Shower Pan & curb - DIY it or hire it out?
#1
01-07-14, 09:53 PM
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Shower Pan & curb - DIY it or hire it out?
I'm doing a complete re-do on my master bath. Next step is the shower curb and pan. I've watched a hundred videos and read various posts etc. This shower is a custom size so I think I've decided against any of the pre-formed ones and just need to go with a mud build. I'm on a slab. The shower's roughly 3' x 6' with a center drain. I have limited experience working w/ cement type products but am obsessive to detail. Wondering how difficult putting in a pan is - really - for a non-experienced person AND how much would it likely cost to have it done professionally? (I do plan to get quotes, but wanted to ask here too.)
I'm in California. How long does it typically take for an experienced installer? Is it common for a tiler to have that skill as well?
I guess there's a lot of hot-mop in CA…I HATE the smell of that stuff. Is the Redguard the same idea?
Thanks!
I'm in California. How long does it typically take for an experienced installer? Is it common for a tiler to have that skill as well?
I guess there's a lot of hot-mop in CA…I HATE the smell of that stuff. Is the Redguard the same idea?
Thanks!
#2
01-08-14, 06:20 AM
Group Moderator
Almost any job can be a DIY project if you are capable. Unfortunately I see a lot of people who watch a bit too much HGTV and end up making mistakes or simply poor quality work. Pricing and time to hire a professional is totally job dependent and depends on who you hire so it's impossible to give even a guess based simply on "3' x 6' shower".
Working with mortar, mud and thinset is not particularly difficult but it does take a bit of practice. Often getting the right mix is surprisingly difficult if you've never done it before to know what it should look & feel like. The nice thing though when using a mortar mix it's easy to add more dry mix or water until you get the consistency right. The mix for the floor base to establish the slope to the drain will probably need to be dryer than you think it should.
Working with mortar, mud and thinset is not particularly difficult but it does take a bit of practice. Often getting the right mix is surprisingly difficult if you've never done it before to know what it should look & feel like. The nice thing though when using a mortar mix it's easy to add more dry mix or water until you get the consistency right. The mix for the floor base to establish the slope to the drain will probably need to be dryer than you think it should.
#3
01-08-14, 07:03 AM
Member
I'm sure your have read the step by step links that have been posted around here. Here are some pointers and tips when discussing with others:
-Insist on a double slope which is 2 mud beds sloped toward the drain with the pan liner sandwiched in between
-One of the toughest parts of the mud pan build is the curb - and you propose a huge one at 6 feet. Stop into tile shops and inquire about pre-formed curbs. They are styrofoam centered with a cement casing around it. Will save you a ton of headaches. Although do your homework before installing so as to not puncture the pan liner
-To assist with the slopes, cut a series of long wedges that radiate from the drain outward. Have one start at 3/8" thick at the drain and grow by 1/4" per foot until it reaches a corner. Do this for each corner and then do it for each side. You should have 8 radiating arms of sloped shims with spaces in between. You pack the spaces firmly with your floor mud and one by one remove a shim and fill in with floor mud where the shim used to be. Pack everything tightly and match the firmness of the spaces you packed earlier.
-Have every kind of trowel, float and scrap 2x4 close at hand to assist in shaping as you go. Packing with a float seams easiest and then smoothing with a trowel will help feather things out. I use a rounded trowel (oval shaped) for my final shaping. It doesn't leave gouges.
-Have every size level around. 4' to measure level across the back wall on the 6 foot wall. 2' to measure level across the side smaller walls, and a speed level to check an make sure everything slopes at all times toward the drain. You are going to want the final mud bed to be perfectly level across the walls and then taper toward the drain.
-Pick a 2x2 inch tile for in the shower floor as it will be easier to follow the slopes than a larger tile. Larger tiles will touch at the corners and rock and float in the middle.
-Keep a beverage cold as you will deserve one after setting each portion of the built.
-Insist on a double slope which is 2 mud beds sloped toward the drain with the pan liner sandwiched in between
-One of the toughest parts of the mud pan build is the curb - and you propose a huge one at 6 feet. Stop into tile shops and inquire about pre-formed curbs. They are styrofoam centered with a cement casing around it. Will save you a ton of headaches. Although do your homework before installing so as to not puncture the pan liner
-To assist with the slopes, cut a series of long wedges that radiate from the drain outward. Have one start at 3/8" thick at the drain and grow by 1/4" per foot until it reaches a corner. Do this for each corner and then do it for each side. You should have 8 radiating arms of sloped shims with spaces in between. You pack the spaces firmly with your floor mud and one by one remove a shim and fill in with floor mud where the shim used to be. Pack everything tightly and match the firmness of the spaces you packed earlier.
