has anyone tiled a shower base before? grout discoloration over time?

[Aharami]

im in the middle of a master bath reno currently. Converting the tub to a walk in shower that will be 6'x3' with a seat. Initially I was thinking of tiling everything, even the shower base. I know it is a lot of work, but I am pretty sure I can do it (have DIYed decent amount of reno work before). It will just take a while as I will have to learn as I go, but I am patient and pay attention to details. So getting it done is not a concern.

But what is starting to concern me the amount of maintenance it will take to keep the shower floor clean and the maintain the grout. One plumber I know cautioned me against tiling the floor. He said not only is it a lot of work to get the pitch right, waterproofed ok, etc, but it's not a matter of if it will leak, it is a matter of when. And when that happens, it is a lot of work to pull everything up and find/fix the leak. But if a leak is to develop, it won't happen for 7-10 yrs down the line.

Another thing he mentioned is that, yea tiled shower floors look nice, but eventually the grout discolors or stains and then it just looks nasty.

For this reason, I am thinking of going with a shower base like this one or this one
A lot less work to install and maintain, but won't look as nice.

Wondering if people here have any experience creating a shower base or have one currently. How hard is it to maintain and keep clean?

 

[jaedaliu]

when my frat house needed to get one shower redone, the contractor we ended up going with said stuff about installing a drain pan under the tile floor, so that if/when it leaked, it wouldn't matter because the leak would enter the drain pan, which would allow the leak to drain normally. I never was home when the contractor came over, so I have no clue how that went.

As for keeping the grout white and nice. periodic sealing should be all you need. How is the grout on the walls of your shower now? I don't think the floor should be significantly different than the walls. (okay, if water pools on the floor instead of sliding towards the drain, maybe. but sealing 1 or 2 times a year should maintain a layer over the grout, preventing stuff from seeping in)

 

[BoomerD]

Put down a good base and leaks SHOULDN'T be a problem.

https://www.showerbase.com/

 

[rsutoratosu]

im going to nuke my bathroom for that reason..

the previous owner used like 2x2 square tiles for the floor.. yeah, the grout stains, every month I gotta remove everything the tilex the crap out of it.. it'll smell like bleach but it gets it clean. I tried removing the grout and regrouting but it just end up getting dirty or had mildew on it.


That showerbase is exactly what I need too when I redo my shower

 

[Jaepheth]

Aren't there polymer or epoxy grouts that don't need to be sealed once they set?

EDIT: Yes, there is

 

[highland145]

Aren't there polymer or epoxy grouts that don't need to be sealed once they set?

EDIT: Yes, there is

Heard they were a pain to grout with but someone here that does tile said not so.

Downstairs drain pan failed. Took up the old tile to make sure the wood was still good. Pro put back a lead(?) and vinyl pan. Said that the vinyl would leak sooner or later. Then tile. I Clorox it every week or 2. Still looks grungy.

Upstairs. Cultured marble base/3 panel stall. Plumbing connects directly to the base so there should be no leaks ever. Easy to keep clean.

 

[Aharami]

Put down a good base and leaks SHOULDN'T be a problem.

https://www.showerbase.com/

Ive seen that before. But installing something like that makes it more expensive than I'd like to spend

 

[Aharami]

Heard they were a pain to grout with but someone here that does tile said not so.

Downstairs drain pan failed. Took up the old tile to make sure the wood was still good. Pro put back a lead(?) and vinyl pan. Said that the vinyl would leak sooner or later. Then tile. I Clorox it every week or 2. Still looks grungy.

Upstairs. Cultured marble base/3 panel stall. Plumbing connects directly to the base so there should be no leaks ever. Easy to keep clean.

Ive heard the same thing. Im sure it's ok for a pro, but i think I'd have a hard time with it because latex grout hardens a lot faster and you'd have to be really quick with the grouting

 

[DrPizza]

The epoxy grout isn't really that difficult to work with. It's that when you use it, you have to be patient & do little batches at a time. (Rather than be really fast.) E.g., when I tiled an 11/17 room floor with regular grout, I had all the time in the world to float it in one big batch, then clean it off the surface. If I attempted that with epoxy grout, I would be screwed.

