How to Install a Mortar Bed Shower Pan
No matter how carefully you lay new tiles in a shower enclosure, leaks will occur. To contain the leak and protect your shower floor from damage, it's necessary to install a shower pan. The shower pan is a combination of mortar and liner. It supports the shower floor and directs the water from your shower toward the drains. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Roofing felt
- Utility knife
- Wire mesh
- Stapler
- Mortar mix
- Latex additive
- Wheelbarrow spade
- Trowel
- Screed
- Plastic sealant
- Cement backerboard
- Hammer
- Nails
- Metal lath
- Pliers
- Sand
- Portland cement
- Water
- Tile spacers
- Dropcloth
Instructions
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1
Cut a sheet of roofing felt to fit the shower enclosure, using a utility knife. Place the roofing felt into the shower frame, covering the surface of the floor. The felt will act as a slipsheet, holding the shower bed materials in place against the wooden frame.
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2
Place wire mesh over the roofing felt. Staple both the mesh and felt in place, securing them to the plywood frame floor. Use mesh to create a surface for the mortar to grab onto, creating a solid bond.
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3
Attach the bottom flange of the clamping drain assembly to the shower drain.
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4
Mix four parts mortar mix to one part Portland cement to create your mortar. Add latex additive instead of water to add compressive strength. Mix the mortar in a wheelbarrow, using a spade.
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5
Dump the mortar into the shower enclosure, and then spread it across the shower floor, using a trowel. Slope the mortar with the outside edge 1 1/2 inch deep, tapering to a depth of 3/8 inch surrounding the drain. Use a wooden screed to smooth the surface of the mortar, and allow the mortar to harden overnight.
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Place the shower pan liner into the enclosure. Fold the excess portions of the liner over the sides of the shower floor frame. Staple the liner to the outside of the frame at the highest point possible. Locate the drain in the bottom of the frame and cut a hole in the liner exposing the drain and the bolt holes around the drain.
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7
Apply sealant to the bottom of the liner between the liner and the bottom flange. Press the liner to the flange to seal it in place. Place the top flange onto the bottom flange and bolt it into place.
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8
Nail cement backerboard board into place to the frame studs, with the bottom of the board overlaying the excess liner stapled to the shower floor frame. Leave a gap of 1/8 inch between the bottom of the board and the liner-covered floor to protect it from moisture from the liner.
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9
Fold metal lath along the outside shower curb of the wood frame not covered by backerboard. Bend the lath, using pliers to shape it, extending to the floor on both sides. Secure the lath by stapling it to the outside of the wooden frame.
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10
Mix the deck mud for building the mortar bed for the shower pan, using four parts sand to one part Portland cement. Blend the sand and cement completely, and then add water until the mix can be squeezed into a ball in your hand without leaving your hand moist.
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11
Cover the weep holes in the drain with tile spacers so that placed deck mud will not fill them. Screw the drain trap onto the flange to keep debris from falling into the drain.
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12
Place the deck mud into the frame and spread it across the surface of the floor. Slope the mud so that the area around the drain is 1 1/2 inch deep with the outside area being at least ¼ inch higher than the center per foot of space from the center to the edge. Layer the mud until it's within 1/8 inch of the top of the drain trap to allow for the thickness of placed tile, with a consistent slope.
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13
Create the curb of the frame, using mortar mix. Mix four parts mortar mix to one part Portland cement, adding water until it's slightly wetter than the deck mud. Spread the mortar mix onto the metal lath placed over the curb of the shower until the lath is covered using a trowel. Layer the mortar until the outside of the curb is ½ inch thick and the top is 1 inch thick.
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14
Cover the mortar bed with a dropcloth and allow it to cure for 10 days. After curing, remove the dropcloth and then install the tile of your choice.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety goggles, a face mask and rubber gloves when dealing with cement-based mixes, as the material can be hazardous to skin, eyes and lungs with long exposure.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Tiler replacing wall tile in shower cubicle image by Bryan Clark from Fotolia.com
