The construction of tile for shower trays is a mystery unless you have seen it done. You can’t see how a shower tray fits together because all the construction details are covered! This article describes the basics of how to build mosaic shower trays.

First of all, do you have a leaky shower and that’s why you are interested in it? The long-term solution to a leaky shower is usually to replace the entire shower floor. But maybe that’s not necessary. Shower floors require some maintenance. The grout will absorb water and break down over time. The maintenance required is to keep the grout on the shower floor sealed.

If the grout has cracked causing the leak, you have a couple of options to stop the leak. One is to dry the cracked area well and seal the leaks with silicone caulk. The other way is to dig up the damaged grout and reapply the grout to the damaged area. But in any case, be sure to check the walls and floors where you had moisture from leaks. May have structural damage.

If you want to build a shower tray, either for a new or replacement shower, here are the basic steps.

Build a good solid subfloor.

Place a covering such as tar paper over the subfloor.

Install the drain, considering the height of the finished floor.

Build curbs or thresholds.

Lay a layer of masonry about two inches thick sloping toward the drain.

Lay a synthetic rubber membrane which should be an effective barrier against water.

Install the top layer of masonry. This layer is constructed of wire reinforcement and is sloped toward the drain like the bottom layer.

After sufficient drying time, lay the tile.

Grout the tile.

Allow to cure for a few days and you’ll be ready to seal the grout and enjoy your new shower for years to come.

As you can see, there are only a few steps and each step is quite easy to learn.