Fiberglass shower pan for ceramic tile
jayhawkokie
| Posted in General Discussion on
We are in the planning stage for the construction of a new home. My wife has always wanted a huge shower. The house will be on a basement and we have heard horror stories about shower pans leaking.
Does anyone make a fiberglass shower pan and surround that can be tiled with our choice of tile after installation? We’re a bit gun shy about the traditional method of sealing the shower pan. If you get the luck of the draw with someone who is sloppy or doesn’t know what he is doing there could be problems ahead.
Thank You for your input
R Nickelson
Grove, Oklahoma
Replies
Hire a quality guy who shows you ahead of time what process will be used and don't do a hot mop. There are plenty of good tradesmen out there. Don't just go by referrel as lots of people who don't know any better are making the referrels.
Never heard of a fiberglass pan for tile.
If you're truly worried you could use a stone or similiar pan and tile on the walls.
Like the other poster, find someone local who has been in business a while and make sure you also understand his process. rubber membranes are popular and work well, Kerdi also has a system but I have never seen it in use myself.
I believe Jeff buck and a few others here have used it and could comment.
Are you from Lawrence or attend KU?
I grew up in Western Kansas, never attended KU but am a huge fan.
I appreciate the links to the products, I'll check them out.
Thanks for the help
Edited 6/4/2006 7:47 pm ET by jayhawkokie
we use the schluter products (as already posted ) all the time. wicked stuff, dosent need a plumber, installs in 1 day, way more user friendly, comes with drain and flange, extremely versatile. Tmaxxx
Urban Workshop Ltd
Vancouver B.C.
cheers. Ill buy.
Go here (http://www.schluter.com) and check out the Kerdi drain and shower system.
Schluter products are used here by almost 100 percent of the professional tile setting contractors, on installations ranging from "budget" to way way "over the top."
Tile Redi - Water Proof Shower Pans
http://www.tileredi.com/pages/shower_pans.htm
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I've just been on 2 jobs this year with 'glass pans.
But both aren't the finished product- you'll still need to put in a mud bed, and tile the floor.
The fiberglass is done like a boat- glass cloth and resin.
It seems to be a pretty new thing around here.
Shep,
I may be wrong, but I think the orginal poster was suggesting a pre-made fiberglass pan or shower unit that can be tiled.
I've never seen or heard of someone using mesh and fiberglass as a pan liner, Is there a particular company or product making a system for that?
My gut reaction is that fiberglass would be to brittle under a mud set if it was anything like fiberglass mesh used for boats or autos.
I think you're right about the original poster; I was offering an alternative.
The fiberglass pans seem to be along the Jersey shore, near the boats. I've also seen it used to seal roof decks, with a finish paint over the 'glass.
There's several companies down by Long Beach Island who do that work. I think they've been doing the roof decks for quite a while, and the pans are somewhat newer.
I don't know about it's long-term durability. you may be right about the brittleness.But I think that as long as the framing is solid, and doesn't move much, the pan should hold up, too.
I think he is talking about using a fiberglass pan and tiling the walls only. Pretty typcial install in mid priced homes.
Hot mop shower pans usually fail because a roofer was the one who installs it. Get hold of profession tile companies and find out who they use.
Here is a list of things roofers do that causes problems.
The don't used a "Shower Drain"
They use COLD TAR
The don't pre-slope the base.
They don't pre-fold the tar paper to make square corners.
They let the tar get cold so the layers don't bond.
They don't re-enforce the corners.
They don't know what the Plumbing Code says.
And they don't know how to test it
what's the benifit of a hot mopped pan over newer technology or systems?
The benefit of hot mop is price, durability and customization. In my last post, I hope you understand that there are a lot of people who know not what they're doing. Betcha the leaking pans were done by Roofers not showerpan professionals.
I was hoping there might be a one piece fiberglass unit that incorporated the pan and shower enclosure and a unit that could be tiled.
I know a lot of people who have had leaking shower pans. Maybe I'm a bit paranoid.