Do Roughed-in Shower Drains Have to Be Below Concrete?

A homes blueprints determine the location of all rooms, including those that require plumbing, such as kitchens and bathrooms. During the construction process, the plumber makes provisions for drainage by installing drainpipes in walls or beneath a basement floor. In the case of basement showers, the contractor runs the drain lines before pouring the basement floor. The contractor leaves an access, however, called a rough-in, so you can install a shower later.

All plumbing fixtures in the house run to one main sewer line, which usually is buried beneath the basement floor. In some houses, the main sewer line may not be as deep, but in either case, a basement shower drain will lie beneath the floor. If the sewer main is beneath the basement floor, the shower drainpipe will connect to it directly. If the sewer main is above the basement floor, the shower drainpipe will run to a pit. The pit can remain empty until you decide to install a shower, sink or commode in the basement. At that time, youll also have to install a sewer lift in the pit to collect the waste, grind it and pump it up to the main sewer line.

The plumber installs shower rough-ins for above-grade bathrooms as well as for future ones in the basement. These rough-ins are not below concrete, but they are below the subfloor. The plumber installs these stubs right after the builder frames the shell of the house. Large shower units are positioned in the bathroom, but the plumber will not hook them up to the roughed-in plumbing stubs until the construction is further along.

The basement shower rough-in features a small square where the contractor did not pour concrete but, instead, covered the plumbing stub with sand. This is necessary because a shower drain must have a P-trap beneath the shower that connects the drain to the drainpipe. When you decide to install a basement shower, you will dig out the sand and connect the shower drain to the stub.

If your home builder did not make provisions for a future basement bathroom and you dont want to break out the concrete, you still can install a shower by using an up-flush system. These systems work on the same principle as sewer lifts, but no buried pit is required. The collection tank fits on the back of a special commode, and you can connect the shower and sink drains to the tank. The caveat is that you must elevate the shower to allow enough room beneath to install a low-profile P-trap before running the drain line on top of the floor to the up-flush tank.

