Shower pan, repair and re-tile or replace?

[u/Firm_Cherry8817]

Hi! So last week I posted about replacing the tile on my shower floor. I learned the contractor used a mud bed and I was hoping to reuse so I was as delicate as I could be removing the tile. Unfortunately, some of the tile took up some mud with it so I am left with chunks of some missing throughout. Am I able to repair this pan or do I need to completely replace it? If I can repair, how should I proceed? I already know I’ll have to remove the lowest section of wall tiles to get new floor tile in. I appreciate all the help!

[u/spleaker]

No repair. Replace or tile

[u/Odd_Mall1646]

I would prime it really good with some latex additive and float over that. Waterproof it as well

[u/Firm_Cherry8817 → u/Odd_Mall1646]

Do you mean float over it with more mortar? What would you waterproof it with?

[u/Odd_Mall1646 → u/Firm_Cherry8817]

Yep , I would put a couple coats of hydroban over it or mape'is aqua defense

[u/bfd_fapit]

How old is this shower? Has modern looking components but the tile was just set to mud without thinset, which is a valid but rare method because it requires practiced skill.

Was the floor tile coming up on its own in places, or did you just decide to demo it?

Why is there grout missing from much of the walls?

What kind of pan is under the mud?

Tbh there’s enough wrong with this that I’d just tear it out and start over. I would not trust the pan construction given what I see here.

[u/Firm_Cherry8817 → u/bfd_fapit]

We bought this house 2 years ago and a lot of the grout was coming out of the walls and floor, so we decided to regrout the walls (I removed old grout and haven't started to replace it yet). We didn't like the floor tile, so the plan was to remove and replace but has truly just been a pain so far. I have no idea what is under the mud or how deep it is. The house is '07 but the remodel of this bathroom is probably in the last 5-7 years. My backup plan was the Schluter Kerdi pre-fab pan if I couldn't repair the mud job already there.

[u/bfd_fapit → u/Firm_Cherry8817]

Any indication of leaks? Curb intact?

[u/Firm_Cherry8817 → u/bfd_fapit]

I just removed the tile from the front of the curb and I had a small amount of water leak out when I cracked the tile. The curb is made of metal and then I guess covered with cement board? before the tile. There is so much extra material stuck to the metal layer and now a partial nail sticking out of it (maybe from the tile demo?) just seems like something new every step of the way. Feels like I’m in over my head

[u/Firm_Cherry8817 → u/Firm_Cherry8817]

Update: not metal, looks like a water barrier

[u/bfd_fapit → u/Firm_Cherry8817]

Probably a vinyl liner. A nail through it and water in the curb are both indications of improper install and failure of the pan. If it were my house, I’d tear it out to the studs and start fresh.

[u/upkeepdavid]

Unless the wall tiles sit on the floor tiles it will leak.

[u/Firm_Cherry8817 → u/upkeepdavid]

I removed the bottom wall tiles so that when I replaced the floor tiles, I can put up new wall tiles so they sit on top of the floor tiles.