DRY PACK SHOWER PAN For Beginners --- The Easy Way!!! 

Scares me how many "tile guys" are yelling "DON'T SCREW INTO THE SHOWER PAN!" As an installer we should know that there are different methods available now and should be able to recognize that he's using a top sealed method with no pre-slope or pan liner. I understand the average diyer not being up to date with our practices (Isaac is doing his best) but come on installers, we need to do more to educate ourselves within our trade.

Contractor in FL here. That mixing technique is genius!

For all the "screw through the pan liner" comments, please note that the bonding flange drain used in this video calls for a "sealed" system. There is no pan liner in this method, the waterproofing is OVER the mud and cement board. To see more on that, check out this video : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pXxJFomzM7I.html

I am about to do this step this weekend. I have watched this video close to 20 times and I feel confident I can do this. Thank you SO much for this tutorial. You are a wonderful teacher!

I learned how to do dry pack in the 90s. Those guys were really good and pretty fast too. I was never fast but if you take your time you can get those pans pretty perfect. Tile guys have gotten away from this but I firmly believe in what the old timers taught. You should know your craft and this is part of it.

Great tile work, that goes without saying. But you’re missing the opportunity to pass along some important table saw do’s and don’ts at the same time. The ubiquitous 10” DeWalt table saws (I’m on my second) come with a push stick mounted on the side. Or, if that got knocked off or misplaced, a skinny scrap of trim with a small v-notch on the end will suffice. You should NEVER be finishing the cut one-handed feeding the material on the off cut side of the board. Especially on a narrow piece. It’s a recipe for a kickback and launch situation.

This guy 😂hey how you got your license no screws or nails after 12 inches of the floor he’s doing something wrong the shower pan will have licks in the future 😂 and the way he is working it’s just making 8 hours work 😅 when that can be done in 3 hours or lees 🤣🤣🤣

Great video. I’m going to be doing this in a few weeks. You just relieved me of a tremendous amount of anxiety and stress. I’ve be watching your videos for a couple of months now and they are very helpful and educational. You are blessed with two great talents, your trade and teaching. Thanks.

thanks so much for all,God bless you and your family,Watching from Canada.

Thank You! This video was SOOOOO helpful to me. I've watched many vidoes but, yours is by far the most useful to me as a DIYer. Again, Thank You I've learned so much from you. This is exactly what I needed.

"DUDE" next time take a piece of the tile that you will be using for the Pan and place the piece of tile on top of the drain. Then take your level and put it on top of that drain and touch the wall of the shower and the drain keeping your level level. Make a mark on the wall and that's your mark on the wall where you draw a level line on the wall on all three walls just like you did. Then remove the piece of tile and screed your mud just like you did. "THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY RIGHT OUT OF A UNION TILE SETTERS HANDBOOK. This way nobody has to figure out any angles. Shower Pans are supposed to be flat but still drain. Not look like an inverted volcano. Back in the day shower walls were floated. After screeding all the walls, the tile setter would take all the excess cement and chop it up in the pan and make dry pack and he would build a dry-pack curb around the perimeter of the pan using the above-mentioned with a tile on top of the drain. Best of Luck

Could you show this method for a curbless shower with off center drian,love your stuff brother!!!

I used this method yesterday. PERFECT results. First time doing a mud pan. DIYer. Thanks for posting and contributing great ideas to the community.

I’m not a full time tile guy but I’m a remodeler and have been doing tile/showers for many years. There must be a hundred ways to do a shower. I have changed my technique over the years changing with the new methods. Every time I watch one of your videos and see yet another way to do it, I think “maybe I should do it that way?” Nice to learn something new/different. Never seen anyone mix deck mud that way.

Bro. The bag method for mix made my day. Been doing buckets. So simple and obvious but a game changer. Thx.

Dear god, man! You have to AT LEAST use some basic minimum safety tips. You're helping DIYers. The best thing you can do is teach them how to NOT lose a finger. The table saw shouldn't be on the floor. Get a nice rolling stand for storage. Wear eye protection. Maybe even recommend ear protection. Then put on a chainmail glove if you're not going to use a pushrod. And why don't you have the safety shield or the anti-kick bars on the saw? All that being said, this is an absolutely exceptional video! Thank you. You've given me the confidence to try this myself. Safety up and you'll be a god! This is my first video of yours and I love it! You're so genuine. Good job! Can't wait to watch more!!

