Alternative to Building a Tile Shower Pan

Cast Pans

• Pre-cast shower pans are also known as shower liners, and consist of pre-cast plastic forms that are sold in different shapes and sizes. They are common with tract homes that all have the same floor plan because the liner can be installed with minimal effort and cost and provides basic coverage for the shower floor.

Shower Units

• Going hand in hand with pre-built shower liners are the full-sized pre-fabricated shower units. These combine the shower pan with the shower walls, and you can either install tile on top of the shower walls later or you can leave it as-is with a tile look-alike design imbedded in the plastic. While affordable, they do not have the customization of a full tile shower.

Painted Waterproofing

• Paint-on waterproofing can suffice if you already have a sloped concrete floor and drain in place and just need to cover the floor with tile. You can install a membrane system on top of the waterproofing for the best protection, or you can just paint on the waterproofing and install the tile directly. This only works if the concrete has a built-in slope to it. Otherwise you will need to create some form of slope with cement or thinset mortar.

Modern Membrane Systems

• Pre-made fiberglass or Styrofoam forms are sold which can be used to create a shower pan where none exists. They are meant to be installed underneath membrane systems where you can build up and structurally support the fiberglass or Styrofoam. The forms are made to be cut with a utility knife so you can slam them in fast.