-Have every kind of trowel, float and scrap 2x4 close at hand to assist in shaping as you go. Packing with a float seams easiest and then smoothing with a trowel will help feather things out. I use a rounded trowel (oval shaped) for my final shaping. It doesn't leave gouges.
-Have every size level around. 4' to measure level across the back wall on the 6 foot wall. 2' to measure level across the side smaller walls, and a speed level to check an make sure everything slopes at all times toward the drain. You are going to want the final mud bed to be perfectly level across the walls and then taper toward the drain.
-Pick a 2x2 inch tile for in the shower floor as it will be easier to follow the slopes than a larger tile. Larger tiles will touch at the corners and rock and float in the middle.
-Keep a beverage cold as you will deserve one after setting each portion of the built.
#4
01-08-14, 07:20 AM
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Hi Pilot Dane,
I don't watch tv at all - I work on my house :-) But I do get what you're saying, I've seen some of those shows and it's hysterical that they "build" an entire basement apartment in 30 minutes.
I don't watch tv at all - I work on my house :-) But I do get what you're saying, I've seen some of those shows and it's hysterical that they "build" an entire basement apartment in 30 minutes.
#5
01-08-14, 07:33 AM
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Hi czizzi,
Thanks for the tips and tricks, especially regarding the wedges, I've seen the plastic ones and thought that was a great idea, never thought about making them, lol.
The curb is actually only 1/2 that, there's a partial wall on the entrance side however I do like the idea of the preformed curb and will call around.
Yes, have been lamenting the floor tile. Originally I'd planned to install a long wall drain (not the right name I'm sure) so I could avoid the whole curb thing, have an ADA-ish curb-less shower, and use the same 6x8 tile on the floor, but the contractor wanted an extra $1k for the labor and the drains are quite expensive as well so I had to nix that, would have been nice though!
Thank you for the inspiration! Curious…how long do you have when working w/ the mud, seems pretty dry going in. Also, somewhat unrelated but not, I need to level out some low spots in the rest of the bathroom. Any comments on leveling compounds?
Thanks!
Thanks for the tips and tricks, especially regarding the wedges, I've seen the plastic ones and thought that was a great idea, never thought about making them, lol.
The curb is actually only 1/2 that, there's a partial wall on the entrance side however I do like the idea of the preformed curb and will call around.
Yes, have been lamenting the floor tile. Originally I'd planned to install a long wall drain (not the right name I'm sure) so I could avoid the whole curb thing, have an ADA-ish curb-less shower, and use the same 6x8 tile on the floor, but the contractor wanted an extra $1k for the labor and the drains are quite expensive as well so I had to nix that, would have been nice though!
Thank you for the inspiration! Curious…how long do you have when working w/ the mud, seems pretty dry going in. Also, somewhat unrelated but not, I need to level out some low spots in the rest of the bathroom. Any comments on leveling compounds?
Thanks!
#6
01-22-14, 01:46 PM
Contemplating shower pan, too...
Posting to this thread in hopes that I might be able to avoid the custom built pan and curb outlined here. I appreciate the spirit of endeavor, but I just don't have the tile laying chops to float my own custom floor and curb.
I also am remodeling a master bath, and want to install a 30 x 60 shower pan. 1/2 of the door side will have a 1/2 length and height wall, topped by glass block, with a pivot door to create entry. I would build and tile a curb for the threshold (+/- 28"). All of this is laid on subfloor, not concrete.
I'd like to use a preformed shower pan, something nice like solid surface, with tile flange all the way around that would keep water from seeping under the tile on the door side. All I can seem to find on the internet are flanges on 3 sides with a threshold running the full length of the 4th (door) side.
Any ideas where to look? Anyone done something like this and can propose a solution?
Thanks for the feedback!
I also am remodeling a master bath, and want to install a 30 x 60 shower pan. 1/2 of the door side will have a 1/2 length and height wall, topped by glass block, with a pivot door to create entry. I would build and tile a curb for the threshold (+/- 28"). All of this is laid on subfloor, not concrete.
I'd like to use a preformed shower pan, something nice like solid surface, with tile flange all the way around that would keep water from seeping under the tile on the door side. All I can seem to find on the internet are flanges on 3 sides with a threshold running the full length of the 4th (door) side.
Any ideas where to look? Anyone done something like this and can propose a solution?
Thanks for the feedback!
