How to Mix Mortar for a Shower Pan
You can use a shower pan for the floor of your walk-in shower. However, applying the shower pan takes time and effort since you cannot add it by simply gluing it to the bathroom cement. You need to apply dry pack mortar to the shower flooring before placing the shower pan. Dry pack mortar -- also named floor mud or deck mud -- helps settle the flooring and prevents leaking. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Mix your mortar mix with sharp sand -- for every 4 lbs. of mix you need to add 2 lbs. of sand Most premixes are a ratio of 3 to 1, sand to cement. This is too heavy for working in a shower area where you need a ratio of 5 to 1. Deck mud that consists of too much cement will clump as you mix it, making it more difficult to work with.
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Place an 80 lb. bag of dry pack mortar into a mortar tub.
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Mix the dry mortar using a shovel or hoe to mix the sand and the cement together so the proportions are evenly distributed throughout the entire mix.
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Add water in small portions until the mortar becomes damp. Mix the mortar carefully when adding each portion of water using the shovel or hoe. The mortar consistency should retain its shape when clumped in your hand, but no water should drip from the clump.
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Tips & Warnings
Once the deck mud is mixed, you have 30 to 45 minutes to place it on the shower floor before it dries.
Add more sand to a mixture if clumping occurs when mixing. Clumping should only occur when you pack it together with your hand.
Use sand mix and cement mix if you cannot find a dry mortar mix. Keep the proportions 5-parts sand to 1-part Portland cement.
