If you’re purchasing a pre-fab’d shower pan for a replacement project, make your
life easier by choosing one that has its drain hole located exactly where the
original shower drain unit was located. This way you won’t have to modify the
existing plumbing trap that sits underneath the shower collector pan.
One of the two critical tasks in a shower drain installation project is to
ensure a perfect seal between the shower collector pan and the drain itself. The
second critical task is to ensure that the shower drain is perfectly sealed with
the trap located under the shower floor. It’s also vitally important that the
shower drain is mounted so that it is perfectly rigid. Any flexing of the shower
drain will inevitably lead to leaks down the road.
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To create a perfect seal between a fiberglass shower pan and
the plumbing drain pipe, a thick and flexible coupling sleeve piece is
inserted over the shower drain pipe. The coupling piece compresses as the
shower pan is pushed over it and the drain pipe, which helps to create the
water tight seal. A gasket is also attached between the drain cap and the
coupling piece / drain pipe. By fastening the screws associated with the
drain cap, and through the gasket, a water tight seal is created between the
shower pan and the drain pipe. |
For mortar shower
pans, an adjustable shower drain is used. The base of the adjustable drain is
first attached to the shower drain pipe using plumbers cement. It has a flange
on it that normally sticks up about ¼ of an inch above the base of the bare
shower pan floor (pre-mortar stage). The adjustable shower drain head then
screws down into the base portion. However, it is not actually installed until
the mortar shower pan is nearly completed.
| Mortar is then installed into the base of the shower floor
to the point where it is flush with the top edge of the base flange. The
mortar also has to be thicker as it nears the shower walls to create the
appropriate pitch for the water to funnel towards the drain. A shower pan
membrane liner is then installed over the pre-slope mortar layer. The lining
material rests over the top of the drain hole flange, and a hole is then cut
into it for water to drain into the shower drain. A bead of silicone caulk
is placed around the rim of the drain hole (on the underside of the liner)
and a cap piece associated with the adjustable shower drain is then screwed
down onto the base flange assembly. |
Immediately Downloadable
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The adjustable shower head is then installed into the flange and small pea
stones are placed around the weep holes associated with the adjustable shower
drain. Note that the shower head is adjusted so that the top of the head will
sit flush with the expected final height of the tiled shower floor surface.
Lastly, the final layer of mortar is poured onto the shower floor. The trick is
to maintain the slope while troweling out this mortar layer.
And that’s all there is to it for your shower drain installation project. It’s
not that difficult, however make sure you don’t skip any steps. Otherwise you’ll
find yourself tearing up the shower pan and redoing your work.
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See
My Shower Pan Ebook for More Details on Installing a Shower Pan Membrane Liner: For a more detailed set of
instructions on building a shower pan, including pictures and a detailed
cross-sectional view of the make-up of a shower pan, see my “Shower Pan Membrane
Liner Ebook”.
Planning a custom ceramic tile shower and don't know where to begin? Not sure
how to install a Shower Pan Membrane Liner. See [Shower
Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook]
For help on bathroom remodeling, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet.
The
Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet
provides you with the knowledge and information you need to plan a bathroom addition
project, and what to look for when hiring contractors. It
also includes a detailed cost breakdown table and a spreadsheet for estimating
your own new bathroom remodeling building costs.
Related Articles and Videos
Additional Home Plumbing Resources
Adjustable Shower Drains from Amazon.com
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