shower pan?

[Gone Fishen]

I am looking at shower pans for a cabin shower, what is the difference between a 'shower pan' and a 'shower receptical'. I was looking at HD online and asked the cabinet guy at HD and he said it was a different way of calling the pan a receptical. Any ideas? thanks.

[4micaman]

When I think of "shower pan" it conjurs the image of a skilled tile setter building one from scratch - using a membrane (overlapping up the walls) and a sloped mud bed.

You can buy preformed fiberglass, acrylic, or concrete shower pans and I think the tendency is moving to calling those "shower receptacles."

If you all are putting ceramic on the walls, do yourself a favor and splurge on the old fashioned shower pan. Be sure to use a seasoned tile "setter" verses an "installer."

The folks at this forum can/will be able to give you a better explanation of the difference in the pan / receptacle issue.

[SmokeyWren]

I don't agree with 4micaman's opinion that you need an expert mud man to build a shower. You can do a perfectly good job of DIY using a shower "receptor" base. I built my house 12 years ago and used one similar to this one: KOHLER Shower Receptor

Yes, Home Depot now calls them a shower "receptor" instead of a base or pan.

But plan ahead to put the drain exactly where it goes in the floor to match up to the shower receptor you buy. Note that there are various sizes and shapes of shower receptors, with the drain in various locations in the base - center, one side, or one end. I bought my shower receptor before I poured the slab, so I knew the exact measurements of the shower base and drain and where it was going to be located, so I could exactly place the rough-in shower drain in the slab. I also bought the shower door before I installed the shower stall walls around the shower recepetor, so I could determine exactly how wide to make the rough-in opening for the shower door.

For the style of shower receptor I have, rectangle 48"x36" with the threshold on one of the 48" sides, I had stud walls on all 4 sides of the shower, including a stud shower door frame on the threshold side. Connect the shower receptor or "pan" or base to the drain plumbing before you build the additional stud walls around the receptor. Then build the walls tight against the receptor. Then rough-in the shower plumbing.

Then use only "cement board" tile base, instead of sheetrock, inside the shower stall. Ceiling too. And screw it to the studs with rust-proof screws - aluminum or brass - instead of ordinary sheetrock screws. Install the cement board overlapping the flanges of the shower base - after you put way too much silicon caulk on the flange. Install the cement board, then remove the excess caulk from inside the shower stall while it's still easy to remove.

Caulk the seams in the concrete board really good, before you install the tile. You don't want water going through the walls.

On mine, I built in a seat on the end opposite the shower head. So my base is 48" wide, but the stall is closer to 60" wide.

The only mistake I made is I made the seat level. I should have sloped it a hair towards the base so the water would drain off more completely. Rebuilding the seat/bench is a "honey do" for the future. In the meantime, we use a squeegee and get most of the water off the seat after every shower. The tile/grout is sealed and should be waterproof, but I'd feel more comfortable if I knew that moisture was not seeping through the grout and making a nice home for mold to grow.

[4micaman]

It isn't that a "seasoned tile setter" is required to build a shower, SmokeyWren. It's that I've torn out far to many tubs and/or showers that were not done properly. The tile laid on sheet rock, green board, concrete board, even plywood of various types and they all had mold, mildew and/or rot behind them. Shower pans not sloped (or poorly done leaving standing water). No waterproof membrane under the pan, let alone on the studs - behind any concrete board.

Can a properly constructed shower stall be built by a DIY'er? Absoulutely, BUT - they should seek the advice of those in the know, before hand. Taking a tiling class at HD doesn't qualify. The link I gave above, to johnbridge.com, is the place a crafty DIY'er can go to get genuine expert advice on how to tile anything.

Your shower stall looks pretty good, SmokeyWren. I notice the bullnose edging on your seat, which makes a nice corner but, it also looks like a water damn. Still, nicely done and well thought out it appears. Is that 200 mph tape around the seat... or accent tiles?

From the FWIW department:

Was your grout sealed only the one time - or do you seal it 2-3 times a year? Should be done at least twice a year to keep it effective.

Concrete backer boards are exactly what you should use. However, being a cement product (read as: porous), a waterproof membrane should be installed behind it and overlap your pan. Otherwise, the studs will/can wick any moisture that seeps through the grout and grow funky science projects.

[Gone Fishen]

Thanks guys however a short update. The top floor bath I am installing tile board on the flooring. I am limited on the size of shower. I have to use a 32" deep MAX. I looked at this one 48 In. X 32 In. Cascade Shower Floor, White - 4832WL at The Home Depot. I can put the drain anywhere in the floor since I have total axcess to the drain underneath. This is holding up the ceiling under the bathroom. I have a 2" drain pipe withing 2' of the drain hole wherever I cut one. My problen is the width also. I liked your shower seat Smokey and was going to do the same except with a very small slope. However I have to use a 48" wide pan. None are available with a 32 depth. Remember I have sloped walls so 48 will go up about 32" then slope inwards. Kinda of a mess. If I had known this, I would have miodifyed the interior of the upstairs so I could have been better prepared for this problem. I did notice this item KOHLER Captiva(TM) Shower Receptor, Biscuit - K-9538-96 at The Home Depot.
Even though the size is not correct what is the difference between the 2 names/products.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Gone Fishen

Even though the size is not correct what is the difference between the 2 names/products.

The cheaper one is probably simple fiberglas reinforced plastic of some sort. The higher priced one is "High-quality acrylic for durability and luster", plus somebody has to pay for the Kohler brandname. I noticed others in the $500 class were fiberglass reinforced acrylic. So it's that nice, smooth, easy-to-clean acrylic finish you're paying for.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by 4micaman

I notice the bullnose edging on your seat, which makes a nice corner but, it also looks like a water damn.

Not a good photo. The bullnose is not a dam of any sort, but I should have sloped it more so it would drain faster.

Is that 200 mph tape around the seat... or accent tiles?

Accent tiles. That photo doesn't show the two rows of black and white checkerboard tiles about eye level all around the inside of the stall.

Was your grout sealed only the one time - or do you seal it 2-3 times a year? Should be done at least twice a year to keep it effective.

Guilty. I know it needs done more often, but I've only done it every year or so. However, so far after 12 years, there are no phunny odors coming from the area of the shower, so apparently it has done the job. But that reminds me to put it on my honey do list for "real soon now".

[lone_star_dsl]

Gone_Fishen, for the amount of money you are going to spend, I would atleast call around to some reputable tile setters in your area. Since you have the measurements already, they should be able to give you a quote on building your pan.

I am biased though. I have been setting tile for the past 6 years and, personally, I think a shower looks like someone just "gave up" and installed a plastic shower pan.

Get a few quotes, the price difference may not be too much and you can have a great, full tile shower.