I'm planning a small guest cabin on my property which will have a full bath and kitchenette. The theme will be very rustic-I have a stockpile of old barn wood as well as old corrugated metal roof that I'm going to use for interior finish work with the end result looking something like this:



I want to keep with the rustic look in the shower, but I'll use brand new tin that's not rusted at all:



I've never done a mud shower base before but I've watched a few Youtube videos and it looks straightforward enough. However, instead of tile I was thinking of using some old weathered clay brick that I've had for a very long time. It actually came from my mother's childhood home where the bricks were all laid loose over a sand base like pavers to form a patio of sorts. When the house was sold my dad and I pulled them all up and stacked them up outside. They're very worn but they've never seen mortar and there's subtle variation in the color, some are stamped with brand names, etc... In any event, I thought that they might make a really cool alternative to tile given the theme of the place. I would assume that I would need to apply (and perhaps annually reapply) some kind of sealer to them? Any reason (long term durability, etc...) NOT to use them in a shower application?

 

Clay is not a waterproof material, it's not fired and will soften with water, I personally would not attempt!

 

Do you want to use the clay brick for the mud base or as tiling on top???

Oh, there are reasons to NOT use bricks for a shower floor. It will be a heavy and thick floor that is difficult to clean... but it could look really cool. Doable for a shower that is seldom used but no way would I do it for a shower that gets daily use. There is a huge difference in brick quality so I would choose the best, hardest bricks that received the hottest firing. They will be less porous and easier to keep clean especially with some good sealer. Still, bricks are not waterproof and sealers aren't perfect so expect water to eventually get into the bricks if the shower gets a lot of use.

Keep in mind that the bricks will just be there for the pretty on top. You need to create a waterproof pan to contain the water. Then install the sloped mortar bed and finally, pretty bricks on top.

 

As tiling. I'm intending to lay PVC liner, do a sloped mud base, let that cure, and use a shower type grout to affix the bricks to the mud base.



My goal would be to get as flat a surface as possible by bringing the grout lines flush with the face of the bricks, not pointing them as they would be installed in a wall, etc...but yes, I realize that cleaning could be a challenge. The cabin will be used mostly by one person (me) not more than 3-4 days at a time on a given week.



How does one spot a harder, hotter fired brick? There does seem to be quite a bit of variation in the brick. My mother grew up in an old rowhouse in a northeastern city. I'm guessing that my grandfather sourced them from all different places rather than buying a load all at once.

Quote:

Keep in mind that the bricks will just be there for the pretty on top. You need to create a waterproof pan to contain the water. Then install the sloped mortar bed and finally, pretty bricks on top.

That part I realize-prior to putting down the PVC liner I will probably treat the plywood subfloor with some type of sealer just for good measure such as RedGuard, etc...

 

Although it sounds like a neat idea you really need to know if those old bricks were fired or air dried, installing air dried bricks in a wet environment they are simply going to disintegrate eventually.

I'm sure they make brick looking tile that would provide the look and you wouldn't have to redo the project in the future.