How to Set the Grade in a Shower Floor

When constructing a new shower, setting the grade in the shower floor is one step that must be taken so that water leads down toward the drain. Sloping the concrete base of the shower toward the drain provides a better fit for the shower pan, and allows gravity to carry water toward the drain easily.

Roofing felt
Hammer stapler
Staples
Mesh
Utility knife
Bottom flange of drain pipe assembly
Duct tape or rag
Mortar
Trowel
2-by-4 board

Instructions

- 1
  Cover the plywood floor base inside the shower stall with roofing felt. Staple the felt to the plywood every 6 inches with a hammer stapler.
- 2
  Staple mesh to the roofing felt with the hammer stapler.
- 3
  Cut a hole in the mesh and roofing felt over the drain hole in the plywood board with a utility knife.
- 4
  Insert the bottom flange of the drain pipe assembly into the drain hole. The flange connects to the drain pipe, carrying the wastewater from the shower into the sewage system. Cover the opening of the flange with a piece of duct tape or a rag to prevent mortar from falling into the flange. Mortar that hardens inside the flange or drain pipe blocks the flow of the water.
- 5
  Mix a batch of mortar, following the instructions on the package.
- 6
  Spread the mortar on the shower floor with a trowel. Put more mortar around the perimeter of the floor than around the drain. This makes it easier to create the grade in the floor.
- 7
  Grade the mortar by dragging a 2-by-4 board across the surface. Slope the mortar bed so that the mortar is about 1 1/2 inches thicker around the perimeter of the shower than around the drain hole. Allow the mortar to set for the time specified on the package.

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