 

[Aharami]

anyone hear of onyx or swanstone shower bases? I called up the onyx manufacturer and he said it's a corian type manufactured product that is one piece. No need to mortar under the base, just use silicone to hold it in place. Like the idea of this, as an acrylic/fiberglass shower base would require mortaring underneath to give it some weight.

http://www.onyxcollection.com/
http://www.swanstone.com/index.php

I was hoping the onyx would be a solid material but that is not the case

But even then, a 60x36 base weighs 160lbs. So it won't feel flimsy and hollow when water hits it

 

[Scarpozzi]

I built one from scratch years ago for an apartment that I used to rent out. The floor was concrete. I ended up coming out from 2 walls in the corner about 2-2.5 feet...then cut 2, 45 degree angles. I framed it with 2x6s.....then mixed the concrete in a wheelbarrow and poured it into the form.

After that I got a specialized shower membrane and tiled over that. As it was a remodel and I was removing a wall in this very small bathroom to make it functional, I ended up having to run my plumbing in the shower base and concrete over it.

Concrete is pourous and you need to consider that. I used a sanded grout and it wasn't too bad. I usually go for a darker color to help show less dirt and end up with a more even color. Also reseal the grout every year...make sure it has proper slope so you don't get standing water anywhere.

 

[MixMasterTang]

The epoxy grout isn't really that difficult to work with. It's that when you use it, you have to be patient & do little batches at a time. (Rather than be really fast.) E.g., when I tiled an 11/17 room floor with regular grout, I had all the time in the world to float it in one big batch, then clean it off the surface. If I attempted that with epoxy grout, I would be screwed.

Agree'd, if he is only talking about 18 square feet the epoxy grout shouldn't be that hard at all.

 

[Sluggo]

If you use a shower base, water test it before tiling the rest of the shower to make sure the plumbers hooked the drain up correctly.

You can get a little inflatable ball, called a check ball that you can drop down the drain, and air up to test the drain connections. Leave the water in for 24 or 48 hours then check the level.

When finished, you simply deflate the ball, and pull it out letting the water drain.

 

[flimsy]

epoxy grout is your best shot at stopping grout discoloration

 

[CPA]

After that I got a specialized shower membrane and tiled over that. As it was a remodel and I was removing a wall in this very small bathroom to make it functional, I ended up having to run my plumbing in the shower base and concrete over it.

This is exactly what I am doing right now. I am putting Kerdi over the concrete shower base, not under it, and then up the walls. Kerdi is water proof, so there no need for a shower pan. In fact, the previous shower had the membrane under the concrete shower base and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop water from migrating to the wood frame, including my exterior wall frame. It was a disaster.

 

[DougK62]

Epoxy grout all the way. I'd never use anything else in a bathroom or high moisture area. You just need to mix it in small batches and/or work quickly. If it sets up before you have it where you want it you'll have a mess on your hands.

Do you intend to live in this house for a while? There is no way I'd put in a tiled base. They can look pretty but are just not worth the long-term hassle. If I were shopping for houses I would consider a tiled shower base as a negative against a house.

And many modern shower bases do not require being set in mortar. Mine didn't and it feels very solid.

 

[amdskip]

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php

 

[richardycc]

I've done enough DIY tiling jobs that I will never do another one ever again. it's just not worth the saving, and don't just hire the cheapest guy, again, it's just not worth of saving.

 

[skyking]

The first time we used laticrete 2 part epoxy grout.
Pros:
very tough
fast cure
Cons:
Limited color choices
takes a while to clean off the tile when grouting

This last shower we used a product called Grout Boost

Pros
You add this liquid to traditional grout, so the colors choices are unlimited
Easier cleanup.

Cons
not as tough as true epoxies
seems to hold moisture a bit after shower. Not as impervious as advertised.

 

[ManBearPig]

Just MAKE SURE the floor is angled slightly toward the drain, or water will sit.

 

[zerocool84]

http://www.schluter.com/8_4_kerdi_shower_kit.aspx

This or a competitor. Makes it easy to have a waterproof shower.

 

[skyking]

I used the kerdi system and a 4x4 tray with the last shower.