Kerdi used with prefab shower base

[rsmith99]

I am going to replace my shower and I am wondering about the Schluter Shower Pan. My concern is that it is made of foam and will deflect when someone stands on it. The Schluter people said the thinset gives it its strength but there is only about 1/8 of an inch of thinset on top of the pan. That's not enough to keep it from moving a little. I am afraid the grout will start cracking.

Anyone have any experience with this shower pan?
Thanks!
Ron

[ddmoit]

Ron,

Styrofoam is not very good at taking point loads, but it is excellent when a load is distributed across the surface. It's not just the thinset that distributes the load, it's the tile too.

Think about those sheets of Styrofoam insulation you see at the big box stores. It's not hard to imagine that you could stick your finger through a 2" sheet with some effort. But, if you were to lay, say, a 2 square foot piece of 1/4" plywood over the Styrofoam, you could probably jump on it without even denting the foam.

Trust it.

[cx]

Welcome, Ron.

Lotsa Schluter shower trays in use for years out there. I've never heard a complaint about the structural integrity of the things.

The biggest downside I see is in remodeling work where the Schluter tray size is not the same as the existing shower. Much easier and much less expensive to make a mud pre-slope for your pan.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[JTG]

First you can't stick your finger into a Schluter tray they are much harder than that. I can also appreciate at first it is hard to get you mind wrapped around it working and working well but after well over 100 installed I will tell you it works. Never have we had a problem.
I think they are grat for remodel work. They cut easy to fit the space and if it is a space that is large you have the tray to screed off to fill around the edges and the time saved in not doing a conventional mud base and the wear and tear on the installer from all that extra weight of mud is more than offsets the extra cost.
I have to say when I read hear about materials that are not used because they cost more I just don't understand the reasoning. I'm not buying this stuff. The customer is paying for it.
IMO
JTG

[John Bridge]

Jerry, you're on the newbie board. These folks are paying for their own materials at retail.

I'm with CX, though. Unless the foam floor comes pretty close to fitting the space (and the drain happens to be pretty close to the necessary location), I would do the mud floor.

[rsmith99]

If I use a prefab shower base and drywall walls, how do I make sure the bottom edges of the drywall are sealed? I can't get to them with the Kerdi.

Thanks!
Ron

[HS345]

Hey there Ron,
Properly installed Kerdi membrane will never allow water to get to the bottom edge of drywall.

[rsmith99]

But the drywall overlaps the lip of the prefab base. If I put Kerdi on the face of the drywall, the bottom edge is still exposed.

Ron

[JTG]

Ron
Your pan has a lip on it and the drywall should stick out over it. Put on the Kerdi and it shoud then hang down over the drywall and almost touch the pan.
Tile goes on next and it also will go down almost to the pan and you calk that edge. Make sure that you don't seal up those little indents on each side of the pan near the curb so that water can get out from behind the tile.

JTG

[rsmith99]

JTG, so the raw bottom edge of the drywall is not covered with Kerdi? The raw edge isjust left open in the air gap behind the tile and Kerdi?

[chuck stevenson]

Ron,

Are you using the Kerdi pan?

[rsmith99]

No, that's the question. I am using an acrylic pan with a nailing flange. Below the flange is a lip that the sheetrock and tile will sit on. If I use Kerdi on the wall it will not cover the exposed raw end of the drywall. Any water that gets through the gap between the base and the tile could soak into the drywall. I know the gap is caulked, but that always seems to leak somewhere or other.

Ron

[chuck stevenson]

Ron,

That's what I thought from your other posts. If you have not started this shower yet, you really need to consider using the Kerdi system. Schluter has preformed pans, but you can build your own for less $. The Kerdi drain is unique and basically goof proof.

[cx]

We had discussed that with him earlier, Chuck. I've now combined that thread here so you can see it above. I can't tell that he ever saw the responses to that thread, though.

Bookmark this thread so you won't lose track of it, Ron.

The beauty of the Kerdi Shower System is that there are no such places as you've ended up with in your shower, which is the only reason sheetrock walls are practical. I would certainly have recommended against what you have done there, suggesting that you use CBU for your walls instead.

But you've got what you've got. If you haven't yet installed the Kerdi, I'd still recommend you change the walls to CBU. If you have installed the Kerdi, I'd recommend you try to seal that bottom sheetrock edge as well as possible with silicone or urethane caulk. Then seal the Kerdi to the receptor to the extent possible with similar material. Kerdi Fix is a caulk Schluter makes for use with the Kerdi, but other materials work, too.

Good luck.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[rsmith99]

Schluter gave me this link: http://www.schluter.com/4_10_dilex_as.aspx

Ron