Shower Pan Options for Your Upcoming Remodel
Pre-Formed Shower Pans | Pre-Sloped Shower Pan | Fully Custom Shower Pan | Cost Comparison
When considering a shower remodel, whether you plan to do it yourself or hire a contractor, it’s important to understand the different types of shower pans, their pros and cons, and the associated costs.
Shower Pan vs. Shower Base
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. A shower pan refers to the finished, solid, waterproof floor of the shower that is sloped to guide water toward the drain. Some pans are designed to be placed beneath a tiled shower floor, while others are made from materials like acrylic, fiberglass, or composites.
On the other hand, a shower base is the substrate that sits underneath the pan, typically made from cement or mortar.
There are three different classes of shower pans and bases to consider.
Pre-formed shower pans
Tile-able shower pans
Acrylic, Fiberglass, Cultured Stone, Cast Iron shower pans
Pre- Sloped Shower pan
Built in place shower base (Traditional mud bed)
Pre-Formed Tile-able Shower Pans
Pre-formed shower pans are pre-made in a factory and are built to fit a variety of standard-sized showers. There are two different types. There are tile-able shower pans and there are acrylic, fiberglass, stone, or composite shower pans.
Top Brands for Tile Ready Shower Pans
Tile Redi
KRBS
One of the top brands for tile-able shower pans is, Tile Redi. In Colorado, these shower pans can be picked up at Floor and Decor, or shipped to your home through a variety of online retailers.
These pans are made out of a closed-cell, rigid polyurethane that is waterproof and ready for tile. Stores will stock a variety of standard sizes, but custom or unique sizes can be manufactured and ordered directly through their website.
These can be set directly over the subfloor, but to increase the strength of the pan, they should be adhered to the subfloor with mortar. Once they are set, they can be tiled over the same day.
Pros:
Easy installation
Guaranteed waterproof (no need to flood test)
Comes in many premade sizes
Can be fully customized
Can install tile the same day
Cons:
Expensive
If you need a custom size, it can take a while to have it made and shipped to you
Your framing has to be perfect, or it will not fit
Prone to damage prior to being tiled
My Take
I personally do not have experience with the KRBS products, but have used the Tile Redi shower pans numerous times. They are easy to install making them beginner friendly, but what I like the most is that these are guaranteed waterproof, so there is no need to flood test prior to installing tile, meaning that it can be tiled the same day that the pan is installed.
If you are a DIY homeowner taking on a tile project and are worried about leaks, then this is a great product to give you peace of mind that your shower floor will be 100% leak proof. These are more expensive than many of the other options, but are a great product.
Preformed non tile-able Shower Pan
Acrylic and Fiberglass Shower Pans fall into the same category of being fully finished and are not tile-able. They have slightly different compositions and each have their specific strengths.
They are manufactured in many different sizes and can be found to fit most standard sized shower openings. They are available at most home improvement stores or online home improvement retailers.
It is important to note that these are not all made equal, so research into the specific brands will be necessary. The main difference is in the reinforcement below the pan. A good pan will have lots of reinforcement and have no bounce when you step into it. A bad one will feel less stable under your feet.
Acrylic vs Fiberglass - Acrylic is harder to puncture or scratch than fiberglass making it the more durable option. Fiberglass is easier to repair when damaged, but will not last as long as an acrylic pan will. Both of these are on the most affordable end of the spectrum, but fiberglass will be the cheaper of the two.
Pros:
Easy to clean and maintain
Both are affordable
Easy to Install
Cons:
Acrylic may be more durable than fiberglass, but these are less durable than any of the other options.
Not as attractive as tile
My Take
Both of these are great options if you are looking for an affordable and easy-to-maintain shower floor. The number one benefit of these products over tiled shower floors is the ease of cleaning, just make sure that whatever cleaner you use is Acrylic safe as some harsh bathroom chemicals can damage these surfaces surface.
If you are between Fiberglass or Acrylic, go with Acrylic. The only reason to go with a fiberglass shower pan is because it is cheaper. The $100 or so that you may save with a fiberglass shower pan will likely not be worth it in the long run due to it being easier to damage and having a shorter life expectancy.
Solid Stone or Manufactured Stone Shower Pans
Stone shower pans are most commonly made of natural stones, such as, granite, marble, and slate, or a composite material called stone resin (blend of natural minerals and resin).
Solid stone pans come in a variety of sizes, but will be limited due to their hight weight. If you are remodeling/building a standard sized shower, then there will be plenty of options to choose from.
These are a very luxurious option that are visually appealing, but some stones/patterns do carry the risk of being slippery when wet.
Pros:
Very durable
Easy to clean
Luxurious
Many color and design options
Cons:
Expensive
Need to do your research on the specific stone to understand how to maintain it properly
Heavy, so will be harder to install and may require additional floor support
Will not be available for very large showers
Some stones can be slippery when wet
Can feel cold under feet
My Take
Solid stone or manufactured stone shower pans combine durability with luxury that will outlast tile and acrylic shower pans. If you are looking for something that screams luxury, these are worth the extra money. My only caveat is to research the specific stone you want to ensure you find one that is not slippery when wet. The last thing you want is an expensive shower floor that becomes a fall liability.
Pre-Sloped Tile-able Shower Pans
Pre-sloped tile-able shower pans are perfectly pitched to allow for a safe place to stand with a proper amount of slope to drain the water off of your shower floor. There are numerous different brands, but all are fairly similar. They consist of a foam or molded plastic core covered by a waterproof membrane and are tied into the walls and curb with waterproof banding to create a fully waterproof shower floor.
A day after these are installed (allowing for thinset mortar to fully set and dry), they will need to be water tested to ensure that there are no leaks at the seams or edge of the shower pan.
Pros:
Fast and fairly easy to install
Easy to cut to fit non-standard sized showers
Part of complete shower waterproofing systems
Readily available at big box stores or Amazon
Cons:
Have to be careful between install and tile as they can be easily punctured by a dropped tool
Need to be flood tested to make sure there aren’t any leaks
Are harder to install than preformed shower pans
My Take
These are the shower pans I personally install in my client’s homes. I often build custom-sized showers and these pans are great as they can be cut down to fit the exact size of the shower. These do require more skill to install than preformed shower pans, but there are great resources from the manufacturers and YouTube to help show you how to install them properly.
It is important to note that if these are not installed properly, they will fail and will cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars of damage.
Traditional Mud Bed
Mud beds also known as mortar beds or dry back shower pans have been around for years and are a tried a true method of building a shower pan.
These consist of three layers. A base slope which is made with a mix of sand, cement and water being properly mixed and sloped towards a drain. A waterproofing layer, usually made out of sheet pvc. Finally, a top layer also made out of sand, cement, and water which also needs to be properly sloped towards the drain.
These pans allow for full customization and are extremely durable.
Pros:
Affordable
Most Durable
Fully Customizable
My Take
Due to the large labor requirement and skill needed to install these, I would not recommend this option for a DIYer, even though it is the most affordable tile-able option, I would recommend either the pre-sloped shower pan or prefabricated shower pan to a DIYer who wants a tiled shower floor.
If you are working with a professional that has been installing these for years, then by all means don’t talk them out of it as they are a great system. Just be aware that it will take a day or two longer for your shower to be completed.
Cons:
More skill needed
Time Consuming (multiple steps over multiple days)
Potential for inconsistent slopes
Adds a lot of weight to the floor
Other Shower Remodeling articles