@@SalDiBlasi OK thanks. I'm doing a linear drain in a few days and want to use this method as well. Should I just add shims to one side of the long boards to get proper slope?
Amazing video! Just finished installing a new subfloor system throughout my entire house and the next project is my bathroom. Kind of learning as I go haha. Can't thank you enough for your detailed video(s). Thanks!!!
Great video as always! As far as the foam pans are concerned, they can be pricey, but come in very handy when you are doing an upstairs pan and the floor joists are spaced 24” OC. The foam pans keep the weight of the finished pan low so that additional framing is not needed for structural reinforcement. A quarter ton of sand mix vs a 10 lb foam pan is a huge difference. From what I remember, a mixed and dried 60 lb bag of sand mix ends up being 90-100 lbs mixed and dried.
Excellent video as always Sal, I've started practicing mud beds in my garage with fine sand dampen with water.....I know it's not the same as mud, but I'm determined to get it down pat before I install one in a customers home!
I have to install a linear drain 60" schluter. The shower is 10' wife. Would you install it in the middle on back wall? That's what I am thinking doing it? Thank you very much for your answer
can you use ice and water shield that they use on roofs under a mudshower pan instead of tar paper and put the wire mesh over it i was thinkn that this might be better than tar paper?
Awesome video Sal, thank you. Question: is no decoupling membrane needed ? I am doing a curbless shower for my elderly mother over concrete, and thought I needed to run the Kerdi decoupling membrane under the shower floor tile? Also, how thin can you go with the dry pack mud? I am going to be cutting the slab down to get the proper pitch, and don’t want to have to take out any more concrete from the slab than necessary. Can you go down to say, 1/4”? Thanks again for the awesome videos.
This is what I'm doing,just no 2x4,as it will be zero entry,curbless,love the drain template, im down to dirt,so I figured I'd pour concrete, then top it off a inch or two w mortar, just curious if my concrete ,and mortar, can be done same time or day,and if I'd need thin set in between it not, as you did here,?thanks sal you the best
Amazing as always!!! I’ve learned so much from you!!! Thank you for your videos and tile wisdom!!! I have a couple of questions about installing a linear drain. I have a shower install that I’m prepping for so do I install the linear drain without the pre slope and liner? If so how so I incorporate a bench seat along with it? I’m kinda stumped!!! Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated Sir!!! Thank you for all you do for our industry 😉❤️🙏🏽
You are going to have a hard time figuring that out using a two stage drain system. Switch to a sealed system, like Schluter systems, and it all becomes easy. ruclips.net/video/o9UkPjn1gYQ/видео.html ruclips.net/video/1-hcNyEfpm8/видео.html
@@SalDiBlasi thank you so much!!! I’ve decided to go with Schluter 2 inch board to make the bench along with the kerdi shower liner. The sealed system as you suggested!!! Thank you so much Mr. DiBlasi!!! Many blessings your way!!!
On another video you built on wood, you placed tarpaper and wire for the bed... I understand that the wood would absorb. Any reason why you wouldn't do that for cement as well? Why is there. A need to bond it to the cement vs not the plywood subfloor? Thanks and great video as always.
Another great video Sal. I am planning on doing this at home in my en suite which has a screened floor. I thought about shower formers but none are the size I need. I plan on breaking out the screed and creating the slope by adding more screed. I see there you buy your mud in a bag. Not sure we have that in the UK. Is that just sand and cement? If yes, how long do you need to wait for the mud to dry before tiling? I see schluter do angle profiles for the falls at the side of the tray. Do you just cut 5he tiles to the pitch? Thanks sal
Excellent Video! If you were doing this exact same thing but on a wooden subfloor, you would not need the thinset underneath? I assume just some poly to hold the water in the mud a bit longer? Do you put down metal screening to give it something to grab to underneath as well?
Thanks Sal, this is just my next step. I cut out my slab and just finished pouring my new lower slab. I plan on setting up a screed like this. My drain is not the Schluter but a linear drain with a flange. If I template the drain and screed out my mud base can I set my drain in slightly wetter mud the following day? Or will having a joint not be advisable? Thanks!
