The shower pan is the sloped, waterproof base under your shower floor tile. It is the most common source of shower leaks, usually because it was built flat, the liner was punctured at the curb, or the drain connection was never properly sealed.
We install and replace tile-ready shower pans in Arlington homes and condos, on wood subfloors and on concrete slabs.
Signs a Shower Pan Has Failed
Pan leaks tend to show up outside the shower before they show up in it.
- Water stains on the ceiling directly below the shower
- Damp or swollen baseboard and door trim next to the curb
- Grout along the bottom of the shower that stays dark and never dries
- A musty smell that returns no matter how much you clean
- Floor tile that moves or a curb that feels loose
How We Build a Pan
We form the floor with a consistent slope of about a quarter inch per foot from every wall to the drain. For custom sizes and shapes that is a hand-floated mortar bed. For standard footprints and curbless entries, a pre-sloped foam tray is fast and accurate.
The pan is then covered with a bonded membrane that runs up the walls and over the curb, connected to a drain designed to seal to it. We flood test before tile. Point drains and linear drains are both options, and a linear drain lets the floor slope in one plane so you can use large tile on it.
Replacing a Pan Without Redoing the Whole Shower
It is sometimes possible to replace the pan and the bottom rows of wall tile only. It works when the wall tile is still available or a deliberate contrast band will look right, and when the walls above are sound. Often the waterproofing cannot be tied in reliably and a full shower remodel is the better investment. We will show you both options.
Need something else? See all of our bathroom tile installation services, or learn more about your local tile contractor in Arlington, VA.
