Building a shower floor with ceramic tiles always begins with proper foundations. The actual foundation should consist of what is known as Wonder Board with perhaps Durock cement boards on the shower walls. You will also need a shower membrane liner actually on the floor of your shower, especially when the floor is also going to be tiles as well.

Wonder Boards and Durock

The Wonder Board or the Durock cement boards, are as well known as backer board, they are completely water resistant and are they are great materials for the applying of the ceramic tiles especially to high moisture parts of the shower. Durock is applied straight to the studs in the wall and also the ceiling joists, using hot dipped nails that are galvanised or galvanised wood screws.

Thin set or adhesive mortar can actually be put straight on a Wonder Board or Durock board to attach the ceramic tiles to. You should actually apply fiber glass tape around and over all the edges and seams and then smooth out using a latex thinset before putting on the tiles.

Shower Liners

If you are using a ceramic tile on the floor of the shower then you need to have the shower pan liner installed before you install the shower. The shower liner is used to make sure you end up with a no leak shower.

Pre-sloping the Floor

Pre slope the floor before you put in the liner and it has to be a presloped floor for the important purpose of draining away the water. Apply a smooth and even layer of the mortar onto the shower floor within the shower area.
When your pre slope has actually cured and been left, you can then install the membrane of the liner.

You need to choose the type of liner you want and then you have to bend and mould the liner to fit the shower base and then go on to secure it to all sides of the shower frame preferably with nails or staples. You will also need to open up a slit in the membrane liner so that your drain unit can be put it without having to take it all out again and do it again.

Backer Board

When you have the actual shower pan in the shower with the liner already into place you need to secure the backer board to the framed walls in the shower. The backer board is used to attach the tiles that you want into areas that are generally wet and damp; this is why they are essential for the shower area.

When you have finished putting in the backer board you need to add another layer of mortar on to the membrane liner which then protects it further and gives you a good, level and solid base for your actual floor tiles in your shower.

When you have let that final coat of mortar dry and cure then you get on with putting in your ceramic floor into your shower.

Once you have the tile and also the grout has been put in, the drain assembly kit has to be adjusted in order for the height is completely flushed with your floor of the shower that you have.