DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Oh, The Decisions for Shower, Hot Mop? Kerdi?

7507 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Ishmael
Just when I think I have it figured out....I read more here...and I don't have it figured out....

I will be ready to build my two showers soon....one is pretty standard....32"x60"....the other.....anything but standard.



Seeing how we want a tiled shower floor....a prefab pan is out of the question.

As I understand it....I have 3 options...Hot mop, Membrane, and Kerdi.

Until a couple of days ago...I was leaning towards Kerdi....until I had a chat with a friend who just had a shower hot moped.

A quick review of each system (mostly talking out loud)

Hot Mop - Do a built up motar bed first...then the hot mop guy comes in and puts down multiple layers tar paper and hot tar. A proven system with a long history

Membrane - Same basic initial steps as above except you use a rubber sheet.

Kerdi - Almost the same as hot mop....except you use the Kerdi material as your water proof layer.

Membrane is out...best I can tell is that it's an 'ok' method....but it looks like hot mop or Kerdi is better.

Kerdi looks to be more expensive for materials....but a lot less labor. Excluding the motar base that you have to do for both....with Kerdi, you don't have to do blocking between the space between lower studs. With Kerdi, you just run cement board or Hardibacker down the walls....and the Kerdi goes on top.

What is the best long term method?

We intend to be in this house for a long time....I don't want to go through what I did with my existing bathroom and it's cracked shower pan (hot mop)
See less See more
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Never used them but there are ready made options:

http://showerbase.com/
Never used them but there are ready made options:

http://showerbase.com/
Yea....I looked at those. Most of the reviews I read were not very good.

And then I have that issue with the non-standard size shower.
I would and we are, going to do Kerdi in my son's shower build.
What's wrong with the membrane? That's all people use around here unless it's DIY, then we see things like the kerdi system.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
What's wrong with the membrane? That's all people use around here unless it's DIY, then we see things like the kerdi system.
Ditto.

It's quick, simple and relatively inexpensive.

And make sure - whatever you ultimately decide - that you wrap that bench seat (aka - "litigation seat") also!
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top