CMiller0104
New Member
I'm hoping someone out there can help me. We've been trying to get our shower remodel underway, and we've been dealing with delay after delay. And, we're on a short timeline, since we're expecting twins in October. I'd really like to have the shower usable by then. :/
We've installed Kerdi board in our 36" square shower, and we installed the Kerdi drain kit the other day. Since we have a concrete (above grade) slab and there was no plumbing access, we had to install the drain before the tray. Well, the PVC pipe didn't go down all the way, so my careful measurements were all for naught. We had about a 3/8" gap. I called Schluter, and I was advised to raise the floor with plywood or OSB and fasten, either with construction adhesive or cement screws. Well, we went out to the hardware store, got 3/8" plywood, Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive and applied the plywood to the floor around the drain. In the process of researching how long the Liquid Nails needed to cure, I came up with some worries.
First, the Schluter rep didn't mention waterproofing the concrete slab, and we didn't think about it, so there's no waterproofing between the slab and the 3/8" plywood (interior grade). Since it's an above grade slab with good drainage, is this something we need to worry about? Someone also mentioned that houses built in the 90s would have moisture barrier under the slab. Our house was built in 96. But, how would I even find out if we did have moisture barrier under the slab??
Second, I'm not sure at this point that the Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive was the right thing to use. It did say it would work with cement and it would work with plywood. But, in looking into it further, it said it wasn't recommended for underlayment. Does anyone know if this would be a problem in a 36" square area under a shower pan?
So, if either of those things is something to be concerned about, where do we go from here? Do we need to try to pry up the plywood? I hate to even think what that will entail. But, I'd really appreciate hearing from someone that knows something about this because I've researched and researched. And I'm just getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Not to mention, I'm running out of time. So, if we do need to pry it up, any advice on how to do that would also be appreciated.
We've installed Kerdi board in our 36" square shower, and we installed the Kerdi drain kit the other day. Since we have a concrete (above grade) slab and there was no plumbing access, we had to install the drain before the tray. Well, the PVC pipe didn't go down all the way, so my careful measurements were all for naught. We had about a 3/8" gap. I called Schluter, and I was advised to raise the floor with plywood or OSB and fasten, either with construction adhesive or cement screws. Well, we went out to the hardware store, got 3/8" plywood, Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive and applied the plywood to the floor around the drain. In the process of researching how long the Liquid Nails needed to cure, I came up with some worries.
First, the Schluter rep didn't mention waterproofing the concrete slab, and we didn't think about it, so there's no waterproofing between the slab and the 3/8" plywood (interior grade). Since it's an above grade slab with good drainage, is this something we need to worry about? Someone also mentioned that houses built in the 90s would have moisture barrier under the slab. Our house was built in 96. But, how would I even find out if we did have moisture barrier under the slab??
Second, I'm not sure at this point that the Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive was the right thing to use. It did say it would work with cement and it would work with plywood. But, in looking into it further, it said it wasn't recommended for underlayment. Does anyone know if this would be a problem in a 36" square area under a shower pan?
So, if either of those things is something to be concerned about, where do we go from here? Do we need to try to pry up the plywood? I hate to even think what that will entail. But, I'd really appreciate hearing from someone that knows something about this because I've researched and researched. And I'm just getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Not to mention, I'm running out of time. So, if we do need to pry it up, any advice on how to do that would also be appreciated.
