How to Make Shower Niches

Determine the height and placement of your new niche. Place the niche between, or on the side of, studs in the wall. Cut through the wall paneling and make a hole the size of the finished niche plus the dimensions of the finishing material.

Frame the space inside your wall to support the new niche. Ensure there's a substrate such as concrete board or green drywall installed on wood on all five sides of the space. The wood must be attached to the studs in your wall. You can accomplish this by "toenailing," nailing at an angle, through the material.

Install the water barrier in the space for your niche. Use either a liquid membrane on the substrate, or a sheet of waterproof material. To apply the liquid membrane, paint it on, being absolutely sure to cover every surface and hole very thoroughly. To apply a waterproof material, attach the material with either silicone or thinset to the substrate. Ensure you overlap any cuts in the material by at least 2 inches, and to extend the material beyond the outer edges of the niche by at least 2 inches.

As you retile the rest of the shower, tile the new niche. Angle the bottom piece of tile very slightly so that water flows out of the niche. If you want to install a shelf into the niche, cut a piece of tile or stone so that it fits snugly in the niche without tile, and then install tile above and bellow it, to hold the shelf in place.