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Problem with shower pan and drain

8K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  oh'mike 
#1 ·
Had an old shower stall in the basement. It leaked badly so decided to rip it out and build a new one. Not a real fancy one, just enough to get by. Reason: we have been here 17 years and that shower has been used about 6 times BUT need it fairly functional now so I can remodel the main bath. In removing the old shower I can say it probably leaked because 1) there was a crack in the cement floor; 2) there was no shower pan liner and 3) the cement floor under the shower floor slants to the front in front of the drain.

ROOT OF MY PROBLEM, is my cast iron drain pipe extends about 2" above the basement floor. I researched this and found that since the age of my house and probably this drain pipe 72 years, it was suggested that I NOT try to cut off the pipe lest it break and have to be dug up and replaced. I have pics but could not figure out how to put them here. Because of this a preformed shower pan would not fit.

So I decided to build my own pan. The life got real interesting.

1. I cannot find a metal shower drain to attach to this pipe.

2. A regular pvc shower drain requires a rubber compression fitting 2" at one end and 2.5" at the other and would require the pre-slope to be about 6" high to hold the shower pan liner. Add 2" of concrete on top of that and I would have to step up 8" to get into the shower. I could probably do that but getting out would be a problem.

3. I visited a specialty plumbing store. They sold me a metal Oately drain No. 42150 and said it would work just fine.

So I framed in my shower, replaced the existing shower plumbing with copper, installed the Oately drain and installed my preslope. It is about 3/8" at the drain and 1.25" at the sides. More slope than I needed but it looks good. I let this set up and came back to install the shower pan liner and it suddenly hits me!!!! If I put the liner up to this drain there is no way of clamping it into place NOR are there any weep holes like in a plastic shower drain. So if I put this down and add 2" of concrete the water will just sit there.

I am concerned that it will deteriorate the cement shower floor or worse yet sit there and stink. Or mold and make the shower floor icky and slick. My husband says he thinks it will evaporate fairly quickly and that I should just proceed with the liner, final concrete and walls as planned.

:eek: Can I do that???

I am not worried about the walls. The studs and hardie backer will have a vapor barrier between them and I am putting tileboard over the hardie backer. I am running the shower pan liner up the sides 12" and 12" across each corner the full length of the wall. I am just concered about having a liner sandwiched between two layers of concrete with no where for the water to go.

Advice please! Any thanks in advance.
 
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#2 ·
You have a problem there. The pan needs to be water proof.

There is a paint on waterproof membrane made by Latacrete--Hydro Ban--
It is used to water proof swimming pools and fountains.

You may be able to skip the rubber(or other) membrane and paint this on the base and up the walls.

This is certainly not the preferred method of building a shower pan--but I believe you can make it work successfully.

Latacrete has a handy video of the application of Hydro Ban.--Check it out.

I've used this product --it is user friendly.--Mike---
 
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