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Preparing a Shower Pan for Tumbled Stone Tile Installation

Bob watches tile setter, Tim Galvin build up a shower pan and tile. The pan helps protect the surrounding area from moisture. Tim applies a mortar on top of the pan and then sets the tile in place.

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Preparing a Shower Pan for Tumbled Stone Tile Installation Now Playing

Preparing a Shower Pan for Tumbled Stone Tile Installation

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Laying Plywood for the Front Porch Ceiling

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Clip Transcript For:

Preparing a Shower Pan for Tumbled Stone Tile Installation

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" -Tim, I'm not familiar with this product, this blue shower liner."

" -Okay. It's called the composite seal."

" -Uh huh."

" -What it is, it's a rubberized pan that is used to protect the outer part of the house and the structure from any moisture that you get in the shower."

" -Uh huh."

" -It runs about 10 inches high [unk]."

" -Oh, so it's behind the cement board."

" -Uh huh."

" -Okay. Well that sounds good."

" -And this flange---- It runs under the flange, and this flange is bolted to it."

" -So this is something that you didn't put down. The plumber put it down."

" -It is something the plumber installs previous to my installation."

" -Okay. So then, when you arrived on the scene, that's what the mortar is for, right?"

" -Right. And we take this mortar, and we pour this mortar in on the floor. It's just a mortar mixed in sand. It's a pre-mixed deal and you just add water to it."

" -Yeah."

" -You take a trowel. And we jig this mortar around and try and get it basically level or flat. I previously screw this drain down. It's an adjustable drain. "

" -Uh huh."

" -To keep the mud somewhat thin. We----"

" -Is that gonna be enough or do you need the other bucket?"

" -No, I need the other one, Bob."

" -You got it?-Yes. That should be plenty."

" -So, you're gonna work this to a thickness of about what, an inch or so?"

" -Probably about 2 inches back in the edges and in the corners when we're done. We usually put in enough mortar in here, and then I usually have to take a little bit out after I get it around and get it level. Now this way, we just leave it like this. We won't screed it."

" -This is cementitious board."

" -Uh huh."

" -You scoured it on the back."

" -Yes. I cut it to the perimeter of the shower."

" -Uh huh."

" -Center of the drain. Got a square out. It doesn't really have to conform to the roundness of the drain. "

" -By squaring it at the angle from the outside corner towards the drain, when you set it in place, you'll be able to have enough pitch."

" -Yeah. It will give it some relief for it to come down----"

" -Uh huh."

" -and pitch to the drain on each side."

" -You got it."

" -So what we'll do---- yes. We'll turn this around and we will skim it with some of the finish that we have behind you."

" -Right."

" -And then you get it flat. Here you go. Oh, okay."

" -So, this sets in the back side and this interacts with the mortar."

" -What this actually does is that this thinset just helps it bond better."

" -Uh huh."

" -If you were just to put it on the mortar, you might not get it bond to it. Now what I do is I just take it by the center, and I slip it around."

" -And drop it in place."

" -And I just drop it right in place. Now that gives you a one solid surface. Okay."

" -And you cap it in, get it start [unk]. Then what I'll do, I'll take a level, and that's pretty level back there. And we'll go across."

" -So we wanna be level around the perimeter."

" -I try to make it level around the perimeter so that the stone that's going onto the wall looks pretty even when you cut it in."

" -Now the stone that we're using is, is it a tumbled marble?"

" -It's a tumble stone."

" -Uh huh."

" -It's a 4 x 4."

" -Alright. So the thinset is spread evenly all around. What's the size? 434 inch notch straw?"

" -This is a 3/8 striae that I use."

" -So that means the ridges are up 3/8 of an inch."

" -3/8, but it doesn't---- it won't stay out of 3/8 inch spread."

" -Uh huh."

" -It depends on the thickness of the tiles that I'm putting in on it, how thick of a notch that I'll use."

" -Yeah. Well, so you got a pretty uniform smooth back to the stone so that we know that that's gonna work pretty nicely."

" -Uh huh."

" -And how do you know you're square?"

" -I snap the line across there just to check the walls. And then what I'll do is I'll take a tape measure to where I set this in, and I'll measure from the back wall to make sure that we're parallel to this wall. It seemed pretty parallel. And we're pretty parallel there."

" -Good."

" -Now, I'll take some more stone."

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