General Questions w/ Pics on 1st Time Shower Pan Build/Install

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amodoko

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If anyone here doesn't mind answering a few questions, I'll just list them below. I greatly appreciate any help since this is the first time I've done a shower pan and just want to do it right. I've attached some photos, but basically I am redoing my shower and have already removed the old shower and have things down to the studs. I'm a newbie to doing shower pans so I'm a bit confused about a few things.

1) First, one of the walls, the long wall, is an exterior wall. Do I need to install plastic sheeting there (there never was any there to begin with, but it looks like there used to be green board there) before I build my shower? Or can I just install Durock, then Red Gard the Durock cement board, then tile and be okay?

2) When removing the old fiberglass shower pan and drilling into the rubber gasket around the drain so the pan would remove easier, I ended up nicking parts of the PVC drain (as you can see in the photos) with the drill. Does this need to be repaired in some way before I install an adjustable drain kit? Or does the adjustable drain kit have something in it that kind of takes care of this issue?

3) As you can see from the photos, there is a hole in the concrete subfloor where the PVC drain is located. Obviously this needs to be filled. I was wondering what is the best way to fill in that hole so that when heavy/human weight is standing on the newly tiled shower pan, that it holds securely? Do I need to install plywood over the cement floor and then build my mortar bed? I'm a bit confused about the proper way to both fill that hole and to ensure it supports weight well.

4) Does anyone know specifically what kind of drain kit I need to install? There seem to be so many and I'm unsure if there is something specific I need to be looking for in order to install a drain prior to laying out the mortar bed/shower lining/etc.

5) When building my shower curb, if I end up just installing over my concrete floor, can I just use bricks and thinset to create the curb? Does it matter what type of bricks I use? If I end up having to lay down plywood to fix the hole issue (as mentioned above), then I can use plain/regular 2x4s, correct? I have heard that you should never used treated wood for some reason (maybe because of moisture content I'm assuming) and you should never create a wood curb if you are installing over a concrete subfloor.

Thanks in advance for your help. I am a bit overwhelmed with the idea of building a mortar shower pan, I can handle the wall prep/tiling but the shower pan is completely new to me.

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If anyone here doesn't mind answering a few questions, I'll just list them below. I greatly appreciate any help since this is the first time I've done a shower pan and just want to do it right. I've attached some photos, but basically I am redoing my shower and have already removed the old shower and have things down to the studs. I'm a newbie to doing shower pans so I'm a bit confused about a few things.

1) First, one of the walls, the long wall, is an exterior wall. Do I need to install plastic sheeting there (there never was any there to begin with, but it looks like there used to be green board there) before I build my shower? Or can I just install Durock, then Red Gard the Durock cement board, then tile and be okay? Not a plumbing question so I can't help you there

2) When removing the old fiberglass shower pan and drilling into the rubber gasket around the drain so the pan would remove easier, I ended up nicking parts of the PVC drain (as you can see in the photos) with the drill. Does this need to be repaired in some way before I install an adjustable drain kit? Or does the adjustable drain kit have something in it that kind of takes care of this issue?
Are you going back with a pan or tile on the floor? either way you just cut the riser down and glue a new piece on. If a tile pan you will have to cut it down anyway for a different type of drain.

3) As you can see from the photos, there is a hole in the concrete subfloor where the PVC drain is located. Obviously this needs to be filled. I was wondering what is the best way to fill in that hole so that when heavy/human weight is standing on the newly tiled shower pan, that it holds securely? Do I need to install plywood over the cement floor and then build my mortar bed? I'm a bit confused about the proper way to both fill that hole and to ensure it supports weight well.
You could take out the concrete down to the plywood under it and lay a new layer. The concrete is not what is supporting the weight, it's the floor joists below. Better to remove the concrete than to lay plywood over it then have to build a up from there. before you're done, you will be stepping up into the shower You could remove just enough concrete to scab in some extra support between the joist. Just enough to fill in the hole.

4) Does anyone know specifically what kind of drain kit I need to install? There seem to be so many and I'm unsure if there is something specific I need to be looking for in order to install a drain prior to laying out the mortar bed/shower lining/etc.This topic has been discussed here before as far as type of drain and how to install

5) When building my shower curb, if I end up just installing over my concrete floor, can I just use bricks and thinset to create the curb? Does it matter what type of bricks I use? If I end up having to lay down plywood to fix the hole issue (as mentioned above), then I can use plain/regular 2x4s, correct? I have heard that you should never used treated wood for some reason (maybe because of moisture content I'm assuming) and you should never create a wood curb if you are installing over a concrete subfloor.Not sure but I know when framing a house on a concrete slab you use treated wood for the bottom wall plate and you lay a strip of construction paper between the slab and the wood for extra protection from moisture transfer

Thanks in advance for your help. I am a bit overwhelmed with the idea of building a mortar shower pan, I can handle the wall prep/tiling but the shower pan is completely new to me. There a lot of good videos on how to on YouTube. watch several and take the best from each

Hope this helps. good luck
 
looks like the floor under the concrete might be all steel. I see sheet metal under the concrete.
 
here's another

I have a new construction house and i am finishing the basement myself. Currently i am working on the shower drain. I have everything framed in and am going to do an all tile shower.

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Thanks so much, your answers were really helpful and I will read up on the links you gave me. And yes, it is steel under the concrete. This is a condominium and I am on the first floor. Here are some more pictures just for fun to show you what's going on if you are interested. The photos may come out sideways though. Thanks again for your help, much appreciated.

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what's the santee on top of the p-trap with the branch line picking up the 90?

Is the top of the santee capped.
That is not the same p-trap you show in 1st pictures, Is it?
 

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