A quick guide to finishing a shower pan for beginners

I followed these steps last weekend for my guest bath remodel using Quikrete Sand/Topping mix with some extra Portland cement. The 4-to-1 ratio really is the sweet spot. I almost added too much water at first, but keeping it at that snowball consistency made it way easier to screed. I used a scrap piece of 2x4 to pack it down, and putting the pea gravel around the Oatey drain base gave me peace of mind because those weep holes looked like they would clog instantly without it. One thing I learned the hard way was the slope near the corners. I thought I had my quarter-inch per foot dialed in, but I ended up with a slight dip near the back corner. I had to pull some mud back up and retamp it before it started setting. I used a 2-foot level and just kept spinning it around the drain like a clock hand to check for those low spots. For the edges, I actualy let my mud bed sit a little lower than the bottom of the wall studs because I was using a thicker porcelain mosaic tile. If I had gone higher, I would have had a wierd transition. Just remember to account for your thinset height too. It took about 24 hours before I felt safe standing on it to check the pitch one last time.

Spot on with the clock hand trick for the level. I've seen way too many guys eyeball the corners and end up with a puddle. One thing I'd add is to throw a bit of duct tape over the drain opening before you start dumping the mud. It sounds silly, but a tiny pebble of that dry pack falling down into the trap can be a nightmare to fish out once the mortar starts to harden around the pipe. Also, if you’re using a wood curb, make sure you wrap that liner over it completly so the mud bed doesn't suck the moisture right into the framing.

I'm just starting to wrap my head around this, but how do you know if you've got the 'snowball' consistency right? I'm terrified of making it too wet and ruining the whole thing. Also, when you guys mention the weep holes and pea gravel, does it matter what kind of gravel it is? I saw some 'all-purpose' stones at the store but wasn't sure if they'd be too big. I realy don't want to mess up the drainage before I even get to the tile part.

Listen to the boys about the dry pack, but don't overthink the gravel. Back in the day, we'd just grab a handful of clean crushed stone from the driveway if we had to. As long as it's bigger than the weep holes, it'll keep 'em breathing. For that snowball test, if your hand stays soaking wet, you've gone too far. It shoud just leave a little dust and moisture on your palm. Also, keep a spray bottle of water handy. If the top starts drying out too fast while you're still screeding, a light mist keeps it workable. I've seen guys try to fix a dry top by pouring a bucket on it—don't do that unless you want a muddy mess.