Do shower pans fail?

If water runs through it, it can fail. They dont call it the Universal Solvent for nothing…

If the details on any shower are not done proper they can/ will fail.

I have seen many membrane systems fail.

Its all in the details!

Tried and true method I have seen is Copper…. Not been part of one of those installs in many years.

yes pans do fail.
each type has its own failure mode
rubber membrane with pre-slope and top mud layer typically fail due to nails through rubber within 8" of floor. This is especially problematic with wood curb as the leaks cause wood to swell over time rupturing the curb. Of course by this time the water has caused damage to subfloor was well

fabric water proofing membranes such as Schluter Kerdi over mud or foam base are very good (gold standard IMO) but failures occur when wood is used for curb structure and the glass door installers put screws through the water proofing causing curb failures as described above.

Metal pans such as copper and lead were common in northeast and when done properly are very good but expensive. In recent years, this methods seems to be surpassed by the fabric water proofing membranes.

Hot mop tar sealing is a west coast thing and is a mess IMO.

And then there’s Florida where up until recently no water proofing was applied to shower floor on slab on grade homes; any water that didn’t go down drain just seeped though tile grout and into the sandy soil. 🙄

So just like boiler there’s 1 million ways to screw up something particularly when you don’t read the manufacturers installation instruction.

Recommend johnbridge.com as an excellent resource for all things tile and water proofing. The picture below has a foam curb with mud base sealed with Schluter Kerdi. Walls are Kerdi board (foam). Great products

Hi, and yes, all pans can fail, even the pre-made ones, if the person using it is heavy enough to crack it. I'd only use pre-made upstairs, as they seem to hold up best. With hot mopped and galvanized, I've had to fix the floor joists, they were so badly rotted. The water wall of a shower has many ways it can leak too, so I always try to give access.

Yours, Larry

Yes! Pans of all types will potentially leak. Best brand-names of whole systems: Schluter, Kerdi, Wedi. The Germans have figured it out. Expensive, but worth every penny. Thick membranes, metal pans, hot-mopping, and cement board are generally methods of a by-gone era. The shower walls, pan and curb MUST be waterproof BEFORE the tile goes on.

I had a similar project, and getting the right glass hardware made a huge difference in keeping everything clean-looking and sturdy without messing with the design. I went with options that handled weight well and still kept the space feeling open. If you're aiming for something sleek but safe, checking out glass hardware helped me plan things out without second-guessing every detail.

@kcopp, "… they don't call it the Universal Solvent for nothing." I thought gasoline was the Universal Solvent.

lead pans are great. The newer schlooter (is that how it's spelled?) and other similar products work wonderfully. All have the chance to fail. Installed properly the chances of failure are slim.

i’ve done several showers with mud beds and walls covered with Schulter Kerdi waterproofing. Very nice product, but that along with the tile takes skill and attention to details that is hard to find.
Honestly anymore I recommend people by a fiberglass pan and use half inch solid surface panels (Coriane) for the walls. Clean look and pretty much idiot proof.

The mud pack should be sloped, then a pan put over that

There are a number of ways to do this. Some tile setters are using a liquid pan material, also

It really comes down to which method your tile setters prefer

The key is doing it correctly, more so than the product.