Starting a new custom shower after a mess

[Kiasmama]

Jeff, I believe the half-inch plywood would be over the existing sawn board subfloor we see in her earlier posts.

Yes

That would be sufficient for your application, Elle, and the half-inch gaps at the sides should not be a problem if you plan a mortar bed over the plywood. Nothing wrong with the Great Stuff idea if you just wanna do it.

By mortar bed, though, we need to know what you have in mind. Are you trying to level and flatten the floor, or are you planning to use the mortar bed as your sloped shower floor, which would be my recommendation.

Yes, level and flatten the floor, not my pre slope.

As for the linear drain idea, you'll need to decide just which linear drain you intend to use and where you intend to locate it before you can make some other decisions. That would also tie in with your plan for the overall waterproofing method you intend for your shower receptor and walls.

Thanks, I will decided soonish.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[jeffnc]

Originally Posted by Kiasmama

I mean it's about half an inch short on the sides...doesn't quite go to the curbs. so the Great Stuff would be to fill in that void.

Yes I understood that. I don't think Great Stuff is necssary, like cx said it can be filled in with mortar.

[Kiasmama]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

this is the drain I ordered. Didn't look like there was too much different between brands so went with this one

[ss3964spd]

Linear drains can be a challenge Elle, really needs to be compatible with floor water proofing system you intend to use. Maybe I missed it above - have you decided on how you're going to do the floor?

[Kiasmama]

Hmm, can you explain more about that? I guess I was just thinking of waterproofing the floor, the leveling layer of mortar with something like redguard or something. Wasn't thinking of using a membrane. Do I need to?

[Kiasmama]

I think I might be overthinking something. So I'm going to put a layer of mortar, not preslope, just a leveling layer, on my plywood. Where does the drain go? I mean, do I put like a can over the hole, and the wood where the drain would go, then do I put more wood in that area to raise the drain level with the mortar? I hope I am articulating that correctly.

I mean if I connect the drain to my plywood now it will be about 1/2 or so below the level mortar line, so I'm guessing I need to cover the drain area (so I have wood to screw into and not mortar) and then just add about another 1/2 or so of plywood, under the outside of the drain to bring it up level with the mortar. Is that what I need to do?

[travisinfla]

Tile work is an under appreciated skill.

[ss3964spd]

I've not installed a linear drain before, Elle, but the fundamentals are the same as any other shower drain; it must be compatible with the water proofing method you intend to use.

Over a wood framed floor such as yours one water proofing method is to install a pre-sloped mud bed on top of the plywood. Then the bottom section of a multi piece clamping drain is glued to the drain riser pipe. A single sheet of PVC liner is then laid over the pre-sloped mud bed, a hole is cut in the PVC liner at the drain, and the top section of the drain assembly is bolted to the bottom section, thereby clamping the PVC liner between the two and creating a water tight seal. I'm over-simplifying a bit but you get the gist.

Far as I can tell the linear drain you've purchased has no way to provide a positive seal for the water proofing method described above. It looks like you could use this, though; https://www.amazon.com/Shower-Adjust...75NDM9QR&psc=1

However, most people choose a linear drain so that it can be placed very close to a wall, and that clamping drain won't allow for that. If you place the linear drain well away from the wall it would work, but then why bother? A typical 4" square drain will do the same job and be less finicky to install.

Now, if your water proofing system includes a surface applied water proof membrane, such as Kerdi, the drain you have will not work as there is no way to securely bond the membrane to the drain body.

You can approach it from two directions; let the water proofing system drive the drain choice or let the drain choice drive the water proofing system. In any event, they need to be compatible.

[Kiasmama]

Far as I can tell the linear drain you've purchased has no way to provide a positive seal for the water proofing method described above. It looks like you could use this, though; https://www.amazon.com/Shower-Adjust...75NDM9QR&psc=1

I'm actually using one of those and intend to waterproof the way you have described! I thought you meant something else.

[ss3964spd]

So, you are going to install a pre-sloped mud bed, then a PVC liner, then a second mud bed? I thought I previously read that you were fixin to install a flat mud bed - to level things out?

Does that clamping drain assembly have built in weep holes/channels?

[Kiasmama]

I'm thinking of nixing the leveling layer. My brother and I are going to rip up the floor and sister the floor joist so I might just level everything when we put the floor back on. I don't know. We are really new at this so we are making it up as we are going along.

Yes the drain has weep holes.

[Kiasmama]

I've decided to sister the floor joists as an extra measure. I had a contractor come in to give me a quote on redoing the bathroom (mostly for court purposes) and he didn't think the floor was up to par relative to holding the tile. He did schluter system so I'm guessing that wouldn't have the two or three mortar beds I was thinking of in addition to the tile.

So I'm ripping up the floor and going to put 2x8s on three floor joists as sisters then OSB subfloor down, actually need 2, 3/4 inch pieces to make it level with the old floor so I'm guessing that should be plenty strong enough for the tile. I used the calculator on this site and without the sisters it said it would be good for ceramic tile, but I"m putting down something closer to porcelain. I honestly don't know the differences between the two.

Does that sound good? Anything I should look out for?

[cx]

Elle, porcelain tile is ceramic tile, just a better grade thereof. Harder, more dense, hotter fired, etc. If your joist deflection is suitable for a ceramic tile installation (L/360 or better) it's suitable for porcelain tile.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Kiasmama]

thanks CX, will sister the joists anyway- I think it's a psychological thing at this point, lol.

[Kiasmama]

do shower floor tiles have to be small in order to pitch correctly? I wanted to originally put 12x 24 inch tiles on the floor of the shower, but a contractor is trying to talk me out of it. I then though about cutting them smaller, maybe even random sizes, but he is telling me it won't pitch right unless they are small, like one inch or 2 inch max. This is also the same contractor that told me a pre-slope was unnecessary

I guess it doesn't make sense to me. If the mortar bed is pitched correctly, why wouldn't the tiles be? I guess I can see an issue with large tiles perhaps, but if I cut them smaller, even random sizes like an art deco sort of thing, I'm not sure why that wouldn't work.

Thanks. I will look for new floor tile if I have to, but I'd like to try and make the stuff I like work.