| Building a shower pan is usually left to the pros. | | | | but just right. This layer is sloped toward the |
| That's because you must get the construction | | | | drain, to the lower drain holes of the special drain |
| right or the shower will leak. A leaky shower is a | | | | actually. That's a secret ingredient. The water that |
| potential disaster. Now there are tile ready plastic | | | | seeps through the floor is heading for the lower |
| pans that you can use as a base to lay tile on. | | | | drain holes. |
| But the traditional masonry shower pan works | | | | Over the first masonry layer goes the next layer. |
| great and still is the most common way to get a | | | | That's in the form of a special thick vinyl sheet. |
| tile shower built. It's tricky to build, but it's just | | | | That's what stops the water for good and moves |
| built in layers from the bottom up. | | | | it to the drain holes below the surface of the |
| You see a tile shower floor contains a hidden | | | | floor. And how do the drain holes stay open if |
| ingredient. The tile you see on the floor is not | | | | they're below the surface? It's another trick. |
| waterproof. Neither is the grout. Water goes right | | | | Then over the vinyl membrane goes another |
| through grout and through tile even, so that's why | | | | layer of mortar. This layer is sloped to the drain |
| the pan is more than you see. Here's how it's built | | | | too, but such that the finished floor will be at just |
| from the ground up. | | | | the right height. This is the base for the tile. Over |
| The ground being the base which may be | | | | this base you lay the tile and slope up right to the |
| concrete or a subfloor. Whatever it is, it must be | | | | drain which you see in the shower floor when it's |
| stable and not bouncy. Often that first layer is a | | | | finished. Grout the tile and you're done. |
| layer of cement board with maybe some tar | | | | It takes six layers in a tile shower to build the |
| paper over it. The paper is to keep the masonry | | | | shower pan. A shower built properly will last for |
| that comes next in place until it dries. Meanwhile | | | | many years. The real key is getting the drain in |
| you have the drain in place and a special drain it is. | | | | right and getting that vinyl membrane put in just |
| The drain has two layers of drain holes. The top | | | | right and sealed so it's really waterproof. This is a |
| of the drain is set at the height of the finished | | | | lot easier to understand if you can see it done at |
| floor. | | | | least once. Building a shower pan isn't complicated, |
| Over the first layer goes a layer of masonry. | | | | but it's a bit tricky. |
| Now it's a special formula and it's not too watery, | | | | |