Sal DiBlasi Thanks, I've seen it just wasn't sure if thinset would be appropriate for the drain. I'm gonna end up having a fairly thick mud bed. 4.5" at the entrance of the shower and 3.25" under the drain. Look forward to the next video
Sal, thanks for this video. How would you do this on an OSB subfloor? Is it OK to mortar directly on that subfloor? I am looking at doing a mud bed because the floor isn't level. Would love to do the Schluter pan instead.
Here is a link that shows how to do it over a wood subfloor, with a schluter drain, same thing for the mud even with a different drain. ruclips.net/video/XqUlGhK9Kys/видео.html
Thank you, you're the best. The situation I have is a 42" wide shower with a 36" drain that is 6" off the shower wall and not quite sure how to properly prepare the pitch in those areas so the finish tile doesn't look wonky.
Sal, Schluter shows using one of their shower pans cut to size and gaps filled in around the pan with mortar. They just throw it down directly onto plywood subfloor. Is this Ok? If I use one of their 55" pans, I will have 2" to fill on the sides. Thank. You in advance.
Thank you for the video, Sal. I'm putting a Schluter linear drain at the entry of a shower and want to span the whole shower width so no water can escape. The drain "channel body" has two measurements: 59 1/16" and 61 1/16". Without any backerboard on the shower walls yet, my width is 61 1/16". Will I be able to fit this linear drain once I put the backerboard up? Thanks very much. BTW: I'm in Massachusetts too.
Sal, you are awesome. I’m a big fan. You helped me successfully redo my last bathroom. I’m thinking about doing a mud pan on a plywood subfloor and was wondering if you know what the deflection needs to be. I calculated it before and it was like 857. Thanks very much.
Awesome video! Is there no preslope because it's a concrete slab or because of the kerdi liner you are using? I thought preslopes were always necessary
Preslope is needed when a vinyl liner is used in a "Water in, Water Out" Type system, and must be present. This is a sealed Schluter system and is not the same thing, different animal.
Excellent videos I have to say. A step above the rest in my (homeowner but handy) opinion. I do have a question. To copy your screeding technique I would have to not build the wall opposite the linear drain, instead just having the walls bottom plate with or without a little packing in position. This would mean the wall board will be installed later and sit on top of the mud. I think this will be fine as the mud floor with membrane to wall joint is covered by Kerdi-band. Am I right that's it's OK? I say again, excellent videos and I will definitely become a patreon when my project starts. Thank you.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks for the reply. I saw in another video, maybe one of yours, where the wall was in place with the wall board too. They/you used a screeding rail temporarily placed against the wall to use as a guide. After the mud was down and screeded the temporary rail was removed and the 1" or whatever gap that was left was mudded. Is this a better technique do you think? Thanks again.
@@SalDiBlasi Do you slope the mud at the corners of the drain to match the slope of the highest point of the pan? Or can I do just the slightest slope only to deflect the water out of the corner without the tile looking crooked from the rest.
Nice movie Sal, what determines what wall board you use from job to job? Here you use Schluter board, others jobs concrete board with Hydro ban as water barrier, then sometimes you use densshield. So what determines what you use for that particular job?
Maybe someone can help me out here. I'm laying 18x18 porcelain tile at an angle. I'm using TEC latex - modified mortar. I'm using a 1/2 inch trowel. Here's my problem. I keep getting a tile sitting higher then the one next to it and I press it down but they keep rising back up. Why is that? I lifted a few tiles and I have about 99% seal. I'm back buttering every tile. Is the mortar to thick or something? I don't get why is raising back up after a work in down. Any advice would be appreciated. Edit:I'm going over Mapeguard 2 underlayment.
Best to use a leveling system with large format tiles, I don't know what your specific problem is, however large tiles need a flat substrate. if you have an uneven or wavey floor, you will run into all kinds of problems with lippage. Also large tiles are rarely flat, some are worse than others, so again a leveling system will help with that. Also when you installed your underlayment, did you make certain it was well adhered by pulling back a corner and checking coverage. these are just a few things that come to mind, there could be numerous other reasons.
