A Guide for Selecting Shower Pans

By Anthony Green


Even though we don't think about them often, shower pans essentially keep our bathrooms in good shape. They're one of those things that few people might even recognize, but any new homeowner or anyone redesigning their bathroom has likely been made aware of shower bases and the fact that some work needs to go into planning out which ones to get.

If you don't know what a shower pan is, don't despair. It's also known as a shower base, which may make some more sense to you. It's the bottom of your shower and it's what the tile and everything else sits on top of. The biggest purpose of it all is to control the flow of water through your drainage system.

If you've never had to buy a shower pan before, there are a few things you should know before making a decision. The most important thing to look for is a shower pan that matches the measurements of your existing shower space.

The shape of your shower base will also match the shape of your shower. Therefore, if you want a square shower, you'll need to get a square shower pan. If you want something more original, like an octagon, the shower base will need to take on the same shape.

It's also important to take the material of your shower pans into consideration, which we'll touch upon some more later in this article. To sum things up though, tile and marble showers will go more easily with certain kinds of shower bases.

Shower pan liners are yet another add-on that you might want to consider. The liner is a layer that goes in between the base and the shower floor, and it acts as another form of insulation to protect your shower pan.

Choosing the material also matters. There's fiberglass and acrylic, there's ceramic and tile, there's stone, and there's even more. Much of what you choose will depend on your budget.

Setting up shower pans is likely the most difficult part of the overall process. While there are DIY guides online, you may want to consider hiring someone to install your shower base if you've never done something like this before. Get a few quotes before going with someone, as you're likely to find a better price this way.




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