Thinking about installing a shower pan linear shower drain? You came to the right place! A common individual may not realize how many steps are involved in installing a shower. Never ignore waterproofing, even if it’s one of the most underrated processes.
The subfloor, slope foundation, first mortar bed, shower pan liner, final mortar bed, and floor or tiling comprise the five layers of a standard shower floor. The shower pan liner is the most crucial part of waterproofing because it prevents water from penetrating the porous shower wall frame and the lower floor layers from becoming moldy.
Material Required
- Shower pan liner
- Wrench
- Marker
- Mortar
- Measuring tape
- Corner dams
- Tile Shower Drain
- Silicone caulk
- Hammer
- Nails
- Bonding Adhesive
- Gloves
- Garbage bag
Step 1: Install Drain Base
Begin by screwing the flange to the flooring and inserting the drain base into a pre-drilled hole. To remove a pre-assembled linear shower drain, unscrew the bolts that attach the clamping ring to the flange. Then, lift the ring off the drain and retain the drain plug in the center.
You may cover the drain hole with duct tape if you don’t have a linear shower drain plug; nevertheless, you will eventually need one. Felt paper and pan liners are not a good combination because the petroleum in the paper might react with the liner, making it brittle, cracking, and perhaps leaking.
Step 2: Preparing The Slope
Distribute the mortar evenly throughout the subfloor, sloping it inwards from the wall frame to the top of the linear shower drain base at a rate of ¼ inch per foot. You should wait for the mortar bed to cure as directed on the mortar package.
Step 3: Measuring The Scrap Pan Liner
You may determine the total width of the curb by adding the measurements of its top width, inner and outside heights, and length. After you know how long the curb is, you may cut a section of the liner to fit. Secure this piece of liner to the exposed sides of the curb and place it on top. The sum of the inside and outside curb heights plus the top width of the curb is the total width of the curb.
Step 4 Measure and cut pan liner
Start by ensuring the pre-sloped mortar bed or Perfect Slope is dry and debris-free. Make a five-inch markup from the curb onto the wall framing. To find the height of the mortar bed, measure from that spot. Position the shower pan liner so it lies flat. Determine the overall width and length of the mortar bed and make your markings. At last, use your marks to cut the pan liner.
Step 5: Put the Pan Liner in Place
The edges of the shower pan liner may be pre-folded to make installation easier. By the application height, mark three sides of the liner upward from the edge. Turn the liner over and repeat. Corners should be folded at each mark.
After removing the test plug from the linear shower drain, lay the pan liner over the mortar bed and the drain base. Fold the sides that face the wall by the height of the application. Find the drain stopper once you’ve centered the pan liner. Make an X pattern covering the four bolts that fasten the clamping ring. Additionally, make a hole to cover the linear shower drain hole.
Step 6: Assemble the Base of the Drain
Fold the pan liner in half to reveal the drain base and seal the inside flange with silicone caulk. Reverse the liner’s folding process, insert the bolts through the liner’s X-shaped holes, and secure the clamping ring by screwing it down over the four bolts. The last step is securing the bolts so the ring fits snugly against the liner. Reinstall the test plug.
Step 7: Inspect the Rough Frame and Fold the Corners to Secure the Pan Liner
P staple the top three-quarters of an inch of liner for the most waterproof protection. Before you staple the liner to the wall frame lengthwise, fold the corners and press the extra glue into the corners to seal. Then, staple the liner to the wall framing again.
Step 8: Press the Pan Liner to the Curb
Trim two pieces of leftover liner to a height of about six inches and a width that matches the curb’s dimensions. Place half of the pieces on the curb and the other half on the wall frame; align them so they meet at the top of the curb. Cut it vertically at the inner corner before adhering the liner horizontally over the discarded liner. Before cutting off any extra that extends over the shower measurements, staple the liner to the wall structure. Lastly, staple the outside of the curb once more and apply the surplus pan liner for the mortar bed to it.
Step 9: Install the Dam Corners In
Dam corners eliminate the need for fasteners like screws or staples. Attach the dam corners at any point where the wall frame meets a curb.
Step 10: Do a Flood Test
Once the adhesives have cured for the night, insert the test plug and fill the shower bed to a suggested height—the same as the curb—with water. For the shower pan liner to be waterproof, you must wait at least two hours for the water to settle. If the water level has not lowered, the area around it is dry, and there is no sign of water dripping from the ceiling (if it is on a higher floor), then there should be no leaks. Drain the water by removing the test plug. Assuming your shower bed is completely watertight, the next steps in installing your shower are to select a linear shower drain and its height, apply a mortar base over the pan liner, apply thin-set (the adhesive that bonds mortar and tile), choose your tiles, and finally, install them.
FAQs
How does one slope the floor of a shower for a linear drain?
The distance from the shower enclosure to the drain decreases by ½ to ½ inch every 12 inches. The first mortar pre-pan step is a popular time to obtain this pitch while building a standard tile shower.
How big should the size of a linear shower drain be?
For threshold installations without a curb, we do not advise using linear drains less than 2″ wide or Tile Insert Frame linear drains since the narrow channel cannot adequately collect the water.
How is the drain slop calculated?
The pipe height will decrease by about half an inch for every foot of length if the slope is 2%. Also, you may get a ballpark figure by multiplying the inch-measured pipe length by 02. Just multiply the pipe length by itself to get the correct answer.
