Where to buy shower niche and lintel

[Polarizing]

Hi handy people, 

 

Anyone had succes finding lintel in thailand and building a shower niche?

 

Thankyouuu

[canopy]

I have. You can buy a quartz or granite piece for the lintel and follow one of the abundant DIY videos online. The most important part of getting a niche right is the flashing. Flashing tape and a waterproofing agent are the tougher things to find but are available.

 

[Polarizing]

6 hours ago, canopy said:

I have. You can buy a quartz or granite piece for the lintel and follow one of the abundant DIY videos online. The most important part of getting a niche right is the flashing. Flashing tape and a waterproofing agent are the tougher things to find but are available.

 

Do you have any website you can recommend or address? Which waterproofing agent did you use? ???? Thanks

 

Edit: isn't quartz and granite used for kitchen counter tops and are one of the premium materials? Expensive? ????

[canopy]

You can even just use tile pieces for the ledge if you want but there are a few problems with that. Soap stains on the grout lines can be a cleaning difficulty. Another issue is they don't tend to sell tiles in Thailand with a glazed side so the tile side will show though you could use one of those aluminum strips to hide it. For something as small as a niche, quartz/granite are going to be pretty cheap since you need just a fraction of a square meter and you can have them make it exactly the perfect size; just have the hassle of the special order. But it can look better and is easy to take care of. I think that is by far the way to go. And you can make a matching threshold piece too.

 

When you go to the hardware store, look at the pictures on the pails of cementous products used for waterproofing; some show waterproofing a shower. That is what you want. Youtube has plenty of DIY videos on doing shower niches. Choose your favorite one and don't forget the flashing tape.

 

[eyecatcher]

I made my own niche using salvaged timber.

Simply make abox,say 100mm deep, plywood back, then wall it in as you go.

Then tile it when you tile the bathroom.

Lintel?, the box is all in one

[Polarizing]

4 hours ago, canopy said:

You can even just use tile pieces for the ledge if you want but there are a few problems with that. Soap stains on the grout lines can be a cleaning difficulty. Another issue is they don't tend to sell tiles in Thailand with a glazed side so the tile side will show though you could use one of those aluminum strips to hide it. For something as small as a niche, quartz/granite are going to be pretty cheap since you need just a fraction of a square meter and you can have them make it exactly the perfect size; just have the hassle of the special order. But it can look better and is easy to take care of. I think that is by far the way to go. And you can make a matching threshold piece too.

 

When you go to the hardware store, look at the pictures on the pails of cementous products used for waterproofing; some show waterproofing a shower. That is what you want. Youtube has plenty of DIY videos on doing shower niches. Choose your favorite one and don't forget the flashing tape.

 

wow i need a moment to digest what you all said XD ledge, treshold piece? I am probably going to microcement my walls in my bathroom That product is in itself water proof, so I only need flashing tape right?

 

19 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

I made my own niche using salvaged timber.

Simply make abox,say 100mm deep, plywood back, then wall it in as you go.

Then tile it when you tile the bathroom.

Lintel?, the box is all in one

I don't think wood is strong enough as an reinforcement for a brick wall, when the niche is small it will probably hold up fine, but my guess is that if I want to make one 1,5meter horizontally, it might not be sufficient, is it?

[canopy]

Watch some DIY videos and I think you will understand everything you need to do. Just saying if you are ordering a stone for your threshold shelf (maybe sides and top too) it's also a convenient time to buy a stone of the same type for the threshold in the same order if you have a threshold. And if you are making a brick wall above a 1.5M wide niche you'll want a structural beam supporting the brick work; finishing materials inside the niche should not be holding up a brick wall. Then finish the niche by attaching material of choice; tile, wood, stone, etc.

 

[Polarizing]

6 hours ago, canopy said:

Watch some DIY videos and I think you will understand everything you need to do. Just saying if you are ordering a stone for your threshold shelf (maybe sides and top too) it's also a convenient time to buy a stone of the same type for the threshold in the same order if you have a threshold. And if you are making a brick wall above a 1.5M wide niche you'll want a structural beam supporting the brick work; finishing materials inside the niche should not be holding up a brick wall. Then finish the niche by attaching material of choice; tile, wood, stone, etc.

 

Ah at first I thought the granite/quartz piece can act as a structural beam which i referred to in my first post as a lintel. Guess a long slab of granite isn't enough to act as a structural beam right? Any ideas where to find any structural beams? 

 

Btw, what's a treshold shelf? haha

[sometimewoodworker]

25 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

Ah at first I thought the granite/quartz piece can act as a structural beam which i referred to in my first post as a lintel. Guess a long slab of granite isn't enough to act as a structural beam right? Any ideas where to find any structural beams? 

If of concrete they are usually cast in situ, AAC suppliers can order any of the AAC lintels, few, if any, actually have them in stock.

https://www.qcon.co.th/

[canopy]

16 hours ago, Polarizing said:

Ah at first I thought the granite/quartz piece can act as a structural beam...

