Building a Shower Pan with Deck Mud (No Timelapse or Editing) 

I don't know if you realize it or not....but you inspire folks to do more DIY than just tile.

This is the only way I can learn. Just watch you do exactly what you do in real time and i can repeat it! Worked for a contractor for years and learned so much watching all the trades doing their thing

I started my own shower renovation because of the confidence you built within us. Please continue the shower build and show each step in detail like you did here. Thanks for being our Tile Coach! 🙌🏿

Watching a mudbed being installed right is so satisfying

This guy makes it look soooo easy. I tore mine up twice before I finally felt ok with it.

BEST video on RU-vid for making a shower base . I am on my third shower and have watched this video many times. Thank you for the full time video without editing so we can see all the details! I have purchased the drain from Tile coach and this made the pan build so easy!!

to keep the line around, I put the laser level on the drain, set the elevation 3/4 of the way from the drain and then I always have a line. I use Huepar 503DG. It is good because the horizontal line is low (about 1/4 from the floor)

That was one of the cleanest pans I've ever seen done. One of these days I'll have to come by your store. I'm in Marysville. Been doing since High School. Watched most of your videos. Very educational no matter any viewers skill level. Great job and keep up the good work.

It's always a pleasure watching true tradesmen taking pride in their work👌 Quick Q: I'm putting in a shower in my new workshop/shed.....what's the best method, a mortar base as shown here, or a premanufactured shower base?

Wow, I really appreciate having no timelapse. These videos usually speed through the parts that require the most precision!!

Amazing as always. Full length was great. Hope to see more.

All I got to say is, you’re an absolutely pro Zack. Woow love the fact that you’re very caring with the finishing. Just fantastic… Very well done bud. God Bless you always 🖖🏽❤️🙏🏽

Awesome I've done two huge showers lately with RSS. It's awesome

Great vid! I am saving myself easily,15k, with your help and this FloFX flange and tile in drain. Cant wait to be done! Your videos are awesome!! Thank you!

That sure looks like an form of art! Excellent work

Thanks - that helped a lot!

It's a pleasure to watch ! Thank you coach!

its cool how the steel trowel really changes the surface texture!

Awesome work! I've watched a bunch of your videos now as you explain things well! It was good to see this without a time lapse!! I've seen and done a lot of projects and got my timing mixed up thinking that I'd be done quicker, just like the videos :)

The way you placed the knee pads was genius.

This video is a huge help! Could you show the waterproofing details for a mud bed like this?

Thank you for doing this video real time, so helpful!

Thanks for showing the whole process

Thanks Isaac. Love the real time video. So helpful. (I call it "the wiggle tool" or "Mr. Wizzer")

This was very satisfying to watch.

THANK YOU FOR NO TIME LAPSE, SO I CAN SIT AND WATCH WITH MY MOUTH AGAPE LIKE AN OG APPRENTICE SHOULD.

When I grow up, I’ll make mud beds as smooth as you, Isaac 🥲

Love that steel trowel asmr!

Thanks for putting this up. Helped a ton!

That auger bit is awesome ! I bought one a few years back probably the same exact one you have there. It makes a perfect consistency and the shovel has been collecting dust ever since.

I do enjoy real time. Thanks

Was that a Kirk Giordano reference at 9:54 ? 😉 He's also the man!

from my experience best mud is made by Laticrete. I think you should spray some water and cover it with plastic film, that's how i always do it.

Is the concrete already sloped in the very beginning before adding the deck mud?

Another great job, u been hitting the gym aswell buddy by the look of those arms 💪🏾

Fun to watch and informative. Thanks!

Deck mud take time and a lot skills good job

I e watched a thousand shower build videos in preparation of doing my own. Since everyone has different opinions I wanted to watch as many as possible so I can try and make the best decisions for myself and get the best outcome possible. I really like your videos and I think I want to go with this dry pack version with the flow fx drain and hydro ban liquid water barrier. I wish I could find a video of yours that goes start to finish with this method from nothing to completely finished shower. Do you have a video like that that I'm missing? Or could you make one like that?

Tile coach is getting yolked 💪

From all of us visual learners out here, thank you!

great content as usual! How thick is the deck mud usually at the drain?

