Walk-in Shower, Anyone built one? Looking for tips

[wau5]

I will be doing full bathroom renovation, and the plan is to build a walk in shower due to the layout of the bathroom to give more open space and I don't want any nasty plastic stuff in my home so want to build something nice from scratch.
I have changed few toilets/sinks in past where I have needed them but that's where my plumbing/bathroom expertise ends so I want to try my hand in this

The plan is to build something like this, where there is only 1 glass panel hanging, and a tiled curb on the floor to keep the water inside.
however I have got a few questions maybe someone could answer

1. I understand you need to waterproof everything, I saw some videos where they either put against wall/floor some special panels + tape-join the corners and paint with some special solution to waterproof everything or either attach some membrane and just tile over it, I have no idea what products are available in UK as those were some USA videos I watched, so maybe anyone can link to a stuff what is needed to do this to line & waterproof everything?

2. I want to make a soap box in the wall, how do you go about creating that, just a few small studs to make the box I would have guessed, waterproofed and tiled over I guess? What would be the best way to go to create such soap box and waterproof it after that?

3. How do you go about creating the sloped base for the shower so the water can run in to waste line? Again I saw in some USA videos people already using some ready-made panel which is specially made for this, but the only similar stuff I found here for sale is something way different than what I saw or just insanely expensive, is there any DIY way to create the sloped panel? Or you can just make the level un-even with extra tile adhesive when tiling over everything to create the slope needed?

4. How do you make the Curb on the floor to keep the water at one place+ to attach the glass panel, I suppose the carcass of it could be made from timber, waterproofed and than just tiled over?

Thank you for reading all this & If you got any other tips what would be helpfull would really appreciate them as well

These are the pictures of the stuff that I want to re-create:

 

[Madrab]

What you are looking at is, in essence, a wet room.

1) Water proofing the whole area is called tanking. There is a special jointing tape and preformed corner and edging tape that you apply first, then there is a special waterproofing liquid that is then painted over everything. Tanking is usually performed after the 1st fix.
2) as you suggest, a soap box would be just a box section that is inset into the wall and then waterproofed and then tiled
3) You can use a pre-made former to create the actual wet shower area, that has a built in slope and drain. The alternative is to create a sloped bed using a well supported 18mm WBP plywood with different height batons, waterproof that and then tile
3) Best way I've seen to create a curb is to use a line of bricks and mortar them down onto the floor and then tile over them.

 

[wau5]

Thanks Rob for the answers ,Yes I guess the proper term would be a wet room,
So after you create the base from plywood you just paint it with that waterproofing liquid and that's it you are ready to tile over it? ( I would be making it myself as the ready made solutions aren't in the size I want and they are bloody expensive as well)

Also on the walls I currently got the regular plasterboard (under the old tiles which I will be taking off) , would it be worth to take the old plasterboard out and replace with a waterproof one or not worth it? And do you also just paint that waterproofing liquid right over the plasterboard and you are ready to tile over? (and of course sealing the corners/joints with the tape as well before that)

 

[Madrab]

When it comes to tanking in a whole floor area then it needs to be very well constructed, fit well together and made extremely stable. It does require an advanced level of working with materials. You may have to create a section of sub floor to accommodate everything you want to fit in there and still have it all on the same level and shaped to allow a run in the wet area that's if you don't want a step into the wet shower area like in pic 3 - the other 2 are raised slightly and the curb is like that to hide the former - just so you know.

Yes the plywood can be tanked just like the walls and floor. It will be an extensive piece of work, all the seams flooring joints etc need taped and then the floor and walls in the wet area are primed and then tanked with at least 2 coats of a quality tanking (Bal/Mapei etc) . Then it's tiled on top of that with a waterproof adhesive and grout by a good tiler.

You can remove the plasterboard and use a cement backerboard - Hardie are the ones for that IMO.

 

[wau5]

Finally thanks to xmas/newyear got some time to actually start gutting out the old bathroom and building everything.
decided to do it the way I saw it in american videos,however due to pipe layout and overall layout and very thin existing walls had to make some compromises on the design.

-made the base as stable as it can be, under it is some small timber framed base along with 18mm ply just to save on weight,than DPM membrane, small walls made from stacked 2x3 timber and on top cementboard, than poured in semi-wet mortar sloped base armed with some fiberglass strands and than just tanked everything out with the blue membrane with 3-4x coats, did the water test and everything seemed good, no leaks and everything flows as it should.

One question tho, Do you need any special tile adhesive to tile over the blue tanking stuff or any regular flexible adhesive will do?
pics.

 

[muggles]

The type of adhesive you need is going to depend partly on your choice of tiles - some adhesives aren't compatible with porcelain, others aren't compatible with natural stone, and of course some might not take too well to your tanking. Choose your tiles first, then find a suitable adhesive for them...either that or choose your adhesive and find a tile that will work with it

 

[Madrab]

Looking good @wau5 . Check the tanking manufacturer, though most of them state that any adhesive can be used to fix, I would recommend a good waterproof adhesive and grout specific to the tile type