for leaks
• Pour water through the drainage pipe and look for leaks during couplings. Proceed only if there is no evidence of a leak.
• When installing a shower base on the concrete floor, you should call a specialist to help you.

How to Add a Unique Precision Base

Step 1

• Fill in the extra dirt.
• Pack the remaining dirt at the top of the drainage pipe.

Step 2

• Mix the concrete and water.
• Combine concrete and water in a bucket with a trowel.
• Use the Precision Developer’s rules to know the correct proportions of precision mix and water.
• Stir the mixture until it has the stiffness of toothpaste.

Step 3

• Pour and smooth the precise.
• Fill the cut-out part of the floor with the precise wet.
• Use the trowel to flatten the pinpoint.
• Shower floor on concrete requires a great deal of effort.

Learn cleaning shower floor.

Install shower drain without access below can be a long process. However, if you have the necessary material, you can make a clean and safe installation.

How to Install a Shower Drain in a Concrete Slab: FAQ

How do you install a shower tray on concrete?

A shower tray usually needs a 2-inch shower. Drain, with the P-trap located under the precision slab. If you want to arrange a shower on a precision floor, a fiberglass shower enclosure will work well. Ideally, you’ll have a rough drain, with the pipe sticking out a few inches from the floor.

Do I need a coating for the shower tray on the concrete floor?

Since the tiling, grout, and mortar are not completely waterproof, a shower tray’s function is to provide a watertight barrier in between bathroom and the floor underneath it. In many respects, installing a shower tray on a precise slab floor is perfect. The hydrophobic vinyl or silicone pan liner is as follows.

What kind of concrete is used for a shower tray?

A mortar made of Cementitious materials, level solidify, and sand works well for shower trays. This kind of masonry creates a massive, durable water barricade that can withstand the pressure of the showerhead unit.

Conclusion

The drainage system should slope from the shower or other plumbing fixture into the home’s septic tank or sewer system. Local building codes determine the slope rate, but the drain runs at a slope of 1/4 inch per foot. There is no way to avoid breaking the precise slab that holds it inside and covers it to move the shower drain.

Shower drains in concrete are a fundamental system for home bathrooms, but you need to be very careful with installing this.

Experts usually do this work. However, with the primary material, you could do it, it is not a very difficult job, but it is tiring. So, get started, and have fun doing this work. Hope you learned, how to install a shower drain in a concrete slab.