Tile Redi P3642C-PVC Base Shower Pan, 42" W x 36" D, Polished Chrome

This product requires a bit more preparation and planning than the manufacturer wants you to think, but I am only a moderately handy person and was able to nail the installation just fine on my first attempt. I needed a shower pan for my basement project (sauna/fitness room) and did not want to cut into the concrete floor for the drain. The basement floor is below sewer level and a Saniflow pump was needed, so the drain pipe needed to be above the concrete floor anyway.Here are my lessons learned that will save you frustration:- Make sure the rough dimensions are accurate. It will be impossible to do a decent tiling job if they are not (especially if 12x12 wall tiles are used). Rule of thumb: the smaller the tiles, the more forgiving. I used 2x2 for the floor and did not have to make any cuts at all (except for the drain).- Use thinset instead of mortar to set the pan - it is more forgiving, much stronger, and bonds better. I used about 1/2 a bag of Flexibond for a 42x42 pan.- Use liberal amounts of construction glue around the outside of the pan, against the studs and the floor if you can access it- Weigh the pan down uniformely with boxes of tiles or other heavy objects after setting it, to prevent it from flexing up before the thinset bonds- Use inexpensive flashing for setting the cement board against the perimeter of the pan (for pennies at the box store) - it fits and works fine- I screwed the sides of the pan to the studs so that the flashing covered the screws (using cement board screws that don't rust). This kept the sides from flexing and made the whole thing a lot more rigid.- I used silicone to glue the flashing flush against the side of the pan. I used wood scraps and clamps to hold the flashing in place util the silicone was cured.- Others reported that they ran out of tile epoxy glue. I had plenty left, so no worries there and no need to purchase additional material. Use a trowel with fine notches, then you get better coverage. Because the surface of the pan is smooth, not a lot of glue is needed for properly setting the tiles.- I set back the pan into the rough opening because I needed a (recessed) step (the base of the pan is 8" above grade because of the clearance needed for the drain). Even with new construction made to fit the pan dimensions, this created a difficult situation with my 12x12 marble tiles. The reason for this is that the side of the pan is not 100% vertical but is slightly slanted inwards. This is not a problem if the shower pan is installed flush with the rough opening, but if the wall continues outward, a 12x12 tile will buckle. Try to avoid what I did, and if a step is needed because the pan is raised, it should be built into the room. See my photos for what I mean by that.- Make all tile cuts before mixing the epoxy and lay out the floor tiles in place before making any cuts for the drain.Overall, I think this pan saved me time and was worth the money. The shower has now been in use for a year and it is still solid, i.e. no flexing, no cracks in the tile grout, and no leaks. The one complaint that I have is that the pan could be more pitched. Puddles of water tend to remain around the drain because the pitch flattens out towards the center. It should actually increase towards the drain.

This is the only way to go on a throw down tiled shower area. Very expensive though. If you have time and patience - you can do this same job with plywood and cement - save $300.00 ---- but a lot more work.

No where in the obvious description did it say no returns. I ordered the wrong size by accidental tried to cancel but both were sent 5 days early. It’s cheap styrofoam.

I dislike everything about it - horrible to install, the plumber and the builder are beyond frustrated with it, it’s tiled over and we can still hear and feel like we are stepping on a huge block of styrofoam!! A complete rip off.

Can't believe how much time this saved my project

exactly what we needed, would recommend

Perfect material thank you tile redi thank you Amazon