Need Advice for new shower Pan

[Dana D DeBoer]

I have an 55yr old house built on a slab. I was getting water leakage out of the shower so i decided to tear out the old pan. I discovered after the demo that there was no slab under the pan, only dirt. This does not sound normal to me. What would be the proper steps to be taken to ensure a new solid shower pan?

Thanks in advance for any help.

dana

[jadnashua]

Was there a liner somewhere in that mix, or just deck mud on the dirt? Some people consider the tile as a waterproof layer, but it is not. All current codes require a sloped, waterproof layer underneath the tile that is then tied into the drain. For stability, I think I'd want to pour a slab, tied into the existing slab with rebar drilled into the existing slab and epoxied in place. If you were considering a barrier free shower, this would be an ideal time to do it, since it would then be easier to recess the pan and get the slope you need for one.