If you want to save money when fixing or upgrading your bathroom, pouring your own shower pan is a great place to start. A water-resistant shower pan collects and drains the liquid from the shower. It should be well-made and durable. You might wonder which mortar or concrete mixture is best for a shower pan. To give you answers, we conducted research.
Quikrete manufactures the best concrete or mortar mixture for shower pans. Their Sand/Topping mix and Floor Mud are great products. Both are excellent for building shower pans, since they form a sturdy surface and cure rapidly.
Your do-it-yourself remodeling project might go awry if you use the incorrect type of Quikrete. Make sure you know what you're buying when you shop for mortar or concrete mix. Also, you can try DIY solutions for concrete mixes. These mixtures produce a sturdy, water-resistant barrier for your shower. In this post, we will discuss Quikrete and DIY mixtures and their precise application for your shower pan.
Why Quikrete Is the Best Material for Shower Pans
Most users find that Quikrete is considerably easier to work with than conventional concrete.
Concrete can be complicated to mix, especially without the necessary equipment or knowledge, but Quikrete has a straightforward formula that will get your projects moving along quickly.
Quikrete will work perfectly if you combine five parts mix and one part water. This may require some trial and error, but once the mixture resembles modeling clay in consistency, you'll know it's ready to use.
Quikrete's Sand/Topping Mix and Floor Mud are the best commercial products for strength and support when creating a shower pan.
1. Sand/Topping Mix From Quikrete
To install a shower pan, many homeowners use Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix. Sand and Portland cement are added to the mix, giving it durability and strength.
You can combine sand and Portland cement to get the same result for less money. But don't add more water than what is recommended in the instructions. Be sure to follow the directions included with the product.
Because Quikrete sources elements that occasionally change, the water need can vary between batches. For one mixture, eight pints of water might be necessary, but for another, that might be too much.
Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix is simple for any homeowner to mix up in a bucket. The amount of water you use and how effectively you stir it will determine the consistency.
The product comes in quantities ranging from 10 to 80 pounds and is widely available.
Check out this Quikrete Sand/Topping mix on Amazon.
2. Floor Mud From Quikrete
Floor Mud, a concrete mixture from Quikrete, is ideal for shower pans. Because Floor Mud comes ready-to-use in the bag, it is simpler to work with than Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix.
This makes it the ideal choice for novice do-it-yourself enthusiasts, or if you simply need to complete a project quickly. Comprised of Portland cement, Floor Mud can be used for shower pans and conventional flooring.
You can get floor mud from Quikrete in 80-pound sacks for various applications. Since Portland cement is water-resistant, Quikrete Floor Mud is the ideal material to use as a shower pan.
Make sure your Quikrete Floor Mud is installed between 2 inches and 3 inches thick at the shower pan's thickest and thinnest spots. This will guarantee that your shower pan is sturdy in any areas that could be weak.
Although Floor Mud is not as widely available as other Quikrete products, it is one of the best cement mixtures for a shower pan.
DIY Shower Pan Concrete Mix
The ideal DIY mortar mixture for a shower pan includes a mortar mixture, sand, and Portland cement. For your shower, this particular mixture forms a sturdy water-resistant barrier.
You can purchase a bag of premixed concrete or prepare your own. Making concrete is a basic process. It consists primarily of Portland cement, sand, and aggregate gravel blended with water.
The strength and functionality of the concrete can be changed by varying the amounts of each constituent. Although you can mix in certain additions, many individuals simply use it as is.
You simply need one part Portland cement and five parts fine sand to make your concrete shower pan. You need four quarts of water to mix each 80-pound bag of concrete.
Measure the cement and sand first, separately. Then use a shovel, trowel, or hoe to thoroughly combine the dry components in a wheelbarrow or cement mixer. Water should then be added and thoroughly mixed to create the finished concrete.
While you might be able to save a little money by making your shower pan concrete, it does require extra work. Each item must be purchased separately, measured, and mixed by hand. An already-mixed Quikrete bag takes care of everything for you.
If you don't require a specific mix or a large quantity of concrete, we suggest purchasing Quikrete.
Check out this Quikrete concrete mix on Amazon.
Consistency
The texture and blending technique are the same regardless of which one of the three alternatives you select. In the end, you want to have a dry, semi-solid mixture. It should be light enough for you to pick up and roll into a ball.
If the mixture won't maintain its shape or feels too wet, add extra dry mix to balance it out. When squeezed, the ball should maintain its shape while releasing some water. Your mixture is ready to use when it meets this criteria.
Note that while you want the mixture to be dry, it will have some moisture content.
Other Materials Used In Shower Pans
It's time to learn more about the shower pan composition now that you know the mortar or concrete mix to use for your shower pan.
A shower pan can be created from any of the materials listed below once the mortar base for your shower has been laid.
Acrylic Shower Pan
Shower pans are often made of acrylic. This is a popular type of shower pan. The benefit of acrylic shower pans is that they relieve you of the expense of grout upkeep.
Furthermore, there's no reason to spend money on heated floors because the pans feel warm underfoot.
Tile Shower Pan
Tiles have a lot of visual appeal, but they must be installed carefully and expertly to ensure that they act as a waterproof barrier for the rest of the floor.
They also require regular upkeep. The mortar bed around the perimeter of the floor should be at least 2 inches deep when installing tiles for a shower pan to allow water for water drainage.
Fiberglass Shower Pan
Shower pans made of fiberglass are composed of polymers that have been reinforced with tightly woven glass fibers.
Fiberglass shower pans have the distinction of being the most affordable, but keep in mind that they can be readily scratched and stained.
Composite Substances
A shower pan can be made from various materials, and the quality will vary depending on the materials chosen.
For instance, acrylic and fiberglass can be strengthened to produce a shower pan that is superior to a pan made from one of the two materials alone.
The manufacturer must supply the required thickness for premade shower pans made of composite materials, acrylic, and fiberglass for the pan to function properly.
Watch this video for more information on choosing a shower pan.
Considerations for Shower Pan Installation
Make sure the area in your bathroom can sustain the full weight of the structure before installing a shower pan. At the subfloor level, you should install basic support.
This could be a paper slip sheet, a wire mesh, or both. Recognize the existing reinforcements, and make sure to install the proper base. A wooden frame ought to support the sub-base.
Determine the drain's height and its point of drainage. Determining the slope from the drain point to each perimeter is crucial, since the drain must be the lowest point.
While having a 1⁄4 inch of pitch for every linear foot is a general rule of thumb, a larger gradient is completely acceptable.
To Wrap Up
Quikrete's Sand/Topping mix and Floor Mud are great products for building shower pans. These products can bear the pressure of shower users and protect the floor from water damage.
Read the manufacturer's directions carefully if you're working with a preformed product to learn whether the mortar or concrete mix bed should be thick or thin.
While putting tiles in your shower pan, make sure the bed is 3 inches thick and that it gets thinner as it approaches the drain.
Before you go, here are some related articles that you may want to read:
How Much Does A Shower Pan Cost To Buy And Install?
What Are The Standard Sizes For Shower Pans/Bases?