I have a concrete basement floor.
The floor is ceramic tiled.
There is a floor drain stub out where I now want to install a built in shower. The shower size that I want is not available in a ready made pan.
How should I do the built in shower?
Should I lay in a mud, then membrane, etc per the usual installation on a plywood floor?
Or, should I do a built up floor over the tile with or without the membrane?
Or should I break out the tile and start fresh with the shower floor, with, or without the membrane?
Some people say a membrane is not necessary on a concrete basement floor and some say it is necessary.
I would appreciate some pro comments on this based upon long term experiences relating to a shower installation on a basement floor.
Replies
Bill, you definately need a membrane or copper pan. Concrete is porous and will wick water to outside the shower area.
Thanks Mike.
1. Every pan should have a pan liner no matter what.
2. That pan liner should be installed per TCA (Tile Council of America) standards. That means the line should be installed over a pre-sloped shower pan before it gets mudded.
If you don't want to have a mud pan, who could go with a cultured marble unit - they can fabricate these units to fit almost any configuration, and they look and act just like a pre-molded unit.
Good luck - Jim D
Thanks Jim.
yeah .. what they said!
the membrane has everything to do with the drain assemble ... and nothing to do with the substructure.
Me? I'd lay everything out ... and pop or cut out the tiles in the way ... then lay down some felt ... and dry pack mud bed away ... same as over a ply subfloor.
See M. Byrnes book "Tile Setting"...
and ... http://www.johnbridge.com ....
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Thanks Jeff.