There are many ways to build concrete forms but this article focuses on the basics of forming a wall using wood. When you’re finished, your home will be stronger and more resistant to damage from weather conditions such as rainstorms or high winds. The first step is marking the drain location on the wall; then lay out framing for shower pan drain port (which should be at least 4 inches below floor level). If there’s no sewer pipe available nearby, dig down two feet into ground with shovels until you hit something solid like bedrock or clay soil layer–you’ll need about six inches of space around perimeter so water won’t seep out when pouring concrete over top it all up.
Mark the drain location on the wall.
- Mark the drain location on the wall.
- Mark the drain location on the floor.
- Mark the drain location on the subfloor.
- Mark the drain location on the concrete wall.
- Mark the drain location on the concrete floor.
- Mark the drain location on the concrete subfloor.
Lay out the framing for the shower pan drain port.
- Use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall where you want the shower pan drain port.
- Make sure that the drain location is at least 2 feet away from your shower pan, so that you can place it as close as possible to your floor drain (see photo above).
- Mark where you want your drain hole on the wall and make sure that there are no wires or pipes hidden behind it! Also, make sure this location is level before drilling holes in your flooring!
- Drill holes into wood framing with a hammer drill and masonry bit at least 4 inches deep into concrete (see photo above). If you don’t have access to a hammer drill, use an appropriate sized drill bit for concrete walls instead of this method which will take longer but still work fine for small jobs like installing bathroom fixtures like toilets or sinks without using any power tools other than drilling machines that require electricity such as saws etcetera…
Drill holes in the floor.
- Drill holes in the floor. Use a 3/4 inch drill bit to bore through the floor and into the sewer pipe, making sure not to hit any obstructions. Repeat this step for each hole in each drain assembly.
- Glue weep drain assemblies to floor using concrete adhesive. Place the assembly on top of its corresponding hole and press down firmly while twisting slightly and removing excess glue around edges of assembly with a putty knife or other tool as required.
Cut a square from the floor.
- Use a circular saw to cut the square from the floor, using a masonry blade and cutting from the inside of the square.
- Using a level, make sure you cut straight lines through all four sides of your square opening (or rectangle).
- Knock out any pieces of concrete that are stuck in your saw with a hammer
Dig down 2 feet to the sewer pipe and cut lateral to connect with pipe 4 inches below floor level.
Dig down 2 feet to the sewer pipe and cut lateral to connect with pipe 4 inches below floor level. Bedding the opening with mortar is recommended.
Bed the opening with mortar and install a tile flange drain assembly in the hole.
Once the opening is bedded with mortar, install a tile flange drain assembly in the hole. The best mortar to use for bedding this assembly is masonry mortar, which can be purchased at any hardware store. Spread all of the open joints of your selected tile flange drain assembly with masonry mortar using a trowel and set it into place on top of its bedding material. Use a level to make sure that your drain assembly is level and then smooth out any high spots with a damp sponge. Remove all tools from your work area (trowels, sponges) before leaving it so that nothing interferes with future work or clogs up your drain line when you’re done cleaning up dust from concrete grinding later on.
Use plastic anchors to secure an aluminum flange-retaining plate over joint between drain assembly and sewer pipe.
- Drill holes in the concrete using a masonry bit and hammer drill.
- Break up concrete with a chisel and hammer, then remove broken pieces using a shovel or broom handle (the broomstick will help direct where you want to put it).
- Clean up remaining debris with a pressure washer or vacuum cleaner, depending on your preference and available equipment (see Resources).
Install a foam form around drain assembly.
The foam form around the drain assembly should be cut to match the diameter of the drain assembly. The foam needs to be waterproof, so use a waterproof material such as polyethylene or PVC. Attach the foam form to your subfloor and stem wall with masonry screws for strength.
Apply a layer of waterproof membrane around foam form and secure it in place with tape.
- Apply a layer of waterproof membrane around the foam form and secure it in place with tape. Use a good quality tape like 3M VHB or Scotch Blue, as these will not leave residue when removed. The membrane prevents moisture from penetrating through the foam to your concrete wall and causing mold growth.
- Set your forms up on their sides so you can easily reach all four corners.
- Clip the top edge of each form to your ledger board about every third course (or every fourth header course, if you’re using one). Use clamps at the bottom corners to keep the forms from moving around while you set them up, but don’t attach them yet.
Install a weep drain assembly into drain opening by drawing it up through subfloor with a string attached to its top end.
- Use a string to pull up the drain assembly.
- Drill holes for the screws.
- Attach the drain assembly with a screwdriver and make sure it’s level by using a level on top of it, if necessary.
- Use a hammer to tap in the screws, and then add sealant around them before installing drywall or wallboard over them.
Tighten retaining nut on underside of weep drain assembly until gasket wedges against flange holding it firmly in place.
- Tighten retaining nut on underside of weep drain assembly until gasket wedges against flange holding it firmly in place.
- Use a wrench to tighten nut.
- Lay out the framing for shower pan drain port and mark location on wall, then drill holes in floor to align with those in framing (see “Drilling Holes”). Cut square from floor and connect lateral with pipe 4 inches below floor level (see “Connecting Lateral”).
- Dig down 2 feet to sewer pipe, install vent cap (if necessary) onto lateral and backfill dirt around lateral as far as you can reach without causing damage to home foundation or other structures nearby; then fill remainder of hole with crushed stone until flush with top of ground surface level.
- Connect hot-water supply lines using appropriate fittings before pouring concrete over them (see “Installing Hot Water Supply Lines”)
Place wooden form boards over weep drain installation and secure it with masonry screws driven through hole at center of flange into floor.
The weep drain must be installed before setting your forms to make sure there is no water trapped behind them. Use 2×4 lumber for the form boards and set it on top of the drain. Secure it with decking screws driven through each corner into floor framing or existing concrete wall. For extra reinforcement, drive masonry screws through flange holes at center of weep underlayment panels.
Build concrete forms on top of subfloor using 2×4 lumber secured together at corners with decking screws, then attach them to a wooden stem wall foundation with masonry screws driven through center of boards every 8 inches or so.
Build concrete forms on top of subfloor using 2×4 lumber secured together at corners with decking screws, then attach them to a wooden stem wall foundation with masonry screws driven through center of boards every 8 inches or so. Use a tape measure and level to mark where the walls will go.
If you’re building on a sloped site (like we did), you may want to add some support under the floor to help ensure your walls stay plumb as they rise up. For this step, first screw one side of each 2×4 together so that it’s perpendicular to its partner board. Then use a level across the top surface of these two pieces before drilling into them at both ends and screwing them into place in the ground below where your form will sit (see photo). If any adjustments need to be made here—say because there are other posts already set in concrete—you can always remove one end section at time until you get back into alignment again.
Conclusion
When you want to build a concrete wall, the first thing you need to do is gather all of your materials and supplies. Then, lay out all of your forms in a straight line across where you want to build it so that they’re evenly spaced apart from each other. You’ll use these as guides when pouring cement into them later on in the process. Next, measure how much mortar (or other adhesive) will be required to fill up each individual form fully before adding water according to package directions–this step may vary depending upon what kind of cement product goes into making it! Once finished mixing all ingredients together vigorously until no clumps remain visible within container full mixture has been combined thoroughly with water using long-handle spatula or spoon; add another if necessary before proceeding any further steps outlined here today
