Before tiling, install a shower pan liner and sloped mortar bed.
Today's shower pan liners are a big improvement over the outdated (and no longer sold) lead pans. Flexible plastic membranes allow better fits for showers of nearly any size or shape, making them easier to install. These membranes, made of either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), also perform better against leaks than lead pans. If you are a careful do-it-yourselfer, in just a few steps you can install a shower pan that will stand the test of time.
Instructions
1. Purchase a liner cut to the size necessary for your shower stall. Remember to add about one foot extra in each direction so the membrane can reach up the walls at least nine inches. You can purchase PVC or CPE liners at plumbing supply or ceramic tile stores. PVC is a stiffer material, making it a little more difficult to work, but CPE is nearly three times more expensive than PVC.
2. Create a slope of ¼-inch per foot from the wall studs that surround the shower location toward the drain. Trowel latex-modified mortar over the subfloor and build it up along the edges, near the wall, troweling thinner material at the drain. Be sure not to drop mortar into the drain.
3. Allow the mortar to dry completely, then place the liner over the sloped shower floor. Spread the liner over the shower floor and push out any wrinkles in the material.
4. Attach the liner to the wall studs by hammering nails about ½-inch below the top edge of the liner. Be sure the edge is at least nine inches up the side of the wall, while the liner remains flat to the shower floor.
5. Fold the materials at the corners to create a tight fit. Leave any excess liner material in place behind the folded corner.
6. Cover the shower curb completely with liner material and nail it in place along the bottom, outside edge of the curb.
7. Cut out the opening for the shower drain with a utility knife. Be careful to only cut away the material immediately around the drain opening. Apply silicone caulk to the underside of the liner material to attach it to the sloped shower floor.
8. Apply another layer of mortar on top of the liner. Place wire mesh in this layer for added strength, but be careful not to puncture the liner with wire. Follow the same slope you established with the first layer of mortar.
9. Allow the second bed of mortar to harden completely before tiling.
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