Why arent you dropping your vertical boards for your shower walls onto the top of your pan? As opposed to putting them in first. Added layer of protection in my humble opinion. Just curious. Otherwise, great video. Doing a pan for a linear drain this week and needed the tutorial.
very nice I like watching a professional work . may I ask what type of mud that is ? ( can you explain as I'm some what of a novice.) thanks so much ...!!!
Hey Sal, I’m going to have a go at a mud bed for my 5’x32” shower pan. How many bags of Mapei 4:1 would you anticipate having on hand for this project?
Figure 60:x32"x2" divide by 1728 give you the cubic feet, then figure about 1/2 cubic foot per bag, if your average depth is more or less than 2" substitute your actual depth.
Hi Sal, 2 questions for you 1) how thick can you go with mud , can you do 1 foot thick? 2) I've seen people not using thinset when doing mortar beds, any tips on when to and when not to use thinset, thanks
Hey Sal, do you have a preference for locating a linear drain? I've watched so many of your videos I can't remember if you discussed this point. Given your preference, would you rather work with a longer or shorter drain, put the drain against the long wall or short wall (when you have a rectangular shower), or place the drain on the wall with the shower valve vs. the adjacent walls, when you have a square shower?
Actually he is doing exactly what the description says. This is the PREPWORK to install the drain. He has several other videos on how to install the actual drain and tie it into the rest of the system. Get a clue…
Easy peasy with the wood boards to screed. I like that they are just left in the pan at the end
Pull it out the next day ruclips.net/video/zii-zGuLeTc/видео.html
@@SalDiBlasi OK thanks. I'm doing a linear drain in a few days and want to use this method as well. Should I just add shims to one side of the long boards to get proper slope?
@@angry-white-men Check your slope before you start, doesn't matter how you egt there as long as you have it.
Can't emphasize how much I have learned from your videos. All your work looks amazing. Thank you for the quick response
Thanks
Your rad Sal
Love your videos.
That’s a large linear drain
Sal's the man. I really like watching all your videos. All work is professional, custom, and clean.
Amazing video! Just finished installing a new subfloor system throughout my entire house and the next project is my bathroom. Kind of learning as I go haha. Can't thank you enough for your detailed video(s). Thanks!!!
Did a shower over the summer with two of those drains side by side. It was crazy Hugh.
Good vid! I'm even more impressed with your pc set up with 3 monitors. Quite the battle station indeed!
DIY Tile Guy yes.....!!! it's great.
One was not enough, then two was sufficient until I had three.
Love your videos and your workmanship keep up the great work sir
😊
Great video as always! As far as the foam pans are concerned, they can be pricey, but come in very handy when you are doing an upstairs pan and the floor joists are spaced 24” OC. The foam pans keep the weight of the finished pan low so that additional framing is not needed for structural reinforcement. A quarter ton of sand mix vs a 10 lb foam pan is a huge difference. From what I remember, a mixed and dried 60 lb bag of sand mix ends up being 90-100 lbs mixed and dried.
Beautiful job Sal.
😊
Good work Sal
Thanks Stephen.
What is the reason that you made the template where the linear drain is gonna go 1 3/8 high?
Excellent video as always Sal, I've started practicing mud beds in my garage with fine sand dampen with water.....I know it's not the same as mud, but I'm determined to get it down pat before I install one in a customers home!
+460 S&W practice makes perfect.👍
I have to install a linear drain 60" schluter. The shower is 10' wife. Would you install it in the middle on back wall? That's what I am thinking doing it? Thank you very much for your answer
Mud as in just soil? Or soil mixed with some sorta cement ?
what is the thickness of the board you used as a drain template?
That’s some Jedi sh!t right there man.
A Stabila screed! I guess they are indestructable.
How did you secure the boards the temporary boards to the cement floor....allowing you to remove them easily after packing the mud?