Sooo glad your channel came up on my screen! I have watched several dry pack videos for showers but yours is by far the most useful to me as a DIYer with no dry pack float experience. I'm subscribed and next will search for a video of yours on sealing the dry pack and laying in the tile. Tx, Mike

I couldnt watch the whole video,, but this is a very unique way of installing a shower base 😂 I personally make every curb (if there is one) out of dry pack. And I always use a shower liner,, as an added level of protection

Like others have said, I am so glad you made this video. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Loved the thought and detail you gave to creating the process. Great for DIYers. So much knowledge and experience wrapped into this video. MDF is inexpensive and easy to work with, drawing reference lines and putting down ledger boards, making jigs for screeding, using a bag to mix deck mud, showing your technique and explaining why you do things - Brilliant! Btw, your method isn't "dummy proof", it's a method that is inexpensive, efficient, and repeatable - its a great method & process! Keep up with the great work and content!

One of the best shower pan videos I have seen.

OMG. That drypack in the contractor bag trick. I was getting ready to buy a bucket auger... not now.

My man , you are the MAN !! Wouldn’t be able to feed my family without this knowledge . Thanks Man keep up the good work !!

So there’s no vinyl needed under the hardie backer? If I do it this way?

This is the best DIY I have found for a custom shower base. My husband and I are very handy, but neither of us have ever done a custom shower base. Most of the DIY just show bits and pieces or use high cost prefab, but don't actually show it being done old school from start to finish. Thank you. We DIY because we cant afford to hire someone.

Too much playing around. I would just eyeball it and I know I could be done in 1/10 th time. 35 years in the trade.

Have you ever used this method when the drain is say 5' from the far end of the shower? Do you recommend a different method in that case?

Sand cement and tradition! Thanks again for the awesome content coach. You've been a tremendous help these past 2 years doing tile. Ive learned the basics, I learned wall floating, now I think I'm ready to try floating a pan. I hope to make a living one day off of this, I am very passionate about it and I only want to do jobs right and they have to look pretty. I finally have tools, budget and the confidence to start a company! I want to give you my greatest gratitude as you are such a concise, chill, well spoken person and really shine a light on the raw talent and drive tradespeople have. Much love from one (former) addict to another (been cali sober 6 years).

I really appreciate your videos. I am not a pro. I have done a few tile showers with no problems, so far. However, you have provided excellent and useful advise for my next upcoming shower project, soon to begin. Beyond that, I want to complement you on the professionalism that you offer in a humble way. You seem like a genuinely good man. What's more, you are, both a technician and an artist at heart. It is a marvelous combination. Keep up the fantastic work in this wee corner of the world.

Despite this tutorial is a brilliant, I have to state, this puddle flange must be located straight on concrete slab, under screed. Otherwise, there is no way for screed moisture to escape to drain. It will be ponding under the flange and around. Not a good decision... If the flange must be in such lifted position, a self-leveller or a traditional flat concrete must be poured up to the level of the flange. And already fall can be organized by porous screed. Let me know if i`m wrong.

Awesome video, you make me feel confident that I can do this job. Love your unique techniques!

I really appreciate all the information you put out there I’m a general contractor north of you in Oregon Washington. I am not a tile guy, but I have been doing tile for quite some time. I have learned a lot from your videos. In fact, I went down to Eureka California did a shower for a friend of mine. He was actually my roommate in college and I think I may go back and pull the bench out. They haven’t had a problem but I don’t want them to have a problem in the future and I think I may have done something wrong so I may just go pull it out make sure and re-tile it I don’t want them to have a failure. The pan liner was done right I know that because I watched your videos and make sure it was done correctly so I appreciate all the information to bring love to learn new things. I really don’t wanna do tile it’s not what I do but it’s another skill to put in the toolbox big jobs I sub out to my tile guy. We only do the small jobs. Appreciate you

OK, so what's the next step?

Takes guts to use a tablesaw on RU-vid. Lots of safety police out there looking to cancel folks. Thanks for making these videos.

Love the mixing tip! Most of the time it's a huge mess. That works great!

Hey Coach - I just completed my shower pan using pretty much exactly your process. I had no major problems and I think you would approve of the job I did. All thanks to your excellent instructions in this video! Thanks.

This was so helpful I just completed my dry pack shower pan successfully because of you! Thanks :)

Great method other than screw holes below the curb. If you are going to do this, you should make your first line above the curb (on top of the level set onto the curb) and use wider stock so you don’t puncture the membrane below the curb.

Great vid. Though it sure looks easy with 18 inch high walls and access from all 4 sides.

