Instructions for Installing a Shower Pan

Unlike other forms of flooring, you cannot install a shower floor directly over the bathroom sub-floor. No matter how strong your shower material is, small water leaks are inevitable. Because of this, you must have a strong shower pan in place to direct those leaks down the drain and prevent them from damaging the plywood sub-floor beneath. Shower pans are generally constructed using a type of concrete known as "deck mud" and installed over waterproof sheeting.

Measuring tape
Slip sheet
Wire mesh
Sand
Portland cement
Water
Flat trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the base of your shower. Cut a slip sheet to fit over the shower base. You can use any waterproof material, such as plastic sheeting or roofing felt, for your slip sheet.
- 2
  Cut a piece of wire mesh to fit inside the shower base. Staple the wire mesh in place over the slip sheet.
- 3
  Mix five parts sand to one part portland cement. Add water and mix until the mixture begins to clump. Check the consistency of the mortar by squeezing a it together in your fist. When the mortar sticks together in a ball after being squeezed, it is ready to spread.
- 4
  Pour the mortar into two separate piles -- one on each side of the drain.
- 5
  Spread the mortar throughout the base of the shower with a flat trowel to create the shower pan. Your shower pan should be approximately 1 to 2 inches thick. Spread the mortar so that the edges of the shower pan are thicker than the center and and angle toward the drain, creating a path for water to follow.

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