replacing bath tub with a shower stall

[Eric and Megan Swope]

Hi everyone. I am looking to replace my bath tub with a fiberglass shower stall. The one part of the project I am unsure about is a shower pan. I know if I was going to tile my shower floor, wall, etc. that I need this. Do I still need it with a fiberglass shower stall? After reading some sites, I have seen the base for these stalls, but saw nothing about creating a shower pan for a fiberglass shower stall?

If anyone has any links they are willing to share I would appreciate that as well. Thanks.

[Rudy]

Many fiberglass or acrylic shower stalls already have a "floor" in them, therefore shower pan isnt required. Our tile shower has a concrete base as opposed to a "pan"

[willshak]

On 8/23/2005 12:05 AM US(ET), Eric and Megan Swope took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

As Rudy said, some shower stalls come with bases. I have a 4' shower stall that is all one molded piece, base, side walls and back, and a one piece 5' tub/shower enclosure. If you want to use the whole 5' space where the tub is currently installed, see here for an example:

, otherwise check the other types out here: my shower stall and tub/shower enclosure were installed, they put a bed of wet concrete in the spaces before setting the units in place, thereby giving the fiberglass bases more support.

[Speedy Jim]

Yes! The cement bed is essential to give the base support. It doesn't need to be concrete w/aggregate; a "sand mix" is adequate.

Jim

[User Example]

They didn't put anything under our fiberglass tub and it creaks like you wouldn't believe. Good thing I never use it and my wife doesn't weigh much.

[willshak]

On 8/23/2005 3:26 PM US(ET), Eric and Megan Swope took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

The reason they use cement is that it will form to the base of the shower. Usually, the shower base is not flat, but is dished so that the water will run towards the drain. I don't think any backer board will conform to the dish shape of the base.

[Eric and Megan Swope]

Thanks for the advice. I saw on the one site, instead of making a mortar bed, the builder used 1/2 durock cement backer board to fill the gap between the subfloor and the bottom of the shower base. He then used liquid nails to adhere the base to the durock. Would this be acceptable as well?

[Eric and Megan Swope]

Forgot to mention he screwed the durock to the floor joists through the subfloor.