This guys making me tired

Great video but I thought the durarock had to be 3/8th an inch off the tile floor to keep water from soaking into it.

this technique is very smart let's thank JEOVA only he allows this knowledge

Every contractor seems to have their own method. Probably the reason why there’s a lot of pans failing over time.

3:05 quarter inch per foot for america and uk but for the rest of the world? Nothing personal, I really like your videos, but can you provide metric measurments as well?

Bro safety first ! Use a push stick on that table saw and don't pull your hands back over blade after cutting.

Thank you so much. Great video I’ve done lots of tile work well pretty much every type of work do you do when a house. But I’m doing my first shower and I was pretty nervous about how to get the slope done correctly. So awesome job really appreciate it

LOL "this is kinda like dry pack for dummies"

I have been doing tile for years.. This is so helpful. Thank you.

Super helpful!! Just finished my first shower renovation from a fiberglass insert to a full tiled with drypack floor pan base.

Should you wet concrete slab ,before applying thinset.. And do i do anything to concrete slab to clean it to ensure, thinset sticks.?

Great video, I have question pertaining to your shower curb in the this video. Could you do a video on how you built your shower curb and water proofed it. I believe in the next video of this series you water proof it with liquid water proofing, however it also looks like you have a thin set mortar and mesh fiberglass tap on your curb. Is this correct or did you do something different.

Love your videos. I am confident I can do this.

Hey Isaac, I recently did a dry pack curb-less shower for the first time. I ended up with a couple high and low spots. I was researching how to fix these, and it looks like I could fill in low spot with a quick setting concrete, and potentially grind down any high spots. I’d love to get your opinion! Thanks a lot!

This is the best DIY I’ve seen this year - big fan of your instructions, feedback and ideas

Very cool mixing technique, thank you for sharing!

Aha. That’s why you removed the stabila end cap. So it would fit in your demo. Nice. More stabila

Been doing tile for years now and this is actual how I learned it first cause like you said, people that have done it for years use feel, screed lines, levels.

Thanks for all your videos man. I am a contractor in Ky but I always like learning new ways to do things

One of the better instructional videos I've watched. Thanks!

Isaac, are you suppose to put the durock or wonderboard for the walls in before the mud pan or after or does it make a difference. Thanks!

Thank you for this great video. Towards the end you said the deck mud shown is not the one you normally use. Which is the deck mud you would recommend?

Mixing the mud in a bag ?! Ingenious!

It would be helpful if, when your showing a shim or some detail you're holding in your hand, the camera would show your hand instead of your face; can't see what you're holding or pointing to.

Great idea! trying to do it from just a marked line is very difficult.

I always enjoy watching masters at their craft. You are one of those 😀

Thank you so much for all your videos. I've learned so much. Today i did this method for my shower remodel. It worked great. After all it is my first time ever doing a mud pack. My wife enjoyed the video so much she even jumped in and helped out. Thank you again.

Can you make a video for this using a linear drain?

I LOVE this method. Thank you so much for taking the time to impart your knowledge to those of us who really want to learn. Bravo, dude. Bravo.

My man let’s work on the table safety

A better way if your using a sheet membrane is just to use Schluter board or foam board. Cut to the same with as the edge thickness of your Pan. Screw it in and screed off the top. Don’t have to remove it just leave it inside on the edge of the pan.

This is the video I needed, thanks for sharing not just your skills and knowledge, but also your ability to teach.

Sir your video very helpful for me. After starting watching videos. I made almost 20 new showers. Thanks

As always informative video. I am a DIY'er and I will be using this method in a few weeks, glad I saw it today. I will be adding a 45° angle to the screed notch out to get cleaner edges. Thanks for your knowledge and for sharing it with the world. God bless you and your family

Although practice and years of experience make perfect, it’s not rocket science. Water flows to the lowest point. In this case it’s the drain. As he said, set your outer perimeters higher than the drain elevation and slope from there to the drain within the specified measurements. Always check with your level. Make sure you leave enough space for the tile so the drain is the lowest point, without compromise in the slope. Don’t overthink it. It’s not complicated.

Awesome beginner technique for when you can’t use a foam pan!

Isaac, these are great!! You definitely have a talent for teaching what you know. I can’t thank you enough for all you do. These are the best videos with content and production value. (Just need you to move to TEXAS now!! 😉). Have a Grest 2022!

Can i waterproof the deck mud? I plan to build shower walls using epoxy panels and was thinking of just using just the mortar bed for the pan. I don't want all of the grout lines. thank you

Awesome video, thanks! I used a foam substrate on my last remodel, but this give me confidence to try dry pack.

I just used this method and it worked great, thank you!

