Shower Pan Slope Issue

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RajD

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Hi,

We recently bought a property and noticed that one of the showers was not draining the water properly after use. I have very little idea on this, but I thought it was strange that it should have standing water even after several hours of no use. Since this is a new construction and the other shower did not have the same issue, we asked the contractors to fix it. They initially agreed to reinstall after inspecting it (and determining that it cannot be 'repaired'), but then retracted and stated that they will pour resin to fix it. We said that it was not acceptable as apparently, if this is done, the treads will not match.

Considering that this is a new property, I wanted to get your opinions on whether this is common and if it can it be 'repaired' or needs to be replaced. I have attached a picture showing the issue I am referring to.

Thanks a lot in advance,

- Raj.
 

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Jadnashua

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It could be either poor quality prep work (the floor not level or the pan not leveled during the install) or that the pan itself is defective. It is fairly common to use some mortar underneath a pan like that to help level the pan and to help support the sometimes flexible pan. If not done properly, there could be high spots and a birdbath.

Were it a tiled shower, that would be a big problem. Given the fabricated pan, it's an annoyance, and will promote the possibility of mold, and will provide a resting place for hair, soap scum, etc., that doesn't flow to the drain properly. Often, the only way to fix that is to tear out the pan which means at least a row or two of tile, and it's a pain, so I can see that the contractor isn't thrilled with that and looked for an alternative. I don't think you'd get a good match if you could add compatible material to create the proper slope, and it would always look like a patch. I'm not sure, but that's my thoughts based on what I've seen and read. A call to the pan's manufacturer might come up with a solution.

WHat I would do, though, is get a level and check the slope to the drain. Code calls for a minimum of 1/4"/foot (although sometimes on a manufactured product you can get away with less) slope to the drain, with no flat spots. I'd want to see if that's a symptom of a flat spot or overall poor installation of the pan. The outer rim is typically level, so you could also check that for level in addition to the slope. My guess is those outer edges are not level in both directions, either, which will lead to water pooling at those edges and problems down the road. IOW, it may not just be the bottom of the pan at issue.
 

RajD

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Thanks, Jim ! Very helpful ! Glad to get your feedback as I was beginning to think this was normal (given how the contractor reacted) :)
 
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