Under mud shower pan

Abstract

The invention relates to a one-piece shower pan with no openings for water leakage, other than the drain hole, and designed for easy installation of tiles of various thicknesses. The shower pan comprises a drain hole designed to fit a conventional drain pipe such that when the conventional drain pipe is fastened to the shower pan, the conventional drain pipe extends ½ to 2 inches above the bottom of the shower pan. In this way, when cement or other adhesive is floated on the interior surface of the shower pan, tiles of varying thickness can be installed in such a manner that the top surface of the tiles are substantially flush with the top portion of the conventional drain pipe. The shower pan also has a waterdam with a fin extending vertically on the outer edge of the waterdam as added protection against water migration outside the shower pan.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A one-piece prefabricated shower pan comprising:
 a horizontal floor area having at least one drain hole positioned substantially on a center portion thereof,   the horizontal floor area being gradually inclined towards the at least one drain hole;   a pair of opposing sidewalls extending upwardly from a peripheral edge of the horizontal floor area;   a third sidewall extending upwardly from the peripheral edge of the horizontal floor area and is in contact with a back end of the pair of opposing sidewalls;   a waterdam extending upwardly from the at least one peripheral edge of the horizontal floor area,   wherein the at least one drain hole has a circumference that allows for a conventional drain pipe to be inserted through it and a depression around the borders of the drain hole to allow a conventional drain pipe to be fastened to the horizontal floor area with the use of flanges, such that when the conventional drain pipe is fastened to the horizontal floor area, approximately ½ to 2 inches of the conventional drain pipe extends above the horizontal floor area, and   wherein the there are no openings in the shower pan for water to escape, other than the drain hole.   
     
     
         2 . The one-piece prefabricated shower pan of  claim 1 , wherein the waterdam has a lower height relative to the pair of opposing sidewalls and the third sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The one-piece prefabricated shower pan of  claim 1 , wherein the waterdam has a top surface slanted toward the center of the shower pan and a fin extending vertically from the outside edge of the water dam to safeguard against water migration outside the shower pan. 
     
     
         4 . The one-piece prefabricated shower pan of  claim 1 , wherein the interior of the shower pan has a sand-finished surface. 
     
     
         5 . The one-piece prefabricated shower pan of  claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated shower pan has a substantially rectangular structure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of installing tile on a prefabricated shower pan, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) inserting a conventional drain pipe into a drain hole of a one-piece pre-fabricated shower pan and fastening the conventional drain pipe to the shower pan using flanges so that the conventional drain pipe extends above the surface of the bottom of the shower pan between ½ to 2 inches;   (b) floating cement or other adhesive on the interior surface of a shower pan in sufficient amounts such that when tile is placed over the cement or other adhesive, the top surface of the tiles are substantially flush with the top portion of the conventional drain pipe;   (c) inserting a wall system inside the shower pan, wherein the shower pan has side walls against which the wall system is pressed, the wall system is wrapped in butyl tape to ensure a strong bond and create a water proof barrier to prevent water migration up the wall system, cement or other adhesive is floated against the interior surface of the wall system wrapped in butyl tape, and tile is placed over the cement or other adhesive; and   (d) floating cement or other adhesive over a waterdam and over a fin of the waterdam, and placing tile over the cement or other adhesive, the amount of cement or other adhesive and the thickness of the tile dictating the elevation of the waterdam.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the top surface of the tiles bordering the drain hole are flush with the top portion of the conventional drain pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the walling system is an EasyBoard.