How to Create a Stand-Up Shower

Prepare the area in which you plan to install your stand-up shower by installing a raised square shower pan if one currently isn't in place. Position the shower pan over the drainpipe to determine whether the pipe needs to be trimmed in order for the pan to sit flat. If it does, trim the pipe with a reciprocating saw, then coat the underside of the shower pan and the cement board underlay in the bathroom floor with construction adhesive. Press the shower pan firmly into place.

Roughen the surface of the raised shower pan edge using fine-grain sandpaper in order to prepare it to accept the mortar. Sand only enough to remove the glossy coating on the shower pan, then wipe away the dust with a damp cloth.

Mix up a batch of glass-block mortar according to the manufacturer's instructions, stirring it with a drill-powered mixer to remove any lumps. White mortar is used most often in constructing glass-block showers, but you may choose a different color.

Measure out the portion of the shower pan you plan to leave open as a means of entering and exiting the shower. Mark the opening on the shower pan with two pieces of colored masking tape.

Spread a 1/2-inch layer of mortar on top of the shower pan ledge. Start in the corner nearest the wall -- if your shower pan was installed in a corner -- and spread the mortar using a small trowel. Be sure to leave the space between the two pieces of colored masking tape clean.

Press your first glass block into the mortar near the corner, leaving about 1/2-inch of space between the block and the wall. Place additional glass blocks in line with the first, pressing them gently into the mortar and leaving about 1/2-inch of space between each block. Balance a level between the tops of adjacent pairs of blocks to ensure that they're all being installed at the same height.

Install glass blocks with a finished end when you reach the edge of the shower opening. These blocks will give your shower opening a more finished look. If you intend to install a shower door later, using standard glass blocks near the opening is sufficient.

Continue to spread the mortar and lay the glass blocks until you have completed the first row on either side of the shower opening. Check the blocks with your level, and make adjustments as needed by tapping blocks into the mortar with a rubber mallet.

Fill a mortar bag with mortar, and squeeze the mortar into the spaces between the glass blocks and between the column of blocks closest to the wall and the wall itself. When finished, apply a 1/2-inch layer of mortar on top of the first row of blocks, and install a second row of blocks directly on top the first row.

Build up your shower walls by installing additional rows of blocks divided by 1/2-inch-thick layers of mortar. When you reach the final row of your stand-up shower, install a row of blocks with finished ends along the top.

Go over the entire surface of the shower with the mortar bag, filling in any gaps that you may have missed. When finished, wipe away any excess mortar with a damp cloth, then allow the mortar to dry for 72 hours before using your new stand-up shower.