That drill is great I use to have it. Better than plug in and cord

Damn, you make it look so easy 👍

Zack wish you were in Florida. I have a shower to be finished

how high above the concrete do yo typically want to set the flo fx drain so that you have a thick enough amount of deck mud at drain

not saying im any better than anyone, but i was tolled the biggest no no was putting backer behind wet bed. it gives the water a path .

How high you lift flange from existing concrete. What if is a regular drain how high you set it from existing concrete.

Is better to use a wood floater or metal floater ? Or basically you can use both

Can I put the slurry on concrete that has been sealed

Great video!

So usefull, thanks boss

i call it a oscillating tool. But to my young helper i call it "the thing that goes verrrrrr" lol great help just doesn't know his tools yet.

I wonder if you could make mention in one of your videos about the importance of not making the slab too thick. I recently took over from another installer who had made his 6 inches thick in an apartment building. I am very concerned about the potential problem in the future apart from the cracking of the slab.

Very informative video....Any comments about using hardie backer board hydrodefense on the floor inside the shower?

Waiting for my floor to cure so I can do this next step! Is there an advantage of using a wood float over a magnesium float for the shower pan? Thanks for all you do!

Appreciate your videos! You have said before regarding deck mud most ratio is 4 to 1, why do you like 5 to 1 ?

Can you show a concrete only shower pan with waterproofing and / or a stamped concrete shower pan.

Hallo from the uk Why don't people use a plastic shower tray like in the uk

You don't need a rubber liner under there?

Isaac, have you tried Go Board? Would love to see a video on it.

Will you show next step real time as well?? I for one would love to see it. Thx!!

Can foam curbs be cut at different angles to install in shower pans that are not square? Do you have a video that explains that?

How long of a work time do you have with deck mud?

Hey Isaac , which method do you prefer, mud base or pre fab base?

Awesome vid Isaac! Please let me know where I can get one of those Flo X levels😂

Just starting to work on bathroom that had zero waterproofing. My question, at what stage do you waterproof shower wall if you float it? I want to use hardie board, then float, and use Hydro Ban...but I don't know at what stage to add it? Does it go on the hardie board before floating, or on top of the floated wall? Thanks for all your videos, been a HUGE help.

Is there a video showing you setting that style shower drain?

I wish the flo fx drain had a 1\4 slope built into the flange. It is pretty flat and can ever so slightly cause the last bits of water to stay near the drain and not fall in if your using penny or pebble tile. Any tricks to help avoid that?

We only get Mapei 4:1 deckmud here and no plaster sand anywhere. What's a good sand to cut the Mapei with from a box store?

HELP! I used this method for building my shower pre-slope, but the surface of the dry-pack was so crumbly when it dried! There was a layer of sandy material over the top that could just be brushed away. What did I do wrong and is there a way to fix it without breaking up the whole pre-slope and starting over? Thanks!

Issac. I did my own mud pan using the deck mud bags from home depot. I noticed the bag said if it wasnt tiled over with in 24 hrs then you have to wait 28 days for it to cure? Seems like a lot of time. I did mine firday afternoon and i still have to finsh my sealing before i can tile. Do i really need to wait the 28 days? If any one else has delt with this please let me know. Thank issac. Keep posting vids. I too went with the flofx cuz of yiur videos. Im about to retire from law enforcement in two more Mays and im really contemplating doing bathroom remodles. Its a ton of hard work but very satisfying

So what's the next step RSS walls > DeckMud pan > ? Does the pan get Hydro Ban up the walls?

What's the thickness of the mud bed under the flo fx out of curiosity? I've heard some folks go as thin as 1/2 inch which seemed thin to me but not sure.

Please send link for auger bit!

Don’t mind me. I’m jus watching some guy float a pan like I do once a week for the past 5 years. Lmao

Are those tile coach skivvies?

Is the backer board designed to be in contact with mud? I know backer board is water resistant but not waterproof. Let me know

Does it matter if you use modified or unmodified thin set on your flowfx to adhere it to the bed?

HI TILE COACH WHOW I CAN GET THIS TUPE OF DECK MUD IN MARYLAND??

Since the walls are already waterproof, what are you going to waterproof the pan with?

Coach: Just curious why not use the crack resistant concrete mix instead of deck mud which is brittle and can crack, not to mention more porous? I am getting ready to do a shower for the first time and all these videos on YT basically says every system can fail. I loved your video about Kerdi foam pre sloped pan where the hammer drop ruined the foam. I don’t know why anyone would use foam under tile which can crack easily. That’s what got me thinking about concrete.

