A shower floor has depth and hidden elements. The secret to tile showers that work and keep the water where tit should be lies buried within the floor. Here are the key components of the tile shower...

1. Shower Liner

Shower floors leak at the grout lines and even through some types of tiles. To stop that seeping water takes one central part of a properly built shower. That piece goes by the name of a shower liner. In times past all kinds of materials served as liners including copper, galvanized steel, even lead sheets. But the standard liner material today consists of a vinyl sheet especially made for that purpose.

That sheet forms one layer of several that compose the tile floor. At the liner stops all the water that makes it past the floor itself. All parts of a shower floor exist to work in concert with the liner.

2. Sloped Base

Mortar based floors build up from the bottom with a sloped mud base as the first layer over the basic sub-floor. It's made of what's called deck mud, a simple mix of three ingredients. Layer one slopes to the drain. Sloping helps to head the water that makes it that far right to the drain. With no slope, water likely pools and that's a place for mold to start and grow.

3. Tile Drains At Two Levels

Tile shower drains also consist of hidden parts. See, the drains work on two levels. The lower level, buried in the floor, exists to catch the water from the liner membrane. That way the water that hits the floor and walls all gets routed to the drain, whether it seeps into the floor or not. Only tile shower drains work for the properly built shower.

4. Mortar

All floor mud can be mixed alike and goes by several names, not just deck mud. It's portland cement, sand and water. Made quite dry, you pack it into position and it works well because it isn't particularly sticky. Sticky mortar mixes just create all kinds of handling problems.

5. Another Mud Layer

Over the bottom mud layer lies the liner membrane which gets sealed to the lower drain base. That union forms a pool that holds water and functions to keep all the water in the shower and not out damaging surrounding areas. Over the liner goes another layer of mortar. Much like the first layer, this one serves as a base for the tile itself.

Sloped to the drain, when cured it's the surface that takes the thinset and then the tile itself.

A shower floor goes together layer by layer. Once the base and liner are in place setting the tile goes along just like it was a regular floor. But the base and liner along with the drain are critical for a waterproof shower.

Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com