| Building a shower pan the traditional way takes skill | | | | other level is actually built into the floor. That lower |
| but not much money. It's mostly mortar work and | | | | level is the one the first mortar layer slopes to. |
| most homeowners don't tackle building showers. | | | | Over the first, or bottom, mortar layer is laid the |
| Especially since now there are several options for | | | | actual shower liner membrane. It's a vinyl sheet that's |
| building shower without mortar. | | | | then glued to the tile base and draped up the shower |
| Even though mortar shower construction is an old | | | | walls. That layer is really what makes the shower |
| method, there are still several reasons it's popular. | | | | waterproof. |
| One reason is cost. It's often much cheaper to get a | | | | See, shower floors are not waterproof. That's |
| tile shower built with a mortar shower pan. It's | | | | because water goes right through grout and through |
| especially true if the shower is a custom size. That's | | | | some types of tile too. The liner puts a stop to that. |
| no problem at all for mortar construction. | | | | The liner forms a waterproof pool and routes water |
| Here are several key components to the typical | | | | down the slope right to the lower drain level. There |
| mortar pan... | | | | are some tricks to how that happens, but that's the |
| Shower floors are built up in layers. It's bottom up, a | | | | general idea. |
| layer at a time. This is simplified, but there are four | | | | Then right over the liner membrane, another mortar |
| main parts to a tile shower floor. | | | | layer is installed to form the actual tile base. That |
| The base of the floor is a layer of mortar, also called | | | | layer is also made of deck mud and is sloped to the |
| deck mud. The mortar is made of sand, portland | | | | upper drain opening at about the same slope as the |
| cement and water. Not much water is used, to | | | | first layer. |
| reduce shrinking as the mix dries. The mortar is put in | | | | Building a shower pan the traditional way still is a |
| place and then sloped to establish the shape of the | | | | great way to build showers. It's a step by step |
| floor. | | | | process. Each step is fairly simple. It's just that there |
| The mortar is sloped to a special tile shower drain. | | | | are several tricks, plus critical parts of a shower are |
| What's special? Well, the drain has holes on two | | | | buried in the floor. |
| levels. One level is the one you see in the floor. The | | | | |