Dril a few holes, put in some sleeves and screw the board down. When done remove the screws, pull up the board.
@@SalDiBlasi thank u! Your videos are extremely informative!
Thank you Sal!
can you use ice and water shield that they use on roofs under a mudshower pan instead of tar paper and put the wire mesh over it i was thinkn that this might be better than tar paper?
no
Awesome video Sal, thank you. Question: is no decoupling membrane needed ? I am doing a curbless shower for my elderly mother over concrete, and thought I needed to run the Kerdi decoupling membrane under the shower floor tile? Also, how thin can you go with the dry pack mud? I am going to be cutting the slab down to get the proper pitch, and don’t want to have to take out any more concrete from the slab than necessary. Can you go down to say, 1/4”? Thanks again for the awesome videos.
Love your videos. Was wondering how this would be done differently if I were to do the same install, but on plywood. Thanks
This is what I'm doing,just no 2x4,as it will be zero entry,curbless,love the drain template, im down to dirt,so I figured I'd pour concrete, then top it off a inch or two w mortar, just curious if my concrete ,and mortar, can be done same time or day,and if I'd need thin set in between it not, as you did here,?thanks sal you the best
Amazing as always!!! I’ve learned so much from you!!! Thank you for your videos and tile wisdom!!! I have a couple of questions about installing a linear drain. I have a shower install that I’m prepping for so do I install the linear drain without the pre slope and liner? If so how so I incorporate a bench seat along with it? I’m kinda stumped!!! Your wisdom would be greatly appreciated Sir!!! Thank you for all you do for our industry 😉❤️🙏🏽
You are going to have a hard time figuring that out using a two stage drain system. Switch to a sealed system, like Schluter systems, and it all becomes easy. ruclips.net/video/o9UkPjn1gYQ/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/1-hcNyEfpm8/видео.html
@@SalDiBlasi thank you so much!!! I’ve decided to go with Schluter 2 inch board to make the bench along with the kerdi shower liner. The sealed system as you suggested!!! Thank you so much Mr. DiBlasi!!! Many blessings your way!!!
On another video you built on wood, you placed tarpaper and wire for the bed... I understand that the wood would absorb. Any reason why you wouldn't do that for cement as well? Why is there. A need to bond it to the cement vs not the plywood subfloor? Thanks and great video as always.
Another great video Sal. I am planning on doing this at home in my en suite which has a screened floor. I thought about shower formers but none are the size I need. I plan on breaking out the screed and creating the slope by adding more screed. I see there you buy your mud in a bag. Not sure we have that in the UK. Is that just sand and cement? If yes, how long do you need to wait for the mud to dry before tiling? I see schluter do angle profiles for the falls at the side of the tray. Do you just cut 5he tiles to the pitch? Thanks sal
Excellent Video! If you were doing this exact same thing but on a wooden subfloor, you would not need the thinset underneath? I assume just some poly to hold the water in the mud a bit longer? Do you put down metal screening to give it something to grab to underneath as well?
Yest tar paper and metal lath, then the mud in the same way, no thinset. ruclips.net/video/81vfRXRyyOg/видео.html
Thanks Sal, this is just my next step. I cut out my slab and just finished pouring my new lower slab. I plan on setting up a screed like this. My drain is not the Schluter but a linear drain with a flange. If I template the drain and screed out my mud base can I set my drain in slightly wetter mud the following day? Or will having a joint not be advisable? Thanks!
In the next video I will be installing the drain with thinset. There is a link in the card to a time lapse of the entire bathroom
Sal DiBlasi Thanks, I've seen it just wasn't sure if thinset would be appropriate for the drain. I'm gonna end up having a fairly thick mud bed. 4.5" at the entrance of the shower and 3.25" under the drain. Look forward to the next video
Sal, thanks for this video. How would you do this on an OSB subfloor? Is it OK to mortar directly on that subfloor? I am looking at doing a mud bed because the floor isn't level. Would love to do the Schluter pan instead.
