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A shower liner needs to be
installed into the base of a shower stall if you have plans for building a
ceramic tiled custom shower. Over the years I have heard my share of horror
stories where improper shower liner installations have lead to mini
disasters in the home. It is imperative to install a shower liner correctly
to prevent shower floor leaks. Shower floor leaks ultimately lead to rot,
mold and mildew growth. In addition, if the shower is located on an upper
level of a home, water will inevitably find its way on to the lower level
ceilings.
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A flexible shower membrane liner
is at the heart of every quality mortar shower pan. More specifically a
shower liner is installed between two layers of mortar that have been
purposely sloped towards the shower drain.
Installing a Shower Liner
Before attempting to install a shower liner it is important to first make
sure you have properly framed your shower stall. Make sure that the wall
studs are on 16 inch centers and that there is blocking material installed
along the perimeter base of the shower stall.
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In addition, make sure that the
shower subfloor has no deflection. If the floor has deflection the mortar
could crack over time, which could lead to a damaged shower liner.
The first step in installing a
shower liner is to pour a pre-sloped mortar bed into the base of the shower
stall. You will need to trowel the mortar so that you create a gentle slope
upwards and outwards from the shower drain. The slope should be ¼” per foot.
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However, before you install the
pre-slope mortar layer make sure to install an adjustable shower drain so
that you can adjust the height of the shower drain to the finished height of
the shower base, including the height of the ceramic tile. In addition, also
lay a layer of felt paper and metal lath into the base of the shower floor
prior to pouring the mortar.
Allow the pre-slope mortar to set up over night before moving forward.
Once the pre-slope mortar has cured, you can then install the shower liner.
Make sure you use enough shower liner material to have the material run up
approximately 6 inches along the sides of the shower walls. Fold the shower
liner with lap joints and tack onto the wall studs and blocking material
approximately 5” inches off of the base of the shower floor. Also tack the
shower liner to the outside edge of the shower curb.
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Once you have tacked up the shower
liner material, cut a hole out for the shower drain.
With the shower liner installed, fasten the cement backer board onto the shower
walls. Make sure to put some cardboard over the membrane liner to prevent
damaging it when installing the cement backer board.
Next, hand form shape and apply metal lath over the shower curb area. Nail it to
the outside edge of the shower stall. |
After installing the cement backer board and attaching the curb metal lath,
pour one final layer of mortar into the shower base to complete the shower
liner installation. Trowel the mortar so that you maintain the same slope as
the pre-slope. In addition, trowel mortar over the curb and metal lath.
Allow the mortar to set up over night, and you can then begin the process of
tiling your custom ceramic tile shower.
See
My Shower Pan Ebook for More Details: 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”.
For more
information on tiling a custom ceramic tile shower, see the
How to Tile a Custom Ceramic Tile Shower Ebook
from HomeAdditionPlus.com. It provides detailed instructions for every
step in the process of tiling a custom ceramic tile shower and is loaded with
instructional pictures!
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