The Tile Ready Shower Pan - 5 Tips For Choosing
A tile ready shower pan lets you install a tile shower with no mud work.
Building a shower pan the traditional way is a tricky process.
Even many pros now skip the mud and use the no-mud shower pans.
Here are tips for choosing the right pan.
1.
Cheap pans don't work...
By that I mean those cheap drop in pans available at any building supply store.
You cannot tile over a shower pan unless it's designed for that purpose.
One main reason is that tile floors crack when they move.
That means your tile floor will crack if the base flexes and moves.
The cheap pans will flex and your tile floor will crack.
Don't even consider a cheap pan as a tile base.
2.
Standard sizes are easier...
A real advantage of masonry shower pans is the ability to build the shower in any size and shape.
A pan ready for tile most likely comes in certain standard sizes.
That limits what you can do.
The Schluter system does have the option to build custom sizes with very little mortar work required.
3.
Speed is the real plus...
Pros use tile ready bases often because a time.
There's no curing time required for layers with these showers.
A shower base can be finished in hours instead of days.
If speed matters, masonry construction loses.
4.
It's not just a pan...
These are systems.
That means walls, drains and bases are all made to work together.
The whole system waterproofs not just the floor, but the rest of the shower too.
It's a good way to go...
5.
What's leak-proof worth??? Building a traditional shower is tricky.
There are several layers in a normal shower pan.
Each layer has tricks.
Getting the waterproof liner installed properly is tricky.
Tile ready shower bases are almost certain to work properly if the instructions are followed.
A leak-proof shower is almost a certain result of your work.
The tile ready shower pan is a fast way to get a leak-proof shower.
They don't come cheap, but the result almost certainly works right the first time.
Building a shower pan from mortar is full of mystery.
You can eliminate the mystery and suspense with the more modern pans...
Building a shower pan the traditional way is a tricky process.
Even many pros now skip the mud and use the no-mud shower pans.
Here are tips for choosing the right pan.
1.
Cheap pans don't work...
By that I mean those cheap drop in pans available at any building supply store.
You cannot tile over a shower pan unless it's designed for that purpose.
One main reason is that tile floors crack when they move.
That means your tile floor will crack if the base flexes and moves.
The cheap pans will flex and your tile floor will crack.
Don't even consider a cheap pan as a tile base.
2.
Standard sizes are easier...
A real advantage of masonry shower pans is the ability to build the shower in any size and shape.
A pan ready for tile most likely comes in certain standard sizes.
That limits what you can do.
The Schluter system does have the option to build custom sizes with very little mortar work required.
3.
Speed is the real plus...
Pros use tile ready bases often because a time.
There's no curing time required for layers with these showers.
A shower base can be finished in hours instead of days.
If speed matters, masonry construction loses.
4.
It's not just a pan...
These are systems.
That means walls, drains and bases are all made to work together.
The whole system waterproofs not just the floor, but the rest of the shower too.
It's a good way to go...
5.
What's leak-proof worth??? Building a traditional shower is tricky.
There are several layers in a normal shower pan.
Each layer has tricks.
Getting the waterproof liner installed properly is tricky.
Tile ready shower bases are almost certain to work properly if the instructions are followed.
A leak-proof shower is almost a certain result of your work.
The tile ready shower pan is a fast way to get a leak-proof shower.
They don't come cheap, but the result almost certainly works right the first time.
Building a shower pan from mortar is full of mystery.
You can eliminate the mystery and suspense with the more modern pans...
