Preparing for solid slab soapstone shower base

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Hollybhome

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We are having a custom soapstone shower base installed next week. We ripped out a one piece acrylic tub/shower and can't decide on the best method to prepare the floor & drain to ensure a long, waterproof/leak proof life. The soapstone company has cut the double layer stone to our opening and routed out a slope to the drain hole. They will simply come in and adhere the base to our floor.

We are planning on placing durock over the 3/4" strandboard. Then, using Redgard or AquaDefense waterproofing Membrane (taping all corners, seams, & edges). Our biggest concern is what to do about the drain to make it leak proof. We like the Schluter drain flange, but don't think we can use it with cement board as the drain flange needs to be level with the surface (can't rout cement board) and the soapstone drain hole is round and would not work with the square Schulter grate. Soapstone does not absorb water, so the leak potentials are the drain opening and top edges of the pan.

I would appreciate your recommendations. We have installed acrylic shower pans in the past, but never a soapstone slab. Thanks!
 

Jadnashua

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You can't use a Kerdi drain in this situation regardless, unless you wanted to cover the whole thing with Kerdi and up the walls, kind of counterproductive with an already waterproof pan!

There are lots of shower drains that could be used. First, I'd talk to the company making the pan and see if they have a recommendation, but at the least, you'll want to find out what size drain they are machining the pan to accept to ensure whatever you buy will fit properly. If you don't have access from below, you'll need to install the drain at the same time as the pan, at least with most drains. Many of them use a nut on the bottom to compress and attach the drain to the pan, and without access from below, that's impossible once it is bonded to the subflooring.

One thing that is critical though, is to ensure that the floor is level prior to installing the pan. You have very little chance of leveling it with thinset, at least very much, or reliably.
 
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