Here is a link that shows how to do it over a wood subfloor, with a schluter drain, same thing for the mud even with a different drain. ruclips.net/video/XqUlGhK9Kys/видео.html
How do you pitch the small area to the left & right of the drain? I'm using large tile not mosaic.
You will have to split that tile at those points.
Thank you, you're the best. The situation I have is a 42" wide shower with a 36" drain that is 6" off the shower wall and not quite sure how to properly prepare the pitch in those areas so the finish tile doesn't look wonky.
@@johnburgoyne7278 You will only need a very slight pitch at those ends, just be sure it doesn't pool in the corner.
Thank you again. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer.
Sal, Schluter shows using one of their shower pans cut to size and gaps filled in around the pan with mortar. They just throw it down directly onto plywood subfloor. Is this Ok? If I use one of their 55" pans, I will have 2" to fill on the sides. Thank. You in advance.
If Schluter says it is good, then it is good, I have done it more than once.
How come you don't have to use a liner here?
Thank you for the video, Sal. I'm putting a Schluter linear drain at the entry of a shower and want to span the whole shower width so no water can escape. The drain "channel body" has two measurements: 59 1/16" and 61 1/16". Without any backerboard on the shower walls yet, my width is 61 1/16". Will I be able to fit this linear drain once I put the backerboard up? Thanks very much. BTW: I'm in Massachusetts too.
Sal, you are awesome. I’m a big fan. You helped me successfully redo my last bathroom. I’m thinking about doing a mud pan on a plywood subfloor and was wondering if you know what the deflection needs to be. I calculated it before and it was like 857. Thanks very much.
For tile, L/360 for natural stone L/720
Thanks
Awesome video! Is there no preslope because it's a concrete slab or because of the kerdi liner you are using? I thought preslopes were always necessary
Preslope is needed when a vinyl liner is used in a "Water in, Water Out" Type system, and must be present. This is a sealed Schluter system and is not the same thing, different animal.
Thank you, sir for your quick response
Excellent videos I have to say. A step above the rest in my (homeowner but handy) opinion.
I do have a question. To copy your screeding technique I would have to not build the wall opposite the linear drain, instead just having the walls bottom plate with or without a little packing in position. This would mean the wall board will be installed later and sit on top of the mud. I think this will be fine as the mud floor with membrane to wall joint is covered by Kerdi-band. Am I right that's it's OK? I say again, excellent videos and I will definitely become a patreon when my project starts. Thank you.
You can do it that way, if you have to.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks for the reply. I saw in another video, maybe one of yours, where the wall was in place with the wall board too. They/you used a screeding rail temporarily placed against the wall to use as a guide. After the mud was down and screeded the temporary rail was removed and the 1" or whatever gap that was left was mudded. Is this a better technique do you think? Thanks again.
@@davidcrick1123 Which ever way will get you there works.
@@SalDiBlasi Thank you.
Would you have to use the thunder if you’re doing a mud pan over a wood subfloor?
that piece of wood you're using that's against the wall only has to be as thick as the foam that comes with the drain, correct?
Yes, but it can be thicker if you need it to be.
@@SalDiBlasi Do you slope the mud at the corners of the drain to match the slope of the highest point of the pan? Or can I do just the slightest slope only to deflect the water out of the corner without the tile looking crooked from the rest.
@@angry-white-men I usually just slope it a bit to make sure the water goes in to the drain.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks
how much do you charge, and are you close to Louisiana?
Sal, how do you know if you have a soft spot? It is how it feels?
You can usually see it as you work and finish the surface.
Nice movie Sal, what determines what wall board you use from job to job? Here you use Schluter board, others jobs concrete board with Hydro ban as water barrier, then sometimes you use densshield. So what determines what you use for that particular job?
Denshield was never by choice, but what a GC I do work for liked to use, I have since switched him to Schluter, which is my prefered board.
Maybe someone can help me out here. I'm laying 18x18 porcelain tile at an angle. I'm using TEC latex - modified mortar. I'm using a 1/2 inch trowel.
