Installing a Shower Pan Membrane Liner for a Custom Ceramic Tile Shower
By Mark J. Donovan
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Installing a custom ceramic tile
shower in your home is something a do it yourself homeowner can do with a little
upfront knowledge. The most important aspect of a successful custom ceramic tile
shower installation is properly installing a shower pan membrane liner. The
shower pan membrane liner is used to ensure a leak-proof shower. Shower pan membrane liners are used
to funnel any water that seeps through the floor or wall grout to the shower
drain below.
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The shower pan
membrane liner is made up of a flexible type of plastic material that sits
below a bed of mortar, and the tile, in the shower floor area.
Prior to installing the shower
pan membrane liner, the floor of the shower needs to be pre-sloped to ensure
that the water will flow towards the shower drain assembly.
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The pre-slope is
accomplished by applying a layer of mortar to the floor of the shower unit area.
The layer of mortar is troweled in such as way as to create a gentle slope from
the shower wall edges to the center of the shower where the drain resides.
Once the pre-slope mortar has
cured, the flexible shower pan membrane liner can then be installed. There
are a couple of types of shower pan membrane liners on the market, with each
having their own benefits. |
With either type of membrane, the
homeowner needs to form and fold the material into the base of the shower area
and secure it to the sides of the shower wall frame with staples and/or nails.
In addition, an opening in the membrane should be cut out to allow the
adjustable shower drain assembly to slip through.
With the shower pan membrane
installed, the cementitious ceramic tile backerboard can then be secured to the
framed shower walls. The backerboard is a rigid material that is ideal for
attaching tile in wet areas such as a shower stall.

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After installing the ceramic tile
backerboard, a final coat of mortar needs to be applied on top of the membrane
to protect it and to provide a solid base for laying the ceramic floor tile.
With the final coat of mortar cured,
the ceramic tile can then be installed in the shower.
Once the tile and grout have been
installed, the shower drain assembly should be adjusted so that the drain height
sits flush with the finished ceramic tile floor.
For more information on installing a shower pan membrane
liner, see the
Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook
from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook will quickly
teach you the step-by-step process for installing the shower pan membrane liner
correctly. It includes instructions on framing the shower stall, pouring the
pre-slope and shower base mortar, and installing the shower pan membrane liner.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Ceramic Tile Calculator
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