I was contacted by these wonderful clients last year to address a shower pan that had water pooling in it. They had hired a licensed General Contractor to remodel their master bathroom a few months prior. The clients told me that he had done a wonderful job on everything, except the shower. After seeing that the water pooled in one corner, I knew right away that the pan was not pitched toward the drain. I also had a very strong suspicion, that if the floor of the shower was not built correctly, than the rest of the shower was more than likely not built correctly. I recommended that the shower be replaced. After some time, the clients agreed that was the only solution.
My suspicions were confirmed when I started demo on the shower. The list of issues just kept growing the more of the shower I dismantled. The shampoo niche is on the wrong wall, that is an exterior wall, which requires insulation in the entire wall. Having a niche there is not up to building code. The walls only had a thin layer of waterproofing membrane on the bottom portion of the shower (red stuff). The backerboards used to build the substrate, were not “taped and mudded”, this is something that is required for structural reasons. Skipping this step, means each 15sqft section moves independently of one other, which can result in cracked tiles and grout. The shower floor was built out of Durock, a backerboard product that is not suitable for wet areas, or to use as a shower base. Also, when checking the level of the shower floor, I had been correct, the base sloped away from the drain. The clients didn’t use the shower for several months prior to demo being started. And when I took up the shower pan, it was soaking wet underneath. I was shocked to see that there was actually a PVC liner in the base of the shower. This is used to waterproof the base. However, the GC had put screws put all through it, compromising any waterproofing. Click to see more photos.
For my shower prep, I like to use advanced waterproof, foam based products. Laticrete, Schluter, Wedi, and USG are just a few of the brands I like to work with. For this project I used the USG board, and Schluter shower pan. The seams are sealed with a waterproof fabric membrane, and all screw holes are sealed with a heavy duty, waterproof sealant.
In the end the shower came out beautifully, and will last these clients many years. Can you spot the heart stone in the middle of the drain?
