Why the shower floor stays wet

Many showers use a clamping drain. The waterproof liner is buried under a thick mortar bed, and water that soaks through the tile is supposed to run down the liner and out small weep holes in the drain. That only works if two details are done right: a sloped base under the liner, and pea gravel around the weep holes. Pick a scenario to see what the water does.

Built right

Cross-section · not to scale
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Slope under liner
Gravel at weep holes
Mortar bed soaked
0%
Shower
Running

What we find on inspection

    Tile Forensics Illustration for explanation only. Not to scale.