Does Wall Tile Sit on Top of a Shower Base?
In a tiled shower, individual wall tiles install on top of the shower base for a watertight design. A shower base will protect your flooring from water infiltration, rot and mold, but only if the surrounding walls properly join the base. If they do not, water may seep between the walls and base, allowing water to accumulate and damage the wood beneath it over time. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Shower Base Design
-
A shower base is a simple piece of material with a big job; it protects your flooring from the water from the shower. Most shower bases are hybrid materials made with fiberglass, acrylic or rubber. The base is a simple shell with a drain hole and sides that include a small flange, or lip. Your shower tile always fits over the shower base when you install a new shower. Depending on the type of base you install, tiles install on top of a lip on the edge of the base or over the entire surface of the shower base.
Tiled Showers
-
A tiled shower contains a shower base with tiled walls and a floor. The shower base is not visible because it is underneath the tiles. The base is first set inside of a mortar bed to provide stability. Once the bed dries and the base is secure, grout is spread across the base and tiles installed over the floor and walls, which is different from another type of shower in which the walls are tile but the base is fiberglass.
-
Shower Bases With Tile Walls
-
Another option is to mount a shower base on the floor, and install tile on the shower walls. The shower base is visible and typically made of fiberglass or acrylic. It is just a shallow pan with a drain hole and a small lip around the edge. The tile installs over this lip, forming a watertight barrier that prevents leaks. Since the tile overlaps the edge of the shower base, it is less likely to seep behind the base and into the walls. The edge of the tile is usually sealed with silicone caulking as an additional precaution.
Alternative Configurations
-
Alternatives to tiled walls do exist and are commonly used. Typically, one-piece solid fiberglass shower wall panels install on top of the fiberglass shower base. The edges of the wall panels, like wall tiles, install over the lip of the shower base. Wall panels are not typically used with tiled shower floors, however. Showers are either all tile, tile walls with a fiberglass shower base or fiberglass base and walls.
-