Hi Isaac, are there any work around a for a shower drain through a concrete slab that isn’t plumb? I got the flofx drain flange from you, but after test fitting, the PVC drain needs to be straightened. Is my only option to knock out the concrete and have it redone? I have about 2” of exposed pipe I can mess with if there are work around. Thanks!

I personally dont like to see the bench as part of the curb.. If the seat leaks into the room, good GOD!!!

Hi I'm a tile guy here in Montana. I still use the deck mud system with hydro ban over the top. Do you prefer this method over other methods?

so in a schluter type system is water penetrating shower floor tiles and grout and draining into drain from under surface (between the underside of tile and cloth) or is all the water simply draining on the surface to drain?

I call it a flush cut saw

Where did you get the rubber buckets?

Is deck mud the same as sand topping mix ?

Isaac, I am planning on doing a small shower base with your dry pad method and Flo FX drain. A. Do you ship to Canada? Have you had any exposure to Wilsonart’s Wetwall system? I would appreciate any of your thoughts on it.

How much work time do you have with the deck mud?

I recently built a shower pan with deck mud and a flofx drain just like this shower. I waited for it to cure for 7 days and then I applied henrys feather edge over the top to smooth out the finish and ran it over all of the deck mud to the flow fx drain. I then waited for it to cure and applied three layers of Hyrdo Ban waterproofing all the way from the top of the walls and over the flofx drain up to the square drain hole. Once the waterproofing was dried i did a flood test. During the first several hours of the flood test I lost about an inch of water before it held. I don't know where the water went in those first two hours. The shower pan is 70in x 42in so there was quite a bit of water lost. The p-trap under the shower was dry so my stop wasn't leaking and the there is no visible water in the crawl space or coming out along the walls. Could the lost water have some how soaked through the hydro ban to the cement and been absorbed? Anyone have any idea where I should go from here? The water level where its currently holding is about 3in deep. Looking along the perimeter I don't see any perforations in the waterproofing so I don't know how I could have lost the water. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I need some help troubleshooting this. I'm holding off from tiling until I figure this out obviously. Many Thanks!

Hi Isaac, I have watched a bunch of your videos for my DIY shower project. I bought the flow fx drain from you as I watched your video on how to do the easy deck mud slope using the strips around the border and I liked that concept. However, I am not 100% sure of my plan. I have a plywood subfloor. I'm seeing in this video you have a concrete floor and put the thin set and then the deck mud (just as you said to do in that other video). Conversely, it seems like when the floor is wood, that I should do a preslope, then a PVC liner, and then the deck mud? I am wondering how the Flow Fx drain works with the pvc liner, as you put the mud up under it, but with the liner you need to have weep holes. If you could help me, my questions are what are the actual order of layers I should be doing: 1) Plywood, tar paper and mesh, deck mud, hydroban? Or 2) plywood, preslope, pvc liner, deck mud? I also don't understand if the cement board on the walls should be touching the deck mud, i see a lot of comments about leaving a gap, but then how do you tile the gap? Lastly, do I wrap the curb in cement board? Your help is greatly appreciated!!! Thank you so much!

Did you do the rest of this work? If so are there videos?

What ever happened to chopping mud in a wheelbarrow

Coach, how were you able to not use a liner between the slab and deck mud? Won’t water absorb through the deck mud to the slab?

Silly saw

0:54 bro, first edit not even a minute in. Love ya tho

Hey Isaac. I built my deck mud pan before putting on the durock walls. Should I leave a gap between the pan and the backer board or place it directly on top of the pan? I intend to use hydroban sheet membrane. Any advice would be appreciated.

I’m rebuilding a fail shower on a slab. How thin would be to thin for deck mud?

Coach, I've watched your videos for a long time and you are such a skilled craftsman and a great teacher. But it's just not good enough to say, "Try not to breathe the dust." Silicosis is no joke. There is no treatment. Hundreds of people die every year from it, and it is a terrible way to die. Australia right now is banning engineered stone products like quartz countertops because of the risk to workers. They say people should have the right to come home from work without a terminal illness. I want you to have a long happy life. I want you to set an example for the thousands of people who learn from you. Please consider taking 30 seconds to put a respirator on. You definitely already have silica in your lungs and it will be there forever, but it's worth the effort to stop the accumulation. Don't die young because of a hardheaded old-school mentality. Thank you for the great videos and please be safe.