Newbie tiling shower

[Scott & Heather]

We've purchased most of the materials needed to tile our shower in the 102. Just have a couple of specific questions.

1. What specifically should I use to create the shower floor base under the tile. I've seen all kinds of mortor recommended but I need a specific. Something I can get at HD or Lowes. Is there a special drain I should be buying to slope the floor to? My dad is worrying that my 12"x12" tiles will crack since this is a bus. Should I be concerned?


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[Tom Y]

Don't you sleep at nite? I would buy a base. If it flexes it will break. I did not tile my bus, so you should not listen to me. Just did my house bath last winter and very happy. 

[brmax]

Wow! just seen that, Scott you best catch some Zzzzs
first I would smartly say see what Dave and some other builders mention.
I try and catch a few tv wonder shows and follow some direction there, with that I recall some early use of kerdi board type products with a vinyl type barrier. It seems not long ago the different companies came out with different preformed base types, kinda eliminating some of the work. So its a great question and will sure be interested in the answers.
good day there
Floyd

[Scott & Heather]

Kerdi is out of my price range


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[gumpy]

I built my shower with 1/2" Hardibacker cementatious tile board. I mortared and screwed it to the 3/4' walls. They are hard as rock after the mortar sets. For the floor I
put down a rubber membrane, cut Hardi board to fit and screwed that to the floor. I used the slope of the floor and put my drain at the front. In the two front corners,
I troweled mortar to slope towards the drain.  I then painted the entire inside with a rubber membrane coating. I tiled with 1" Italian glass mosaic tiles. Used a latex
admix to the mortar. In 11 years, I've not had a single leak, and I've only had one crack in the grout lines along the angle at the top, which I sawed out and regrouted
after about 5 years. I had a few tiles come off where I had wrapped them around the plywood door opening. Again, mortared them back in place.

craig

[brmax]

Craig its a great benefit to myself and others the site you have and the photo work it took document it all. Thanks
After seeing a few projects on residential I had looked at the box stores and picked up documentation at menards with their same type products, this at the time was my choice for a study and likely the pic.
Floyd

[Dave5Cs]

Scott pretty much what Craig above said except I would not screw through the PVC membrane. Instead put the PVC membrane down and run it up the walls at least 18" and fold the inside corners in and lap them then only staple the top edge of the PVC so you do not cut them you can even use X-15 solvent in the plumbing section at HD to weld the lapped over corners. Yes they are a little lumpy but when you put your concrete backer board over it, it will push them down. Get Commercial grade Type 1A mortar to make a Mud bed Pan. Put some light weight wire mesh like rabbit mesh and float it in the mortar.

When mixing the motor only put enough water in it and maybe some admix latex so that when you pickup some in your hand it is not wet only sticks together if you squeeze it. Just past crumbly. Then put enough of that in and start packing it in with a trowel wood works good to with a block handle. Then form it to slope to your drain. Put some pieces of tile spacers around your drain so that those 3 holes don't fill up with mortar as those are weep holes for water drains. You can mortar over those and leave them in if you want. Leave the top a little rough to adhere to the thinset Versa bond or Flexbond HD or Lowes equal. They have admix in them for flex. Slight slop is good 1/8" to 1/4" per ft is all you need. Make sure you don't end up with any pools. check it with a stick, or level etc. If you really want to make it easy cut or rip 3/4" sticks from the drain to the wall for your slop and lay them on the pvc liner knowing they will come out and be filled in when done. Then all you have to do is fill to the top edge of those and screed them off. After a little setup 30 minutes pull the sticks out and fill in the space with more mortar. It gives you a nic even surface with whatever slope you put on it.
Remember your Wall moisture barrier goes over the plywood or whatever your walls are and then your wall concrete backer 1/4" goes over the edge of you PVC liner only screw the wall board above the PVC liner by 2 inches or more. If you want you can put red guard on the wall board as an extra moisture barrier and then you tile. That holds it in place and the mortar goes against that to hold the mud pan in for a very long time.

Dave

[Dave5Cs]

[Dave5Cs]

Build your motor up until the edges are at 1-1/2" down to the drain height if it is 3ft x 3ft or more if bigger. You can reseal the motor before thinsetting tile on with Red Gard also for extra seal but not necessary  unless you screw through your pvc liner for some reason.
HTH Dave5Cs

[Dave5Cs]

Scott also you can go on line and put into your search bar,"Mud Pan shower Base" and you should come up with some good videos of the process too.
Or jst use a plastic FG pan and be done with it, LOL
Dave

[Scott & Heather]

Excellent excellent info! Thank you muchly! Wish me luck!


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[Seangie]

Dang Dave...  I spent all morning writing a post same as what you did and got sidetracked....  now I vome back and my post would look like a 1st grader wrote it compared to yours with pictures.

Scott - do what dave said to do

-Sean

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[Dave5Cs]

Sorry Sean Just one of the Businesses I had for so long, It comes out like Vinegar and baking soda and I just can't stop it.

Scott good luck if you get stuck just PM me I would be glad to help.
Dave

[skihor]

You could also do a pre-made, made to order "cultured marble" floor pan. It's basically powdered limestone and resin.
The colors available are endless

[Oonrahnjay]

... HTH Dave5Cs   

          Wow, Dave, what a beautiful finished product.   I think I'm never going to any bus rally when I get finished -- I'd be embarrassed in comparison with you all! 

        Seriously, Dave, I appreciate your excellent work and the fact that you went to so much trouble to document it and explain the process for the benefit of everyone.  Thanks so much.