Fitting new shower base.

[kdLeeds]

I am about to fit a new quadrant shower base.

It is a very heavy aluminium type (not plastic). The leaflet that came with the base says to bed on a weak mortar mix. Others are telling me that it should be placed on a 1" thick piece of ply.

What do the experts do?

Are they only held in place with silicone as there are no other fixings?

 

[Tom JE]

I think the 1" ply refers to the material you will be setting it down onto, as opposed to straight onto floorboards.

I used silicon to fit mine, onto a wooden plinth. Once the silicon dries the shower tray wont be going anywhere.

 

[kdLeeds]

Thanks Tom.

Did you fit to a plinth for access to waste pipes, or for stability?

That's my next decision, do I fit directly on to floor (either on mortar mix or 1" ply) with waste trap going under floor boards.

Or do I build it on a plinth of about 4"

 

[Tom JE]

I fitted a plinth for future access to the trap although it will definately help with stability if you were planning on going stright onto the floor boards.

Also the other problem you may have if fitting onto a wooden floor is that the supporting joists may be in the way of any waste pipes going under the floor, if you fit a plinth the waste pipe can stay above floor level and be hidden underneath it.