| A tile shower pan built the traditional way consists of | | | | just stick together. Soupy mixes will work for brick |
| several layers, but it's mostly mortar. It's sloped floor | | | | laying, but not for shower floors. |
| too, because the water must drain toward the drain. | | | | The deck mud is put in place with flat trowels and |
| Getting the mortar sloped takes some skill, but it's | | | | then is raked into place with short wood pieces. It's |
| actually a fairly simple process. | | | | continually scraped and rubbed into place until it's |
| The proper slope for the floor is about 1/4 inch per | | | | smooth and sloped properly. The thing is you only |
| foot. That's enough slope to keep the water moving | | | | have about 30 to 45 minutes to get it in place. Then |
| and not pooling. Even the top of the curb should get | | | | it starts to harden on you. |
| about that same slope to keep the water in the | | | | Tile shower pans are built with a simple three part |
| shower instead of on the bathroom floor. | | | | masonry mix that's called deck mud. No additives are |
| Now the floor mortar is called deck mud. It's a special | | | | required. It's just a mix of portland cement, sand and |
| blend of just three ingredients. Those are portland | | | | water. It's just scooped in place with a flat trowel, |
| cement, sand and water. Nothing else. The dry | | | | then scraped and rubbed into place with that same |
| ingredients are completely mixed dry, then water is | | | | trowel and wood pieces. Get the right slope on the |
| added. It's added slowly as mixing continues so you | | | | mortar and finishing the floor becomes much easier. |
| don't get too much water. The final mixture should | | | | |