Your tile shower pan can be of three types. If you are considering installing a new shower you should know your choices. If you have problems with your current shower leaking, knowing how the shower is put together helps you talk to a tradesman who will work on it.
Traditional Tile Shower Pans
Most likely your existing shower pan is made using traditional methods. That means the shower floor is built up with masonry or a cement mix. The concept used for this method is simple, but there are several tricks and some art involved. This method if properly done will produce ceramic showers that work great for many decades.
Very briefly the traditional pan is built as follows. First, set a special shower drain in place with the drain top at the height of the finished floor. Make sure you have a good solid sub floor topped with roofing felt. Then pour in mortar mix and slope it to the drain. The next layer is a waterproof vinyl membrane. This sheet is the waterproof barrier which is glued to the drain. Above the membrane or liner goes the top layer of masonry sloped to the drain. Then finally install the tile and grout to finish the floor.
Know that the masonry and grout in a shower floor are not waterproof. Only the vinyl liner is waterproof. If installed properly, you have a long-lasting set-up. If mistakes are made, you have a problem. Also the shower floor is not maintenance free. The joints at the floor to walls must be checked regularly and may require caulking from time to time.
Fiberglass Shower Pans
A quick and easy way to build a shower pan is to install a fiberglass pan made for this purpose. These are the pans you see at building stores. Tile cannot be installed on these pans. It's fast and relatively easy but fiberglass pans have negatives. These pans do not last as long as traditional pans. They are easily scratched and damaged. And a fiberglass shower pan does not have the luxury look and feel of a ceramic tile shower.
Tile Ready Shower Pans
There are several systems now that make installing a shower pan faster than the traditional way. All the systems use a vinyl pan with an integral drain designed for installation of ceramic tile over the top of the pan. Methods vary, but systems contain material to line the walls and make a completely waterproof shower. Some systems use a mortar base for the shower pan to sit on. Others use a special foam base.
The advantages of these systems over traditional systems is speed. No waiting for mortar layers to dry. Also the level of art and skill for the installer is less. The disadvantage is cost. Typically the tile ready showers are far more expensive than a traditional tile shower pan. The material is sometimes as expensive as the whole job cost the traditional way.
Puzzled about how to build a ceramic tile shower? Need more information? Visit our site for tile shower pan tips.
We invite you to visit http://www.installingceramictile.net for answers to your ceramic shower questions.
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