The floor of a shower is often referred to as a shower basin or shower base. Most commonly the floor of your shower is pre-fabricated and made from fiber glass, porcelain, vinyl or plastic though it is sometimes made of tile that is installed by hand. The former type of shower bases, the pre-fabricated bases are commonly called shower pans and are an easier choice for installation. However hand tiled shower bases are unique and tend to last much longer than pre-fabricated bases, though they are much harder to move later if you or a new resident chooses to re-do the home or just the bathroom.
Regardless of the material that a shower base is made from, the base is generally built with a lip so that water is less likely to spill out into the floor surrounding the shower. Prefabricated shower bases have this lip when they are purchase, though you will have to build the lip with a tiled shower by placing the lip around the shower base or building the shower base a few inches below the surface of the floor.
In order to prevent water from spilling onto the floor, shower bases must also include an inclining surface that tapers towards the drain in the shower floor. Again, this feature is standard on pre-fabricated shower bases but must be built into showers that are hand tiled. Pre-fabricated shower bases are built in various shapes and with the drain holes located in the center, along a side or in a corner to meet any plumbing configuration you require when replacing a shower stall or just a shower base.
Manufactured shower bases can be combined with tiled walls, allowing you to keep the beauty and unique, charming qualities of a tiled shower, while also allowing you to more easily replace the shower base if it breaks or if you choose to remodel at a later date.
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