| Whether you are building a new home or | | | | complete water and vapor barrier. The system |
| renovating your home, custom shower pans are | | | | installs over a sloped concrete base or uses a |
| a great choice. You can easily remove a bathtub | | | | ready made shower pan. The shower pan base is |
| and replace the tub with a modern tile or marble | | | | available in standard sizes. Of course using |
| shower. The usual problem is the standard | | | | concrete as a base allows for any custom size or |
| shower pan liners don't exactly fit the space you | | | | layout. These systems are very popular because |
| have. Not to fear, you have four fairly easy | | | | they work and are fast to install. |
| options. Any of these options can be installed by a | | | | Mortar shower pans. |
| pro or even by you. Here are some choices. | | | | Properly installed a traditional mortar shower pan |
| Tile Redi Shower Pans. | | | | is a great choice. The key to a trouble free |
| The company Tile Redi builds a one piece tile | | | | traditional pan is the vinyl waterproof membrane. |
| ready shower pan that will not leak. It's a tough | | | | You see tile floors are not waterproof. Water |
| "plastic" pan that won't leak and is quick to install. | | | | seeps through the grout especially. The trick to a |
| The Tile Redi pans come in many standard sizes, | | | | traditional shower pan is the vinyl membrane that |
| but you can get custom sizes too. In just about | | | | is built into the shower floor and sealed to the |
| an hour or so an installer can have the leak-proof | | | | drain. A traditional shower pan takes longer to |
| pan in and ready for tile installing. So these | | | | build than some of the other options, but is often |
| shower pans solve several shower liner problems | | | | cheaper to get done. Custom shower pans in any |
| and let installers finish faster. | | | | size are shape can be built with a mortar base. |
| Fiberglass Shower Pans. | | | | This method of building a shower requires more |
| Several companies will build you a custom size | | | | skill and experience than the other methods. One |
| shower pan. Check with most any building supply | | | | reason installers like the other methods is that the |
| company. But a regular fiberglass pan will not | | | | systems can be installed with less skilled |
| work as a base for ceramic tile. Custom sizes | | | | employees. |
| aren't cheap at all either. You can easily find a | | | | A custom shower pan can be successfully built |
| custom fiberglass pan, but you don't get a tile | | | | using several methods. Check with local installers |
| floor. You get a fiberglass floor. | | | | to see what's available in your area. For a ceramic |
| Schluter KERDI Systems. | | | | tile floor, the Tile Redi system or the Schluter |
| Schluter systems build several shower | | | | KERDI are both fast and easy installs, but quite a |
| components that together make for a | | | | bit more expensive than the traditional mortar |
| waterproof shower. A polyethylene membrane is | | | | shower pan. Maybe you might even decide to |
| the key to the system. The membrane | | | | tackle building a shower pan yourself using one of |
| completely covers the sides and floor of the | | | | these methods. |
| shower and is integrated with a special drain for a | | | | |