...what's a threshold shelf?

Sorry I misread your post. You really are talking about a lintel. The stone pieces are not structural. build your lintel first. As mentioned reinforced concrete is typical and this will be your support beam / lintel for the wall above it. Also google "shower threshold" to see the other possible stone piece you might want I have been mentioning.

 

[Polarizing]

41 minutes ago, canopy said:

Sorry I misread your post. You really are talking about a lintel. The stone pieces are not structural. build your lintel first. As mentioned reinforced concrete is typical and this will be your support beam / lintel for the wall above it. Also google "shower threshold" to see the other possible stone piece you might want I have been mentioning.

 

Oh that kind of treshold, i dont like treshold, so I am going with a PU floor!

 

I wonder if its possible to make such a big lintel in my wall haha, :worryyy

[Polarizing]

16 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

If of concrete they are usually cast in situ, AAC suppliers can order any of the AAC lintels, few, if any, actually have them in stock.

https://www.qcon.co.th/

Thanks, do you have peronal experience with them? 

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, Polarizing said:

Thanks, do you have peronal experience with them? 

No, ours were cast on site.

[mogandave]

Are your walls brick and mortar? If so, and assuming you want the niche on an inside wall, Why not just cut a rectangular hole in the wall, mortar it, cut a recess screw and screw a piece of cement board on the opposite side of the wall and skim-coat? 
 

Are you going to epoxy the walls as well? 

[Polarizing]

14 hours ago, mogandave said:

Are your walls brick and mortar? If so, and assuming you want the niche on an inside wall, Why not just cut a rectangular hole in the wall, mortar it, cut a recess screw and screw a piece of cement board on the opposite side of the wall and skim-coat? 
 

Are you going to epoxy the walls as well? 

Thanks for your input, I am really happy to hear something other than the lintel, i have been contacting qcon suppliers the last few days and it just sounds like a tedious job.

you mean use a cement board as a backpanel for the ledge, make it act as support at the same time and waterproof it afterwards. Interesting idea, but I am not familiar with how strong such board is and does it contain asbestos (lol)? My walls are concrete, as far as I can recognize it.

 

 

[canopy]

22 hours ago, mogandave said:

Why not just cut a rectangular hole in the wall, mortar it

Because cutting out 1.5 meters of a wall is asking for a collapse. This is what lintels are for and the OP knows it. Just have a builder make one.

 

[Polarizing]

On 11/19/2019 at 1:57 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

No, ours were cast on site.

They quoted me 9k per lintel, is that reasonable? I asked if they could send me a long one and I cut it by myself and they didn't reply me on that haha. They said that the concrete is already poured, so how the hell am I going to lift up a 7.5 by 20 by 210cm bar of concrete and casually insert it in the hole? I know I am superman but this might be beyond my limit >__<

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, Polarizing said:

They quoted me 9k per lintel, is that reasonable? I asked if they could send me a long one and I cut it by myself and they didn't reply me on that haha. They said that the concrete is already poured, so how the hell am I going to lift up a 7.5 by 20 by 210cm bar of concrete and casually insert it in the hole? I know I am superman but this might be beyond my limit >__<

No that is a crazy price. Custom made fence posts with 4 x 10mm deformed rebar around 3 metres long were under 1,500.

 

I’m sure the local builders yard can custom make something though you will have to wait at least a couple of weeks for it to partly cure before installing it.

 

as to installation you will need a few helpers and props.

 

This is a custom made post

 

 

[Polarizing]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

No that is a crazy price. Custom made fence posts with 4 x 10mm deformed rebar around 3 metres long were under 1,500.

 

I’m sure the local builders yard can custom make something though you will have to wait at least a couple of weeks for it to partly cure before installing it.

 

as to installation you will need a few helpers and props.

 

This is a custom made post

 

 

looking at the video, I think wow looks like a crazy diy project, hmm do you have any address for the local builders farm? I am not familiar with this hehe I am in Bkk, ON NUT

[mogandave]

On 11/25/2019 at 10:22 PM, Polarizing said:

Thanks for your input, I am really happy to hear something other than the lintel, i have been contacting qcon suppliers the last few days and it just sounds like a tedious job.

you mean use a cement board as a backpanel for the ledge, make it act as support at the same time and waterproof it afterwards. Interesting idea, but I am not familiar with how strong such board is and does it contain asbestos (lol)? My walls are concrete, as far as I can recognize it.

 

 

Yes, I would use the cement board as a back panel.

 

As I understand niche, we’re talking about a (generally) rectangular cutout in the wall of a shower to put shampoo and whatnot. If that’s the case, the concrete wall will support itself. 
 

You could also use a large ceramic tile as a back-panel, then it would not need to be finished. 
 

