Keep reading to learn how to build a shower pan in your bathroom.
One popular way to create a shower pan is to install apre-fabricated polyurethaneor fiberglass pan.
You’ll need various materials for a shower pan to build up several layers.
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The layers will create a slope toward the drain while keeping the surrounding materials waterproofed.
This slope is later refined with a second bed of mortar.
The pre-slope is laid on tar paper.
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This liner is the last line of defense between water and thesubfloor.
Tile
The top shower pan floor covering is the tile.
The tile is set in a thin bed of mortar or thin-set.
Later, grout is added to the tile seams.
Shower Curb
Three sides of the shower pan are bounded by shower walls.
The curb is the open entry point where the user enters the shower.
The curb is between two inches and six inches above the level of the shower drain.
The lower area of the shower walls should be open, with nocement boardsin place yet.
Add the Tar Paper
Cut and lay down the tar paper on the floor of the shower.
Fasten it down with roofing nails or staples.
Use only a little bit of water at a time to maintain a stiff, peanut butter-like consistency.
Use the scrap piece of two-by-four and level to continually check the tapered slope.
Let this mortar bed dry for at least 24 hours.
Use the scrap two-by-four to help estimate the slope from the walls down to the shower drain.
It is more affordable and cost-effective to buy a shower pan than to take on the project yourself.
Bases come in a variety of materials, such as acrylic, molded stone, and fiberglass.
They might begin toflex a bit, which may need a fix.
Top-quality cast iron shower pans are very costly yet also very durable and can last for decades.
There is no difference between a shower tray and a shower pan.
However, if you hear the term shower base, that is the portion that sits below the tray/pan.
How Much Does Shower Pan Replacement Cost?Angi.