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Shower floor: tile or cast iron pan?

seaswirl
11 years ago

We're putting our Hurricane Sandy wrecked home back together. The MB has a terrazzo shower pan which is a mess (40 years old and the wrong color). We want a solid base so I thought maybe a Kohler cast iron shower pan. The GC asked me to consider tile. What do you think?

Comments (8)

  • marys235
    11 years ago

    If my shower had been a standard size, I would have gotten the Kohler cast iron shower pan. I think they are very nice looking, and would be so much easier to keep clean than grouted tile.

  • MongoCT
    11 years ago

    I do a fair amount of tile but I do love CI. The Kohler pans are terrific in my opinion. Substantial, durable, well-performing, and attractive.

    If you want a solid base, and especially if you want CI, go with CI. Had you chosen one of the "other" solid bases and had an anti-CI bias I might have steered you towards tile.

    But cast iron as your first choice? Nice.

  • tracie.erin
    11 years ago

    I put the Kohler 36"x60" cast iron shower pan in my recent bath remodel. No regrets. It's super easy to clean and super solid. Best of all, I don't have to worry about the worst case scenario: if the waterproofing/grouting for a tile floor was done wrong and I'm going to have to rip out and redo in a few years.

    I did a creamy travertine-look porcelain tile, a brown actual travertine chair rail, and actual travertine mosaic tile in the niches. It looks great with the white CI pan.

    The CI will be way less in materials and labor cost.

  • hosenemesis
    11 years ago

    I'd go with the cast iron pan. Tile shower floors are a pita. I think they look great.

  • busybee3
    11 years ago

    i LOVE our cast iron shower pan- it's 36x60"... with the built-in bench, our shower size is ~54x60" ... i will be very happy if i never again have a tiled shower floor!!!

  • bkaapcke
    10 years ago

    The problem with tile shower floors is that grout sealer just won't stand up to any serious scrubbing, or any serious cleaners. Once the sealer is damaged or gone, the grout absorbs water and gets darker looking. Soon the mortar base is damp and you have to let it all dry out before resealing. So, if you can get a pan for your application, get it. Contractors like to "up sell" the superior look of tile floors, but they aren't coming back to do the cleaning and resealing. Just say NO.

    If you already have tile, one thing will cut down on the need for scrubbing. Liquid soaps will not leave soap scum in your shower. bk

  • pricklypearcactus
    10 years ago

    I'm not a shower pan construction expert, but I believe there are a few methods for shower pan construction which water proof on top of the base (such as Kerdi). I also believe that there are different types of sealers, many which are water permeable, so in those cases the grout would absorb water. But the mortar underneath should not, so the shower should dry quickly. There are many people here who have tile shower floors and seem to really like them.