How to Repair a Drain Pipe Under a Slab eHow
www.ehow.com Home Repair & Maintenance Plumbing
To repair a drain pipe under a slab, you must first access the pipe by chipping through the slab. Once you have accessed the pipe, the repair is straightforward.
cast iron shower drain to pvc - DoItYourself.com Community Forums
www.doityourself.com Plumbing and Piping
Remodeling the shower in small bathroom. It has a 55 year old cast iron drain, I want to replace that drain with a modern adjustable pvc drain. How do
What Kind of Mortar Do You Use in a Shower Pan? eHow
www.ehow.com Home & Garden Building & Remodeling Bathrooms
Dec 16, 2012 What Kind of Mortar Do You Use in a Shower Pan?. The process of building your own shower pan, though not difficult, is very involved and is a lot of work.
Do It Yourself Repair: Fixing A Shower Drain Leak
www.essortment.com Home Repair & Remodeling
A leaking shower may mean three things: a faulty drain that needs replacement, a leak in the shower floor, or a leak under the cement in the floor.
Does my shower on slab have a P-Trap? - Ask Me Help Desk
www.askmehelpdesk.com Home & Garden Plumbing
We are having problems with odor in our shower. I plan to replace the existing shower with a new tile shower but need to figure out whether or not the shower has a p ...
Shower Drain Odor Ask the Builder - AsktheBuilder.com - Do it ...
www.askthebuilder.com/shower-drain-odor
AsktheBuilder.com: A shower drain odor can be very unpleasant. The source of the drain odor is often above the water level of the trap. Look at the sides of the drain ...
How to Build a Shower Pan - hoagy.org
www.hoagy.org/howto/HowToBuildShowerPan.html
Ryan's "How to build a shower pan" Page. Last updated: July 4th, 2004. Finished shower. Ahh, so you want to build a fancy custom-sized shower pan.
How to Install a Shower Pan and Drain : How-To : DIY Network
www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-a-shower-pan-and-drain
DIY Network licensed contractor Amy Matthews shows how to install a shower pan and drain after preparing the subfloor.
Shower Drain Rough-In : How-To : DIY Network
www.diynetwork.com/how-to/shower-drain-rough-in
DIY Network host Amy Matthews demonstrates how to make a drain out of the basics.
How do you put a new drain into a concrete basement floor? -
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080825050341AAfXYeuLast updated: Aug 25, 2008 5 posts First post: Aug 25, 2008
Aug 25, 2008 Best Answer: Yes, you must cut through the concrete floor and excavate a new drain line to connect to the others. The drain for the existing sink and ...
Linear Drain Shower - Tile Shower Drains
www.quickdrainusa.com/linear-drain-shower.php
Linear drains shower systems for tile showers. Designed and manufactured for quality and ease of installation in home bathroom renovation.
Tile Waterproof Membrane - Waterproof Tile Shower - Under Tile ...
www.laticrete.com/architects/products/waterproofing.aspx
Waterproofing tile, stone or porcelain tile installations is easy with LATICRETE waterproof membranes. Roller applied quickly and easily, waterproofing tile floors or ...
Handling Your Own Shower Drain Installation Project
ezinearticles.com Home Improvement Bath and Shower
May 18, 2006 Upgrading a bathroom is one of the more popular home improvement projects. Handling the plumbing for draining your shower can be exceedingly simple
Bob Vila Home Improvement Forums
www.bobvila.com/forum
Bob Vila Home Improvement Forums - Home Repair and Renovation Projects, Featured Products Marketplace, Expert Do It Yourself, Budget and Green advice from Bob Vila ...
CNN Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com
www.cnn.com/videoVideo U.S Live Schedule Politics Justice
If you get CNN at home, you can watch it online and on the go for no additional charge.
Installing Shower Pan On A Concrete Floor - Remodeling - DIY ...
www.diychatroom.com/f15/installing-shower-pan-concrete-floor-27056
I building a guest room with a slab concrete floor. Im ready to install the shower. I have a 2 inch ABS drain coming through the slab floor (with a trap below the ...
Foam Shower Pan - 5 Tips - EzineArticles.com
ezinearticles.com Home Improvement Bath and Shower
Jan 29, 2010 A foam shower pan eliminates much of the skill needed to build a waterproof shower. It adds several advantages too as you can see from these 5 tips.
Home and Garden Corner Shower Stall: DYI Installation -
www.realtor.com Home & Garden Home & Garden Site Map
Tips and guide on how to install a corner shower stall with your own hands.
AE-1476 Plugging Home Drains to Prevent Sewer Backup [2010]
www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/structu/ae1476.pdf PDF file
www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu 1 AE-1476 North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota March 2010 Why plug drains For homes in areas of the country prone to flooding ...
Shower Drain Rough-In : How-To : DIY Network
www.diynetwork.com/how-to/shower-drain-rough-in
DIY Network host Amy Matthews demonstrates how to make a drain out of the basics.
How to Drain a Water Heater - Danny Lipford
www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-drain-a-water-heater
Draining your water heater once a year removes sediment from the tank that can cause it to work harder and cost more to use. Learn how it's done in this video.
Dix Systems Inc. - Leak Proof Shower Pan Liner Installation Kits ...
www.dixsystems.com
Buy DIY shower pan liner installation kits from Dix Systems 1-888-450-0112; videos on Quick Pitch shower systems, how to build a tile shower base and bathroom shower ...
Home Solutions: Mold and Mildew : ENERGY STAR
www.energystar.gov Common Home Problems and Solutions
Improve Your Energy Efficiency at Home. Use our Home Improvement Toolbox to save money and help protect the environment without sacrificing comfort.
What Kind of Mortar Do You Use in a Shower Pan? eHow
www.ehow.com Home & Garden Building & Remodeling Bathrooms
Dec 16, 2012 What Kind of Mortar Do You Use in a Shower Pan?. The process of building your own shower pan, though not difficult, is very involved and is a lot of work.