Here's my problem. I keep getting a tile sitting higher then the one next to it and I press it down but they keep rising back up. Why is that? I lifted a few tiles and I have about 99% seal. I'm back buttering every tile. Is the mortar to thick or something? I don't get why is raising back up after a work in down.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Edit:I'm going over Mapeguard 2 underlayment.
Best to use a leveling system with large format tiles, I don't know what your specific problem is, however large tiles need a flat substrate. if you have an uneven or wavey floor, you will run into all kinds of problems with lippage. Also large tiles are rarely flat, some are worse than others, so again a leveling system will help with that. Also when you installed your underlayment, did you make certain it was well adhered by pulling back a corner and checking coverage. these are just a few things that come to mind, there could be numerous other reasons.
Why arent you dropping your vertical boards for your shower walls onto the top of your pan? As opposed to putting them in first. Added layer of protection in my humble opinion. Just curious. Otherwise, great video. Doing a pan for a linear drain this week and needed the tutorial.
This is a sealed system, no water will ever see the underside of the waterproofing membrane that will be directly under the tile.
Did you just use a standard 1 1/2 board for your drain ledger board even though drain it’s self with the foam is only 1 1/4
Sorry, I don't understand your question.
very nice I like watching a professional work . may I ask what type of mud that is ? ( can you explain as I'm some what of a novice.) thanks so much ...!!!
Mapei 4 to 1 www.mapei.com/public/US/products/1005573-4to1-mud-bed-mix-en.pdf
Approx 1/4 inch per foot of drop towards drain.
Hey Sal, I’m going to have a go at a mud bed for my 5’x32” shower pan. How many bags of Mapei 4:1 would you anticipate having on hand for this project?
Figure 60:x32"x2" divide by 1728 give you the cubic feet, then figure about 1/2 cubic foot per bag, if your average depth is more or less than 2" substitute your actual depth.
Hi Sal, 2 questions for you
1) how thick can you go with mud , can you do 1 foot thick?
2) I've seen people not using thinset when doing mortar beds, any tips on when to and when not to use thinset, thanks
Max thickness of a mud bed is usually about 3" maybe a bit more. Usually on concrete you do a bonded mud bed on plywood you do an unbonded.
@@SalDiBlasi thanks boss
Hi Sal,
Why do you need to apply thinset under the mud?
To create a bond between the concrete and mud.
Will this same thickness work on a Plywood sub floor?
Yes.
Where do you buy all your schluter products at?
My tile supplier.
I have never seen any body use thin set under mud just wire mesh and then mud and i have watched many old timers over the years .
Called a bonded mud bed, used when installing over concrete. Tar paper and wire lath over wood subfloor.
What was the thickness of your board you used as drain template ?
Had it set to about 1 3/8" like I said in the video.
Sal DiBlasi, is 1 3/8 the minimum that board can be set to allow the linear drain to finish at the correct height?
Hey Sal...how long did it take you to complete this mud bed?
Maybe an hour to 90 minutes all by myself mixing and screeding.
@@SalDiBlasi
👍
Sal, no liner used??
This is a sealed system, no vinyl liners, Schluter waterproofing sheet membrane.
I'm going to Class 1 in January in Clearwater, Florida... would be great to meet you one day
I go to Coverings every year, meet a lot of people there every time.
Hey Sal, do you have a preference for locating a linear drain? I've watched so many of your videos I can't remember if you discussed this point. Given your preference, would you rather work with a longer or shorter drain, put the drain against the long wall or short wall (when you have a rectangular shower), or place the drain on the wall with the shower valve vs. the adjacent walls, when you have a square shower?
I kind of like it at the back wall, but it really is not my choice to make, the customer gets what they want.
Thanks, Sal.
You should take the words linear drain out of the title since you dont talk about or describe how to install it... AT ALL
Actually he is doing exactly what the description says. This is the PREPWORK to install the drain. He has several other videos on how to install the actual drain and tie it into the rest of the system. Get a clue…
Where is the drain?
I like the Schluter Drains and Trim but DO NOT like the Schluter walls.