First-time shower pan questions

[ss3964spd]

Dennis, yup - install your Kerdi boards to just above your liner. 1/8" to 1/4" should be fine. Quick Q though, did you notch the wall studs - especially in the corners, for the liner?

It won't matter if you install your Kerdi band in the vertical corners before you install the 2nd mud bed or after. You don't need to install Kerdi band for the wall to floor corners.

[dreade]

Dan, I notched the wall studs, and I went ahead and put up some kerdiboard this morning.

I noticed that even with the notched studs, the liner pushes the wall slightly out of plumb at the bottom corners. Its notched about 1/4 inch or so. Can I get away with tiling the wall slightly off in the corners or should I notch it even more?

[ss3964spd]

If the studs are notched enough that the liner is in the same plan as, or just ever so slightly behind, the face of the studs that's about all you can do, Dennis.

Your liner probably doesn't have a sharp crease in it where it makes the bend from the wall to the floor, so be sure your KB isn't being forced outwards at the bottom by the liner bend. It won't matter how high off the liner the KB is, so long as it extends far enough down to be captured by the 2nd mud bed. You could even cut a bevel on the rear bottom edge of the KB to get some more clearance if you need it.

[dreade]

I think that's exactly the issue - the bend in the liner is pushing the bottom of the wall. I'll go ahead and raise it a bit and cut a bevel if needed, maybe float my top mortar a little thicker to accommodate the increased height. Thanks again for the advice.

[dreade]

This is probably the slowest shower build in the history of John Bridges fourm. Working 12 hour days, and weekends lately, so not getting a whole lot spare time.

Anyway, I found time to float the curb the other night. I used type s mortar. I took a look today and noticed cracks. Then I stood on it and jumped up and down, to test the strength. Perhaps, in retrospect, not the best idea. The cracks may of gotten a little bigger (hard to tell). Overall, pretty solid.

Will these cracks transfer over to the tile on the curb? Should I start over, or is this salvageable? The thinset I bought says its flexible. Not sure if that means it'll isolate those small cracks to the curb. Any advice?

[cx]

Without knowing just how you "floated" that curb, it's difficult to say with any certainty, but my first guess would be that your mortar was a bit wet and those are just shrinkage cracks. Unlikely to telegraph through the tile installation, but see my warranty information below.

Did you bend expanded metal lath over the pan liner on the curb before forming that mortar?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[dreade]

Yup. Curb is made up of three 2x4's, covered by the pan liner, then metal lath, then mortar.

The mortar was slightly wet. I followed the instructions in the liberry.