Concrete or construction adhesive for Lyons shower base

[Jim R]

Should I use some construction adhesive for installing the Lyons shower base on concrete floor in basement, like the instructions say, or should I set it in concrete. It gets screwed to the studs as well. Thanks.

 

[Jadnashua]

What is the shape of the bottom of this pan? Is your floor perfectly flat and level?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jim R]

What is the shape of the bottom of this pan? Is your floor perfectly flat and level?

The floor is close to level, not perfectly level. The bottom of the pan has several round feet. Instructions say to use shims to level if needed and apply construction adhesive, which would work, but I am wondering if concrete or mortar is better. It's an acrylic base.

 

[Jadnashua]

Outside of the feet, what does the rest of the bottom look like? If you set it down somewhere, get it leveled so each foot is on the ground, then, in your bare feet, walk around on the inside, do you feel any flex? If you do, setting the thing in mortar will help both level it and the 'feel' of the thing. Flex, over time, can create stress cracks, and potentially at the end, failure. The most successful method is generally to set a number of piles of mortar, then set the tub in place until it is level, then let the mortar setup overnight. It helps to put down some plastic on the floor so that moisture doesn't get sucked out, weakening the mix. Some put another layer on top of the mortar to make it easier to remove the tub down the line. Mortar cures, and generally doesn't really dry, so the plastic is not an issue unless you seal things. The moisture gets chemically incorporated into the mortar during the curing process.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

There is no good way to set piles of construction adhesive in adequate amounts to bed in a shower pan. I cannot imagine why they would suggest such a thing, if they did.