damaged mud pan

**todd_barrett** · 08-23-2012, 05:19 AM

i had a carpenter put his ladder in my couple day old shower mud pan (i had to step off the shower after i got the pan done for a few days to work on something else so the pan was left exposed, that was my mistake) so there are two decent size divots in my mud pan. does anyone have experience with this type of repair? can i just pack more floor mix into the divots? will that bond? any advice would be appreciated. thanks

**johnfrwhipple** · 08-23-2012, 05:56 AM

Is this mud pan the pre-slope for the waterproofing or is this mud pan the final tile surface?

A two day old shower with a mud pan should be able to take the weight of a ladder. If large divots are popping off you may have used the wrong products or mixed them poorly.

JW

**todd_barrett** · 08-23-2012, 12:41 PM

its the final mud pan. i mixed it per manufacturers instructions.

**jadnashua** · 08-23-2012, 03:17 PM

How thick is the deck mud? How deep are the divots? Unless the ladder was moved around and ground its way through, just in compression, it should not have been damaged if the proper stuff was used and it was installed (packed and mixed) properly.

Depends somewhat on how deep they are, and if it became a cracked segment (and could be lifted out), verses being ground to a powder. If other trades are going to be working there, it's not a bad idea to cover the fresh pan with a sheet of ply to protect things - maybe next time!

**johnfrwhipple** · 08-24-2012, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by todd_barrett

its the final mud pan. i mixed it per manufacturers instructions.

Mixing a good drypack requires a lot of patients and here in Vancouver a Wheel Barrow and Gardening Hoe. Over the past year I have shied away from traditional drypacks (4-1) (5-1) mixes and have started using a Fast Setting Screed Mortar.

I find that like you on occassion large chunks of dry pack can pop out. Even with the most up most care.

With your job this may be the case. Have you tried hitting the mortar bed with a hammer and chisel? Give it a little "Love Blow" and tell me what happens. If another large chunk pops out it might be that the product (cement or 4-1) was out of date or poorly stored. If the cement crystals hydrate in storage or sit to long they activate and cure before you mix it and you end up with a sand and sand mix.

Look a little closer.

If the floor is sound and chunks don't pop out when your strike the floor you should be able to give the area a little pass with thin-set and then top straight away with more deck mud.

Good Luck.

JW