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Design Dilemma
robbim55

Shower floor, tile, shower pan? Other options

Robbi Maycock
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

We are in the process of remodeling our master bathroom. Our shower is going to be enlarged with the seamless glass doors and tile on the walls. However we do have well water and I am concerned about the grout looking bad after a few months so we have decided on very thin grout lines. Now the shower floor is a different issue as most tiles come in the 12 x 12 squares and we can't rearrange the pieces for smaller grout lines. We are considering a shower pan but they all look so generic. Any ideas for a shower floor would be appreciated.

Featured Answer
  • PRO
    GannonCo
    6 years ago

    Shower pans do not look tacky there are lower cost and better quality examples. Kohler cast iron pans are probably the best out there and are the best solution.

    Designers push these tiled pans and by one search on here you will see the daily complaints about tile pan issues. A simple solid pan elevates just about all of these issues. Easier to clean and no grout to fail or get dirty.

    Tiled pans require maintenance and will be the first part of your bath renovation to fail.


    How do you cut down any porcelain tile into smaller tiles for a shower pan installation? Can you explain how this process is done Sabrina? Your a pro so explain who and how they are simply cutting down ceramic or porcelain tile into 2x2 squares? How are you dressing all the edges?

    Even if it was stone which could be done but do you know what the cost would be with the associated waste? You might want to look at modern pans of better quality before you say they are tacky.


    Comments (20)

    • PRO
      Sabrina Alfin Interiors
      6 years ago

      Don't do a shower pan in a master bath. It will look pre-fab and tacky, which it is. If you go with a porcelain tile, any large format size can be cut down into smaller pieces on site by your installer. You'll need small tiles for the floor to make the floor less slippery. Have your installer cut it into 2 x 2's, or 2 x 4's for the floor, and with porcelain tile, you can generally get a very tight grout line of 1/16th of an inch.

    • acm
      6 years ago

      You don't want to use big tiles on a shower floor anyway -- the grout is what gives the floor any grip. I think a white acrylic base looks fine (or some color that matches the wall tiles you're considering) and it wears very well. Most are textured for grip. You could probably get a solid-surface pan as well.



    • Robbi Maycock
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Thank you for your comments, very helpful! One more questions we currently have a very large corner Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom that we are planning on removing. We do have a second full bath with a tub. How do you feel about not replacing the tub in the master bath and just enlarging the shower? Or would a free standing tub be better for re-sale?


    • PRO
      Sabrina Alfin Interiors
      6 years ago

      I always tell my clients not to worry about resale unless they're planning to sell within 5 years. Design for what you want and for what works for your family. Assuming you'll be in the house for 10 or more years, tastes, styles, and materials change dramatically and your buyers will likely make changes that suit them anyway. Many, many people are foregoing a tub in the master bath. You have my permission. :-D

    • Robbi Maycock
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Thank you again. This all makes perfect sense.

    • Robbi Maycock
      6 years ago

      Thank you for your input. You make several valid points. I will look into the Kohler shower pan for sure.

    • PRO
      Ellsworth Design Build
      6 years ago
      Yes the Koehler cast iron pans are great, there are just limited size options. They basically install like a really short tub, then get tiled in.
    • PRO
      Michael Design
      6 years ago

      In terms of cutting down tiles to smaller proportions.... my firm will only specify this process IF the tile is a solid porcelain (never on any kind of glazed tile - the surface will chip) and we always specify that it MUST be cut using a water jet which means outsourcing the cutting of the tile. This process pretty much eliminates the jagged cut edge look. Before you cut anything in mass quantities make sure that you do a test first to see if you are happy with the final results.

    • PRO
      Skippack Tile & Stone
      6 years ago

      There's usually a mosaic available in any tile line that will work for the shower floor; no need to have installer cut larger pieces down.

    • jmm1837
      6 years ago

      I do not understand the claim that shower tiles need to be small on the basis that it's the grout that prevents falls. We have large format tiles in our shower, with no problems at all - we simply made sure they were rated as highly slip resistant. If you can have tiled decks around public swimming pools I don't see the issue with big tiles in home showers.

    • PRO
      Hillcrest Glass
      6 years ago

      A good tile person can do a poured pan which can be colored concrete or covered in tile.

    • kitandkaboodle
      5 years ago

      I'm in a similar situation. What did you decide? Can you post pictures?

    • Mittens Cat
      5 years ago

      I'm curious to know how OP's choices panned out. Updates?

    • Janet Jenkins
      3 years ago

      I have the same scenario happening here, any updates from OP would be greatly appreciated!!

    • PRO
      Glenn Pierce Home Improvements
      2 years ago
      last modified: 2 years ago

      I've recently published a definitive guide about choosing between a shower pan vs tile shower floor in 2021. I was trying to explain the options to a customer of mine, and because it turns out it's complicated, I wrote it down and turned it into an article. I hope it will shed some light on the subject.

      I'm a fan of the prefab sloped foam floors and same foam panels for the walls because they're imperious to water infiltration and the eventual shower failure.

      https://glennpiercehomeimprovements.com/shower-pan-vs-tile-floor/

    • Mittens Cat
      2 years ago
      last modified: 2 years ago

      @Glenn Pierce Home Improvements, thanks for this.

      One thing I'll never do again is a custom curbless shower in a teen's bathroom when teen adamantly requests a shower pan and prefab shower!

      Question, though: you write tile "needs to be resealed every year or the grout will both allow water penetration, and stain making it difficult to clean." We've been back in our remodel 2 years now and have yet to re-seal even though our GC instructed us to do this (he used Miracle Sealants 511 Porous Plus, which is designed for natural stone and our tile is porcelain). My son and I are very chemically sensitive, so I keep putting it off. Any suggestions? Thanks.

    • PRO
      Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.
      2 years ago

      Use the right grout. So many are stain resistant these days. Mittens Cat, no, you don't need to seal your porcelain tile annually. Unusual recommendation.

    • Mittens Cat
      2 years ago

      @Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc. thanks! Though I guess he was more adamant about sealing the grout, not so much the tile. I believe the grout was Prism cement grout by Custom which claims to not need sealing.

    • PRO
      Innovate Building Solutions
      2 years ago

      Robbi - you post an interesting question. First I'll tell you you can get large format tiles on a shower floor if you use a system similar to the one level wet room picture I'll show below. Mosaic tiles - while practical for many tile showers - are a pain to clean with all the small grout joints.


      And if you really HATE, HATE, HATE grout joints - which is like many people - there are cool styed shower pans which are grout free (and not boring, white and acrylic). I'll show you a picture of a modern low profile stone shower pan which is very stylish - IMHO - below. I'll also give you a link to over 80 articles I've written about shower pans, bases and one level wet room systems. There are more options than most people know about with shower bases - and these articles compare and contrast much of what you'll find out there - Mike



      One level wet room system with large format tile and a linear drain



      Modern low profile white marble shower pan which is grout free


      Blog articles on shower pans, bases and one level wet rooms



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