Mark Deren
I am a 1st time homeowner as of 7 months ago. Recently, we have been seeing the carpet wet in the closet whose wall abuts a wall of the shower stall. The shower floor is fiberglass. I had a plumber come out and he told me that I have a cracked shower pan. I have 5 questions.1.) What is a shower pan and why does it cause my shower to leak into the closet? (I looked in the drain and do not see anything resembling a pan. It looks like the drainpipe comes right up to the shower floor.)The shower pan is the floor of the shower. It is referred to as a pan because the shower walls shed water into the pan, which collects water for the drain. The pan has a ledge that is higher than the walls of the shower.2.) Is there a possibility that the problem could be something else? I.E. How does the plumber know without seeing the source of the problem that the problem is indeed a cracked shower pan.The problem could be the seal on the drain, rubber seals can be installed crooked, if so, I would expect the leaking to be seen on the floor below, not the floor adjacent.3.)What causes a shower pan to crack?Could have been dropped before installation, An object could have been dropped after installation.4.)Is it possible to do this work myself or do I have to shell out $1000+ that I dont have to have the pan replaced, not to mention the tile work?Yes, the work could be done by you. It may be much easier though to do what you do best and let an experienced contractor do the job for you.5.)What is best type of shower pan to get so it will not crack so easily in the future?My favorite pans are mud-set tile, cultured marble. Next I like Acrylic, then fiberglass ( brands like Mustee, Florestone) It should feel heavy.Thanks for your time and consideration!: Sincerely,: Mark Deren