Do you have a video showing the applications to use schluter, latticrete, wedi, backer, etc?

The 4 to 1 Mapei is 20 bucks per bag, the deck mud is under 10 bucks, why use the expensive way when you have deck mud available?

Curious, do you guys ever use bricks for your curbs? I've seen this a couple times now and it feels like there's some logic to it. Wont rot like lumber, you can create a level plane, can create a small amount of slope and possibly set tile directly to it.

great content and enjoy watching, but how would you do it with a 5 x 3 shower with the drain at one end not center

So why do some people say to leave at least 1/4 inch between the backer board and the mortar bed? I do not see that in this video. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

finding sakrete deck mud or any type of deck mud used in your other videos INCREDIBLY difficult where im located in PA. What would be a good alternative?

I'm building my own house and will be doing two showers in the next year. Thank you kindly for such great content. I was thinking for sure I'd get a premade, pre-sloped base, as getting a sand bed down correctly gave me nightmares...but this is a great method for a beginner. Six dollars of bed material sounds better than a few hundred for a foam bed. Plus this allows for virtually any shower size. I will be watching all your videos. Quick question...so this method is not like the traditional way of pre-sloping a bed, then using a pan liner that is sandwiched with a drain assembly, and then another bed on top of that? I will look through your videos but I assume the next step will be a sheets of liner connected to the drain somehow? Thanks again for sharing such detail.

Floor & Decor here in WA Deck mud is $10.00 cheaper per bag of deck mud ( Mapei) vs Lowes....just an FYI for people to research.

Why couldn't you just fiberglass with resin? There would be 100% of no leaks and drying time is almost nothing. You would have a custom fiberglass pan without fear of leaks.

Looks great man, thanks for the videos!! I had a bathroom added in my basement it was on slab and my contractor built it up using first durock and then VersaBond White Fortified Thinset Mortar without using any PVC liner. He installed the mosaic tile right onto the mud when he built up the versabond. I’m supposed to redo my first floor bathroom next and watching your videos has me second guessing his technique. On the first floor which will be a complete demo and redo what would you suggest for the base of the shower pan?

You're going to use MDF in your shower pan? That's a bad idea. If you're going to use anything use PVC baseboards which are completely impervious to water. I'm questioning whether this is code compliant.

Is a dry pack layer necessary when the concrete is already sloped for a curbless shower? I know I need a waterproof membrane, but why add the dry pack layer? Can I thin set over the membrane and tile? (sloped concrete, membrane, then tile?)

So no rubber membrane? And the wall board is installed first? What is the next steps in water proofing before tile? So many videos I’m confused Neil

not sure why you are trying to teach DIY ERS to do this . they really shouldnt be trying to mud theyre own shower pan. its not something that you would do once or twice and takes time to learn .i hope i dont end up with a bunch of screwed up pans i will need to fix .

I’m in the UK , and the one thing I find strange about American building is that you still work in old imperial measurements. You are trying to work out to eighths or sixteenths of a unit that is a twelfth of a larger unit, which is its self a third of another, and so on. I’m old enough to remember when we did the same; thank goodness we now work in units of ten. Painful transition at the time, but much, much, much easier!

How long do you let the deck mud dry before laying tile?

I was wondering why you leveled of drain level. Is the floor supposed to have slope

I’m doing a commercial shower pan. 19’x9’ Drain is about 7’ off west wall and 6’ off south wall. How many bags of mortar should I budget for?

Question: Once this step is complete can the shower floor be used for a while until we tile it "some day"? fyi... shower walls are cmu so no worries there.

Thank you, buddy! This is the first video after which I see light in the tunnel. Some weeks ago I saw the mud is made as 3 to 1, instead 4 to 1, as you suggested. Please, specify the cement and sand quality next time, so all info in one . Thanks again.

So at the risk of sounding really ignorant, I need a little bit of clarification on the plywood subfloor. From what you're saying, lay the plastic sheeting over the plywood floor, then on top of that lay the the lath and staple the lath down. My issue is this: what is the purpose of the plastic sheeting if you're going to puncture the plastic with staples? is the sole purpose of the plastic sheeting to separate the deck mud bed from the plywood until the deck mud dries? and why? For reference, I've tiled over plywood and have not had any failures, however, I recognize this a different scenario.

Thank you so much for the work you do in putting your videos together and making them available. I have found them to be an invaluable resource for the DIY community! I completed my shower base today using this method and am happy with the results. Is it perfect? No... but I think it is better than what I did 20 years ago, and certainly good enough! It's got the proper slope and darn near perfectly level all around. Thank you again!