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Bzzzzzt
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 21:01
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I'm installing a fiberglass, pre-molded, one-piece shower in what will soon be the bathroom in my cabin. I had already installed the thing temporarily in another location and now I'm moving it to the permanent location. The original paperwork indicated that I should bed the underside of the unit with some kind of sand or something (I'm not really sure what they were talking about) I haven't had any trouble with it without bedding it but I'm wondering if there is any advantage to doing it in the permanent location. Anybody have any experience with this setup and have any advice one way or the other?
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Don_P
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2015 22:11
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Giving it full support keeps flexing down and it'll probably last longer. The load causing the flexing probably has something to do with that as well. I find it hard to believe sand does any good, it is going to move away with every flex. I've seen people use mortar mix, I'd do that over tarpaper if you go that route to protect the subfloor. I slid sheet foam under ours and shot the last of cans of sprayfoem under there as I foamed windows, doors and cracks. If you go that route do a little at a time, you can mushroom the tub if you blow a whole can off in one place under there.
One thing I did learn going wild with sprayfoam, well other than mushrooming the nose of the motorhome, I foamed around and directly to the main plumbing stack as it penetrated through floors. As warm water lengthens the pipe it goes "tick, tick" slipping through the foam, then you lay down in bed and listen to the pipe cool and contract. I should have taped a plastic sleeve around the pipe prior to foaming.
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hattie
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 10:49
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We have one of those. You have to make sure the floor is square with the walls otherwise when you assemble the shower the corners won't fit. When they installed our shower they put a "puddle" of concrete around the drain area before they dropped the shower base in place. When that set, it supports the center of the shower. It has worked well for us and we have had ours for 12 years now.
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creeky
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 10:52
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my shower base specced mortar. so i bought a bag of thinset mortar, mixed it up and splopped it on the ply subfloor. sat the base into it. stood on it and wiggled it about. it's been good so far. it didn't take much mortar. i got a broken bag discount. it was $5.
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Bzzzzzt
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2015 19:47
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Thanks for the input. I said 'sand' in the original post because I was having cranial flatulence. I knew that wasn't right but I couldn't come up with anything closer to correct so I left it.
@Don: I already knew that about Great Stuff (spray foam) expanding too much. I've seen windows that wont open because of it.
Sounds like "to bed" wins the toss over "not to bed."
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conquistador
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# Posted: 21 Jun 2015 18:06
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My father in law is a plumber and when we were building our home he told me of many times he had to replace shower and tub units that had cracked due to not supporting it. He uses mortar mix and says it will hold up the best.
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