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Replacing shower floor – questions

| Posted in General Discussion on February 10, 2005 07:00am

Hi all:

I just discovered that my existing tiled shower has been leaking for some time, and has rotted part of the subfloor.  The existing shower is in a corner of the bathroom, with tile along two walls, an adjacent tiled tub surround and a tile curb and floor.  There is a custom glass & chrome surround on the two outer sides that fits over the tub surround and curb.

Once I repair the damaged subfloor, I plan to install a single-piece fiberglass (or other synthetic material) pan so this doesn’t happen again.  I have removed the lower 8″ of tile on all three sides of the shower (2 walls and tub surround), and am completely removing the existing curb structure (which is partially rotten).  I plan to cut the existing tile backer just below the lowest remaining tile, install the new pan, build a new curb, install new tile backer overlapping the flange of the pan, and re-tile down to the pan.  I need to put back the curb or the existing glass surround won’t fit.  I have no desire (and no budget) to have a new surround made.  Some questions are…

1: I can’t find a shower pan without a threshold on at least one side.  Does anyone make a one-piece 36×36 shower pan with flanges on all 4 sides (no threshold)?

2: If not, how do I waterproof the joint between the new tiled curb and the pan threshold since there’s no flange?  I am concerned that this might become my new leak point.

3: As I said, I will have to remove the lower part of the tile backer from the walls to get the new pan in place.  How far up should this seam in the tile backer be from the pan?  I’m thinking 8-12 inches.

Thanks in advance,

John.

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Replies

  1. rez | Feb 12, 2005 11:22pm | #1

    Greetings tool-man,

    As a first time poster, Welcome to Breaktime.

    This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.

    Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.

    Cheers

    "Live Free,
          not Die"

  2. User avater
    Mongo | Feb 13, 2005 12:53am | #2

    John, are you looking for saomething like this from http://www.lascobathware.com/pans_acrylic.htm:

    View Image

    Or this from http://www.lascobathware.com/pans_acrylic.htm:

    View Image

    If you're looking for something that might last longer than 5-10 years and feel better underfoot, have you considered making your own with a preslope/membrane/deckmud?

    Mongo

    1. the_tool_man | Feb 14, 2005 04:25pm | #3

      Hi Mongo:

      What I have selected is something similar, from Swanstone.  The Swanstone product appears to be far superior to the mass-market fiberglass shower floors.  Since my first post, I have completed demolition of the existing pan & liner and begun repairing the subfloor.  I have found that Swanstone makes a 36x42 pan that will fit my application almost perfectly.  Rather than attempt to build a tiled curb on top of the threshold of the pan (and risk a leak at the joint between them), I plan to build up the subfloor beneath the unit about 1" to bring the threshold to the same hieght as the original curb.  This will permit me to use the original surround without modification.

      Properly installed, this shower floor should last for decades.  I have no desire to build a tile floor, only to have it leak again.  Besides, keeping the grout clean was always a chore.

      Regards,

      John.

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