What to do! Construction Shower Pan???

Hi,

I have a partially finished basement that i'm working on right now. In the bathroom, there is a 4" (or so) deep shower pan that was placed by the builder. I would like to use a pre-fab shower insert (walls, floor, etc) instead.

So do I remove the construction pan? If so HOW??? Also, the walls around teh shower are drywall, should that be removed and should I use a waterproof backerboard?

Help! This will be my first bathroom project. Maybe i'm out of my league, but i'd like to give it a shot!!!

Karen

Is this pan an actual "pan" ie lead, copper,or vinyl? Or is it just a depression in the cement slab?


If you can find one to fit, a prefab fibreglass unit is a good option. Being in the basement, you definitely cannot get a one piece unit in, unless you have a huge bulkhead door, or if this is a walk in basement. Otherwise, you will need a 2 or 3 piece sectional remodel-type unit.

You need careful measurements of what exists. Most like, even for a sectional, you would need to remove the drywall. If you decide to tile, then for sure you need to replace the drywall with backer board.


Tell us more about your "pan" because this is a very key aspect of your project.

Construction Pan

Hi!

Thanks for the fast reply. Good questions!

It's a fiberglass pan that was set in - not sure if it's glued/cemeted down or not - havent' tried that hard to look - lol.

And it's a walkout basement so I can get the full shower piece in...not a problem.

I just didn't know if it was possible or NECESSARY to remove that fiberglass pan - it's NASTY now by the way! - or if I put the new one piece over it (that doesn't make sense either). Or the best way to remove the existing 4" tall pan.

You could take it out if it isn't able to be cleaned up. You can actually even keep the drywall if you use something called Kerdi from www.schluter.com (check out their video). A more asthetic and longer lasting result would be to tear it out and replace, then tile. Check out www.johnbridge.com for help on tiling and showers...lots of traffic and a number of experts on this subject.

pan

If the new shower comes with its own floor/pan, there is no way you can install it without removing the old pan, and probably the walls also. We can't tell you how to remove it because we cannot see how it is installed.