DIY Shower Pan Installation

Considerations

• Examine the floor area where you will be installing the shower pan. Make sure that the floor is structurally sound, especially floor joists and the subfloor material. Any damaged area must be repaired.

  If you have the necessary time and skills, you can build your own shower pan, but it may not be worth the time and effort required. First, you’ll need to finish it correctly to ensure that the pan has the proper slope. Needless to say, the unit must be watertight. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by investing in a composite or precast shower pan.

  Precast shower pans are usually one-piece and seamless. This type of design reduces the chances of the shower tray developing a leak.

Installation Tips

• Generally, precast shower pans can be installed on a flat subfloor, such as concrete, plywood or wood. Use your level to make sure that the floor area is level. As long as the floor is mostly flat, use wood shims to level the shower pan. If the floor is not level and even, use a self-leveling thin-set product to even out the surface.

  If you are replacing an existing tray, try to buy one with similar dimensions for the drain location. If the drain doesn’t line up properly, you will have to reconfigure the drain pipe. This is usually less expensive than having a custom shower tray cast.

  The floor drain should protrude at least a half inch above the subfloor. Make the subfloor opening around the drain pipe about 6 inches in diameter. This should give you plenty of room to work when connecting the shower tray's drain unit to the floor drain.

  Follow the instructions for connecting the drain pipe to the shower pan drain cap. Line up the drain components to ensure that the drain fittings are correct. Remove the drain cap from the shower pan; put a thick bead of plumbers putty around the bottom of the drain cap and screw it securely in place. The putty will keep water from getting into the flooring underneath the tray.

  Pour about 2 inches of mortar in the pan area. Allow the mortar to dry. Lay a waterproof membrane or liner; there are two types: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or chlorinated polyethylene (CPE). CPE liners cost more.

  Apply the membrane on top of the mortar bed and cover it with another layer of mortar. If you are building the shower from scratch, make sure that the liner extends up the sides of the shower wall a minimum of 8 inches. Usually, the mortar must be sloped towards the drain about a 1/4-inch per foot. Check your plumbing codes to find out the requirements.