Retiling Shower Floor

[ustmd]

So, when we built the house in 2001, we were young and dumb. We used slate for the floor of the master shower (walls are left over ceramic from wife's grandmother last build).

The shower is still water tight, but over 15 years of showers and bathing dogs, the slate is starting to disintegrate/delaminate and should be replaced.

So my question, should I plan on having to replace the shower pan? I believe it is a mortar base, but I have slept since 2001.

 

[Egon]

If you remove the Slate you might as well just build a new shower.

Prying off the delaminated slate and use of schluter products (ditr, cloth) you may be able to work in a nice tile floor.

Kinda depends on what SWMBO HAS IN MIND.

 

[EddieWalker]

If it's not leaking, there is no reason to replace the pan. Most leaks to the pan happen at the drain and the corners. Use a SDS rotary hammer with a chisel bit to pop off the tile, then smooth out the mortar bed.

 

[dstig1]

We found a nice tile from Mannington - Serengeti Slate. It looks a lot like slate but is porcelain. This would be prefect for a shower. Especially if you like the slate look. We used the Safari Sunset color in our kitchen and laundry room, and are probably going to use some of it outdoors too. Great stuff.

Porcelain Tile - Porcelain Slate Tile Wood Look - Mannington Flooring

 

[Cord]

You could try burnishing the slate to remove the loose material, refloat the surface using some thinset and then apply new tile over the existing. If you need to remove the existing slate, then I'd plan on having to replace the shower pan. When you replace the pan, it'll need to lap up the walls. This means you'll need more wall tile, but the new stuff won't match the existing. This means you'll need to replace the wall tile and that will require new underlayment. Now you need a new shower door. The new door looks nice, but the existing flooring is rather dated. So figure on new flooring. But the floor goes under the cabinets, and they're honey colored oak with cathedral doors so they should get replaced as well. Oh yea, you have to pull the toilet to replace the flooring so you might as well use a modern low gallon flush unit. No sense in putting the old one back. By now you'll be looking at new counter, lav and fixtures since the cabinets are coming out. Probably should paint the room as well. If you're painting, then you should look at putting a new light fixture in as well. You know, that new bathroom floor doesn't match the hall carpet...

 

[topbuilder]

Story of my life...

 

[topbuilder]

When you are ready to drill that tile, try a Relton bit.
"Relton GRT34 3/16" Straight-Shank Masonry Drill Bit"
They are the best/cheapest for the job. You only get maybe 10 holes per bit, and that is using water. When you can no longer put enough water to it, toss it.

 

[newbury]

You could try burnishing the slate to remove the loose material, refloat the surface using some thinset and then apply new tile over the existing. If you need to remove the existing slate, then I'd plan on having to replace the shower pan. When you replace the pan, it'll need to lap up the walls. This means you'll need more wall tile, but the new stuff won't match the existing. This means you'll need to replace the wall tile and that will require new underlayment. Now you need a new shower door. The new door looks nice, but the existing flooring is rather dated. So figure on new flooring. But the floor goes under the cabinets, and they're honey colored oak with cathedral doors so they should get replaced as well. Oh yea, you have to pull the toilet to replace the flooring so you might as well use a modern low gallon flush unit. No sense in putting the old one back. By now you'll be looking at new counter, lav and fixtures since the cabinets are coming out. Probably should paint the room as well. If you're painting, then you should look at putting a new light fixture in as well. You know, that new bathroom floor doesn't match the hall carpet...

You left out the part that since the plumbing is old it needs to be replaced.

 

[Cord]

I had thought of that, but since it was built in 2001 it should already have modern plumbing and electrical.

 

[ustmd]

You left out the part that since the plumbing is old it needs to be replaced.

Funny you mention that--the shower has a 3 handle control. We allowed the builder to talk us into installing the tub filler in the shower for buckets/general use.

One of the discussions we are having is about changing the control to a single handle and taking out the tube filler (never used).