AboutPerry Vellenga Expertise Ceramic Tile/Marble. I can answer questions about floor preparation, tile selection, layout questions, performance of products, expectations of finish, compatabilities, questions about grout and epoxies, evaluating an installer, asking the right questions to check competence...more? 30 years this August 09'/ many years in commercial application from exterior finishes to Mall store fronts/ interior finishes like floor packages in stores inside Malls examples: The Limited, Lerner/NY, Lane Bryants, Bombay Co., ect...
Experience I worked in an exclusive field of floorcovering called "Tenant Development" which is by invitational bid only, by way of a National bid list. These are large floor packages usually over 3500 sq. ft. of 18" x 18" Marble and Granite and many other types of Marble and sizes. They are specialty stores where the floor package can cost upwards of $50,000 for one store. I have also done "Structure" stores and J. Riggins stores, Express and Body Shop stores where wood flooring is used. Presently work for a National Flooring Company in the Residential new construction arena that covers most interior design elements..Granite Slab tops/wood flooring both job finished and prefinished ect..
Question We own a manufactured home and want to replace our shower insert stall with a total tile shower. The walls already form a framed out area for the new shower, the only building we'll have to do is a front edge of some kind to keep the water in. I'd like to have a tile floor but am wondering after seeing posts about having to build the shower pan from mortar and rubber sheeting, would it be better to purchase a pre-made shower pan to fit in the space? Our area will be 38 1/4 x 48 and 7ft tall. We are assuming that the wall behind is either studs or backer board. If the answer as far as total cost is that making a shower pan would be a better choice...(we don't mind putting in the work if it's going to be the cheaper route)...then can you please walk through all of the steps for a first time do-it-yourselfer?
Thanks so much
K
Answer Thank you for your question Kim,
Building a shower from scratch is not for amateurs especially when considering a properly assembled mud shower floor replete with a sealed liner and curb. It's a lot to deal with. So your idea of the plastic pre-formed shower pan is a good one. You can order from a large number of pre-sized pans and just have it installed and your ready to hang the tile providing you have a quality wall board in place like "Denshield" or something like it...ok? Now the plastic pan will be a much easier and way more economical fixture to deal with and there is far less likelihood that it would fail. Now you may be surprised to find that there may not be "anything" behind the plastic enclosure walls so that would really be a good thing to just start from there, but also you may not be able to find the "exact" size for the existing footprint so be prepared to move a wall a little bit here or there after researching what the closest size application you may need..follow me? So before I go into what could be several pages of tutoring lets first remove the shower stall and see what is behind the thing, then you will want to call your local Plumbing Supply Store and inquire what sizes they either have or can order in to fit your current footprint, then you will know if you will need to adjust a wall to accommodate either a larger or smaller pre-formed pan. When you have arrived to that point then come back and we can pick it up from there. I would also invite you to source our extensive archives as I have been doing this 10 years and there are multiple hundreds of questions that can narrow things down for me to address when you are ready...ok? That's it Kim, come back when your ready, I'll be here.
