You may have difficulty with standing water in your shower if you’ve just relocated, renovated, or built a home, or if you’re faced with new issues in an old one.
Pouring cement into the shower base or replacing the base altogether, chiseling the surrounding tiles, or installing a second layer of flooring are a few of the ways of how to fix low spots in shower floor, but your best bet would be to hire a professional.
It’s a frequent yet aggravating issue that, in certain situations, can escalate into a significant problem if not addressed promptly.
Below are a few suggestions for dealing with a low spot on your shower floor:
- Pour cement into the shower foundation.
- Remove the surrounding tile with a chisel.
- Remove the shower base and replace it.
- Install a second layer of flooring. Squeegee it and accept it.
Not all floor dents are made equal, so determine whether the problem is merely a nuisance or something that, if left unchecked, will eventually need re-flooring the entire bathroom.
Related: How to Clean Shower Floor
How to Fix Low Spots in Shower Floor
Table of Contents
We will be going over each of the processes on how to fix low spots in shower floor:
Pour Cement Into the Shower Base
If you’ve confirmed that the shower base is the problem, consider filling the area with a cement floor leveler and sealing it with something waterproof.
If possible, grind down the neighboring surface to adjust the slope.
Remove the Surrounding Tile With a Chisel
Start by removing the tiles in and around the low spot with care. Remove as much thin-set bedding compound as possible from the area as slope. To avoid damaging the surrounding tiles, use a small chisel, such as the GREBSTK Chisel Tool Set (accessible on Amazon), robust and rust-resistant.
Thinset is a water-retaining adhesive comprised of fine sand, cement, and a binding ingredient. Showers are frequently tiled with it.
Mastic (also known as universal ceramic tile adhesive) is a sticky tiling glue that many people will be enticed to use because of how easy it is to place tiles.
On the other hand, Mastic isn’t recommended for high-moisture locations since it might harbor mold. If wet sufficiently, it can also reliquefy.
Reinstall the tiles and reapply the bedding compound. Make sure they’re angled down toward the drain.
Install a New Shower Base
If your shower floor is ceramic, the best choice is to replace the complete shower base. A professional will be excellent in this case if you have the resources. If you don’t want to hire a professional, you can do it yourself by following the instructions below:
- Eliminate all of the tiles, as well as the damp bed beneath them. The unequal ground is re-leveled using wet beds. A wet bed is built of a substance similar to concrete but is not as sturdy because it is devoid of pebbles.
- Check for the presence of a waterproof membrane. If that’s the case, remove it as well.
- Replace all of the tiles in the region. Choosing an easy-to-read level like the Amazon Basics Level (available on Amazon.com) is critical. Different leveling procedures (such as utilizing a straight-edged instrument) can be deceiving up close in a small space. Any slight discordance will be visible on a level.
- The entire shower floor should be retiled.
- Grout and an excellent waterproof sealant should seal the new tiles.
- Perform a water test. Fill your shower with water and plug the drain for a water test (also known as a flood test).
You will be free of leaks and can securely add tile if the water remains for up to 72 hours.
Read: How to Clean Pebble Stone Shower Floor
Install a Second Layer of Flooring
Add another layer of material to your shower floor to angle the slope without ripping up the entire base.
However, this is only a viable solution under certain circumstances. The type of components utilized on the original floor determines this.
Angle the new layer of flooring towards the drain if deemed safe.
Use a Squeegee and Learn to Live With It
Use a squeegee, a mop, or even your foot to sweep away surplus water toward the drain if the quantity of water gathering is minimal and the bathroom has sufficient ventilation.
Your shower floor must be covered with an appropriate ready-mix sealant, such as USG DUROCK Liquid Waterproofing Membrane if you use this option (available on Amazon.com).
Instead of caulk, use a silicone-based sealer. Caulk and sealant are primarily used hand in hand; however, caulk is typically comprised of latex and acrylic polymers, making it susceptible to shrinking when exposed to water.
Examine for mold or grout build-up regularly, and if you hear quashing sounds or the floor feels springy or damp to the touch, you’ll almost certainly need to replace the entire base.
Why Is the Floor of My Shower Uneven?
You may want to change the tiles and have them all redone if they are excessively unequal and damage the bulk of the tile job.
Marble tiles are weighty, and if air seeps into the cement beneath them, it can cause them to plunge as the mortar dries, resulting in unequal floor tiles.
Why Is There Water in the Shower?
Suppose you notice water on the bathroom floor after a shower or murky water pooling around your ankles while showering in your tub.
In that case, you probably have a blockage in your pipes preventing water from draining appropriately.
Read: How to Clean a Walk-In Shower Floor
Conclusion
Evaluating the issue is crucial if you see a low place in your shower floor gathering water and causing drainage concerns.
If there is too much grout or mold, the only option is to replace the entire shower floor.
In so many circumstances, just applying cement, retiling the shower pan, or chiseling the specific ceramic tiles may suffice.
If you’re not sure if you can finish the task and the issue appears to be serious, employing a pro will almost surely conserve your money in the end.
The article explains in detail how to fix low spots in shower floor and the steps to take to achieve this to give you your desired result.
