[JamesM1256]

Maybe someone has some insight. I just redid a tile shower floor. My first one. I feel I did everything correct but have a leak. It seems the water is coming from around the drain body when I look from below(it's damp right by the edge of the drain body). I tore the existing tile, lead pan, etc down to the subfloor. Installed the drain body. Laid a pitched concrete bed up to the body, installed a membrane over concrete and drain body(plumbers putty and caulk on underside of membrane and top of drain body, cut the hole the size of the drain hole along with slits for the bolts, sandwiched the membrane, poured another concrete floor over membrane with spacers at the weep holes, tiled, grouted, and sealed the grout. To me, I would think this would be impervious to water. Can anyone tell me where I might have a leak? Did I install the drain properly? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[doug238]

SHOWER PAN
PAN TEST- to do a pan test, remove the grid, use a cotton rag, wet it, put it in a baggie and stuff it in the drain to clog it. Then use a bucket to fill the shower with about 2" of water. Use a different source other than the shower for the water. If the pan has failed you will get a leak within 15 minutes.
FAILED PAN TEST- a failed pan test means you are going to removed the shower floor completely to the rough floor and at least 2 tile rows above the shower floor and start over. You will need a drain [possibly] and a new pan at least 6 inches high. No penetrations with nails or screws below the top of the finished curb height. And tile.
SHOWER FLOOR- as for a shower floor on pan material, I would be hesitant. The board may cut or nick the pan material. Most tile guys use a mix to do the pan. Some use the special mix made for a shower floor, some use sandmix which is cement and sand in one bag, and some use mortar mix which is brick mortar and sand in one bag. Using a mix allows it to form to your pan material without sharp edges.
SHOWER FLOOR LEAK- actually, you may think it is leaking at the drain because that is the only hole in the floor. It may be that you left a rock or a nail or anything sharp that penetrated the pan over a period. You may even have a leak at the shower valve and it is running under the pan and leaking out the hole in the floor. However, if you want to open up about 6 inches around the drain and repair, you can. There is an epoxy glue made specially for connecting shower pan material to shower pan material. My concern would be if I cracked the rest of the shower floor.
Eliminate all possibilities before you break up the shower floor.