Build a shower pan the right way and it should prove leak-free for decades.  However, getting it right can prove to be a big challenge.  Partly that's because the key parts of a shower pan are mostly buried in the floor.

Shower Floors Leak -- Guaranteed

That's why a shower pan must be in the right place and installed properly.  See, neither grout nor tile is enough to make for a waterproof shower floor.  Sealer won't do it and neither will caulk.  Leave out the important steps and the floor leaks.

Stop Mold This Way

It's more than water damage that goes behind leaks.  Unchecked water, especially in wet walls and floors, becomes growing fields for harmful mold.  That's why the proper shower pan is a must, to keep water out of places where you don't want it to be.

Shower pans keep all the moisture contained so the water makes it down the drain and not around the bath.

Liner Membrane Basics

A traditional shower project revolves around one key element.  That primary piece is the liner membrane.  Now all kinds of liners have been tried, but what is used most often now is a heavy sheet of special vinyl.  That vinyl membrane gets placed within the floor of the shower and catches any and all water that gets beyond the floor itself. 

The whole floor project exists to put the liner membrane in properly so it can most effectively catch all the water before it can do damage.  The water stops there or there is a heavy price to pay.

Mortar Basics For Best Results

Masonry material makes up most of the bulk of the typical shower base.  It's called mortar, but the mix consists of just sand, portand cement and water.  Mixed in a standard recipe, the mix goes by the term, fat mud. 

Mud forms two parts of the base.  The lower part forms a sloped base that supports the liner membrane.  The slope helps water do what it does, flow downhill.

The other layer goes right over the liner membrane.  It forms a base too.  Right over that layer goes the thinset and then the tile for the actual floor.

Shower Drains Are More Than You Can See

Getting the drain in place happens early and involves more than meets the eye.  That's because tile shower drains catch water on two levels.  One is the easy one, the one at floor level.  The trick buried beneath the floor is the other drain attached to the liner membrane.  That's one of the buried tricks to a drain with no leaks.

You build a shower pan step by step and a layer at a time.  Key parts are the two mortar layers as well as the liner membrane and special drain.  The job is often left to pros, but handy people often put in pans after they understand the key steps.