It is an indispensable part of bathroom furnishings. When installed properly, it directs all the water from the shower into the drain. Shower pans can be made from a variety of materials; synthetic such as fiberglass and acrylic or from other materials that are durable, strong and waterproof. They are also made from composite molded materials, which make them look like stone or marble. Some shower pans allow for tiles to be kept over them, to conceal and make decoration possible.

When investing in shower pans, it is important to ensure that it is of good quality, as the labor cost of replacing a shower pan, by far, exceeds the cost of buying a new one. To avoid water penetration, special care must be given to the joints between the wall tiling and the shower pan. It takes anywhere between four to six hours to install or replace a shower pan. Replacement requires advanced plumbing skill and light demolition. While fixing the pipe into the drain assembly from underneath, the help of one other person may also be required.

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A shower pan consists of two parts: the pan and the drain assembly. The first part of the drain is a chrome plated ring. It is threaded on the outside to allow a nut to be screwed into it from below. The nut, in turn, tightens the ring to two gaskets; a waterproof gasket on top and the metal gasket below. These are the parts of the drain assembly that direct the water from the shower into the drainpipe, preventing leaks. The final part of the drain is the strainer. The strainer is a mesh or metal screen that prevents large objects from falling into and clogging the drainpipe. The strainer is the last part to be installed. Once the shower pan is completely installed, the strainer is the only part that shows.

In new shower enclosures, quite often, the floor of the shower is made of ceramic tile, sometimes even grout. Though, a traditional shower pan is not needed in such cases, leaks must be regularly checked for I such shower enclosures. People often think that a ceramic tile floor will not retain water, that it will naturally slope towards the drain and shed all the water. It is however, possible that a substantial amount of water seeps through the tile and grout into the mortar layer. If the leak is big, it can lead to mildew and other problems. An alternative in such situations would be to use a shower liner or another impenetrable layer under the tile to serve the same purpose that a shower pan would.

Most Important pointers on the material:
* Water resistant material
* Decorative material
* Easy to clean material
* Long lasting material

Every material has its own pros and cons and it is a tough task to decide on them especially for non-experts and common man.

This article would help you decide the right material for your shower and reduce on the immense effort you going to take deciding on one. Following are few pointers on covering materials for your bathroom:

Fiberglass One-Piece Units
Builders use this material when the house is first built. These are very cost effective materials and can be easily installed. The materials seamless design prevents water leaking into walls.

Advantage
1. Cost effective

2. Prevents water leaking into walls

Disadvantage
1. Not recommended for re-modeling bathrooms, as this is a one-piece unit and may not prove cost effective.

2. Has the tendency to become yellow after years of cleaning and rubbing.

Acrylic Sheet Materials
This material is commonly used as a decorative material which comes in various colors. These fit through most door ways and are easily installable. These materials are inexpensive and easily affordable. The acrylic material is of plastic kind and is used to cover the pan and floor apart from the walls. They get easily scratched and are difficult to clean over years. Due to the presence of seams when two walls meet, caulking and slapping are done by contractors. But most often caulking does not provide long term water proofing for walls. Caulking also allows fungus to form and it gets discolored and dirty.

Advantage
1. Inexpensive
2. Easily installable
3. Comes in various colors and is decorative

Disadvantage
1. Easily scratched
2. Difficult to clean
3. Forms Fungus

Corian®, Cultured Marble or Solid Surface Sheet Materials
This material is very similar to Acrylic but is stronger. This material also has the same problems faced with acrylic material. It also works most expensive than acrylics. When installing these materials, it is advisable to Squeegee and clean your shower every time you use it.

Advantage
1. Easy to maintain
2. Stronger than acrylic

Disadvantage
1. Expensive
2. Faces problems faced by Acrylic

Ceramic Tile
These are man-made materials that have a glaze coat that is baked in the oven. This comes in various colors and designs and takes more labor to install than other materials. This is the most expensive material compared to others but is worth the price and is extremely durable. This material when used with the right way of installation proves long lasting and takes lowest of maintenance.

Advantage
1. Extremely durable
2. Low maintenance

Disadvantage
1. Expensive
2. Consumes more labor