DIY Shower Tray Installation – Save Money Using Professional Techniques

If you are considering installing a new shower or need to repair an existing one and want to save the cost of paying a plumber to install a new pan; Installing a DIY shower tray is a job that can be tackled, if you’re adventurous and don’t mind a little hard work. In this article, I will cover the basic tools, materials, and steps to install your own shower tray.

Tools needed

• Vinyl Shower Liner – Cut to fit the floor area and extend 10-12 inches up the wall on all sides
• Portland cement and river sand or mortar to mix mud bed
• New Shower Drain Assembly 2×8 Treated Lumber – Will Cut to Block Behind Siding
• 1 1/4″ Roofing Nails – To secure siding to walls Shower Siding Adhesive

Materials

• Vinyl Shower Liner – Cut to fit the floor area and extend 10-12 inches up the wall on all sides
• Portland cement and river sand or mortar to mix mud bed
• New shower drain assembly
• Treated 2×8 lumber to cut to block behind siding
• 1 1/4″ Roofing Tacks – To secure siding to walls
• adhesive shower liner

Installation steps

• If you are working on an existing shower, break up old flooring, mud bedding, liner, and remove existing tile at least 12 inches on all walls.
• Install treated 2×8 blocks between the wall studs around the perimeter of the shower to support the new siding.
• Install a new shower drain assembly.
• Mix portland cement and sand for the preliminary mud bed (1 part portland, 1 part sand).
• Using the concrete trowel, spread the mud bed so that it slopes from all sides towards the drain. The top of this mud bed should be just below the bottom bucket of the drain assembly at an average height of about 2 inches. Let this bed cure for a couple of hours.
• Cut the shower liner to fit the size of the floor and extend it up the wall ten to twelve inches or at least a couple of inches above the edge of the door. Using roofing tacks, secure top edges of siding to wall studs. Be careful not to use nails lower or near the floor, as this can cause leaks.
• Using the liner’s adhesive, secure the liner to the drain assembly between the hub and the removable top lip. Cut holes for drain and drain assembly bolts.
• Install adjustable drain piece at desired height from finished floor
• Mix portland and sand to get a finished mud bed.
• Spread mud 3/4″-1″ below desired finish floor height, depending on tile thickness. The idea is to install the tile flush with the top of the drain assembly.

Remember to be careful during installation to avoid cutting or puncturing the siding. As a precaution, it’s a good idea to plug the drain and put several inches of water in the shower pan, mark the water level and leave it overnight to make sure the pan is watertight. This could prevent you from having water damage problems later on.