Shower tray installation

A shower tray has to sit perfectly level, have access to the trap and be supported across its whole area. If any of that goes wrong, water pools in one corner, the silicone cracks within weeks and an acrylic tray starts flexing underfoot. A shower tray is fitted before the wall tiles go on, or together with them.

What installation covers

• checking the waste position and matching the shower trap;
• setting the tray on legs, a frame or a mortar bed and levelling it;
• connecting the trap and testing the drain with water before boxing in;
• boarding the sides and sealing tape along the walls ready for tiling;
• after tiling: sanitary silicone where the tray meets the tiles.

Acrylic, stone resin or low-profile

An acrylic tray is light and cheap but needs firm support, or it flexes and creaks. A stone resin tray is heavier and stiffer, while low-profile trays almost flush with the floor look modern but need a low trap and enough depth for the waste in the floor. For a low-profile tray the handyman checks whether the fall from the trap to the stack allows it at all.

What to prepare

The tray with its trap, details of the enclosure or screen that will stand on it, and a photo of the floor waste. The enclosure usually goes in after tiling, so plan the order from the start.

Common questions