How to Customize a Shower Pan

Your shower pan exists to give your shower and the surrounding bathroom subfloor additional protection from the water flow the shower creates. As water hits the shower tiles, most of the water is redirected down the drain. Some of the water, however, seeps through the tile into the shower pan beneath where the shower pan's additional waterproofing features also direct it down the drain. Although neither you nor your guests will actually see your shower pan, you can customize your shower pan to increase its effectiveness in redirecting water leaks.

Trowel
Mortar
Latex additive
Hydrated lime
Pre-made shower pan liner

Instructions

- 1
  Increase the slope of your mortar bed. The shower pan consists of several layers of waterproofing, one of which is a mortar bed. The greater the mortar bed's slope, the quicker trapped water flows from the mortar bed itself down the drain.
- 2
  Mix your mortar with latex as well as water. Latex increases the strength of your mortar bed, which simultaneously increases how long the shower pan's mortar bed will last.
- 3
  Add hydrated lime to your mortar mix. Like latex additives, hydrated lime increases the strength of your shower pan's mortar bed. It also helps the mortar repel water more efficiently.
- 4
  Install a pre-made rather than thin plastic shower pan liner. Shower pan liners are generally composed of a thin plastic foldable material such as poly-vinyl chloride. If you are installing your own shower pan and worry that incorrectly installing the shower pan liner will result in leaks, purchase a pre-made hard plastic shower pan to install on top of your mortar bed.

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Bathrooms