 

[mogandave]

On 11/26/2019 at 6:54 AM, canopy said:

Because cutting out 1.5 meters of a wall is asking for a collapse. This is what lintels are for and the OP knows it. Just have a builder make one.

 

I didn’t realize we were talking about 1.5m, but that said, the cement walls in Thailand are (generally) not weight bearing. Doors and windows are (generally) just unsupported openings.
 

If you did want to support an 

opening, it would be easy enough to drill some holes in the jambs, run some re-bar across and form in place a new concrete head.

[Polarizing]

On 11/29/2019 at 11:02 AM, mogandave said:

I didn’t realize we were talking about 1.5m, but that said, the cement walls in Thailand are (generally) not weight bearing. Doors and windows are (generally) just unsupported openings.
 

If you did want to support an 

opening, it would be easy enough to drill some holes in the jambs, run some re-bar across and form in place a new concrete head.

So the rebar idea seams like a good and economical idea, so I went to thaiwatsadu yesterday but they didnt want to cut anything larger than 10mm for me. It seemed extremely thin and didnt have the sd40t standard so I didnt go for it. Any other places I should try?:))

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Polarizing said:

So the rebar idea seams like a good and economical idea, so I went to thaiwatsadu yesterday but they didnt want to cut anything larger than 10mm for me. It seemed extremely thin and didnt have the sd40t standard so I didnt go for it. Any other places I should try?:))

Deformed 10mm is plenty big enough for that size of opening. Just put in  3 or even 4 if there is enough room and you can always add a top layer. giving you 4 or 5

 

Don't forget it isn’t structural it just needs to support the blocks/bricks above it.

[mogandave]

Also be advised that saw-cutting the opening is much better than using a demo hammer of some-such, as it won’t crack/damage wall. 
 

using a little water maker saw-cutting Cement much more pleasant...

[Polarizing]

8 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Deformed 10mm is plenty big enough for that size of opening. Just put in  3 or even 4 if there is enough room and you can always add a top layer. giving you 4 or 5

 

Don't forget it isn’t structural it just needs to support the blocks/bricks above it.

this statement actually made me worry abit. I live in a condo lol and the unit above me probably has the same floorplan, so does that mean I have 4 floors of wall resting on my rebar? XD

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, Polarizing said:

this statement actually made me worry abit. I live in a condo lol and the unit above me probably has the same floorplan, so does that mean I have 4 floors of wall resting on my rebar? XD

No, since the walls are not structural.

[Polarizing]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

No, since the walls are not structural.

 

4 hours ago, mogandave said:

Also be advised that saw-cutting the opening is much better than using a demo hammer of some-such, as it won’t crack/damage wall. 
 

using a little water maker saw-cutting Cement much more pleasant...

How can you guys be so sure it is not structural? ????

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, Polarizing said:

 

How can you guys be so sure it is not structural? ????

If you have watched the way that the overwhelming majority (virtually all) Thai buildings are constructed you will know that they are post and beam structures. The walls are never (unless you have a strange foreigner who insists on load bearing walls in his house) vital to the structural integrity of the buildings. They are there to hold up things (like pictures and kitchen cabinets) and separate one room/apartment from another. They are virtually always infill walls.

 

But you are free to disbelieve and spend the money to put in enough of a frame to support the walls above. And of course spend the money get the building plans and permission to build.

[Polarizing]

5 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

If you have watched the way that the overwhelming majority (virtually all) Thai buildings are constructed you will know that they are post and beam structures. The walls are never (unless you have a strange foreigner who insists on load bearing walls in his house) vital to the structural integrity of the buildings. They are there to hold up things (like pictures and kitchen cabinets) and separate one room/apartment from another. They are virtually always infill walls.

 

But you are free to disbelieve and spend the money to put in enough of a frame to support the walls above. And of course spend the money get the building plans and permission to build.

it's not disbelieve, it's rather that from a jenga perspective I visually don't know where it does rest on. 

 

I attached the floorplan of my condo: the yellow circels are what I think are the post and beam structures the building is resting on. the red circle is where I want to make a ledge.

 

So as long as I don't remove the yellow circles and do not drill the outside walls away, I am okay right?

[sometimewoodworker]

48 minutes ago, Polarizing said:

it's not disbelieve, it's rather that from a jenga perspective I visually don't know where it does rest on. 

 

I attached the floorplan of my condo: the yellow circels are what I think are the post and beam structures the building is resting on. the red circle is where I want to make a ledge.

 

So as long as I don't remove the yellow circles and do not drill the outside walls away, I am okay right?

You have 2 red circles! The one beside FF03 opposite FF02 is, in my opinion, clearly not structural even if others could be (they aren’t but as you seem somewhat over concerned you can treat them as if they are)

 

You have a second red circle adjacent to FF06 and opposite FF05.

Again clearly not a structural wall given the sizes of the 2 pillars on either end, but there is no indication as to what is outside.