The shower pan liner membrane is usually a vinyl sheet that's installed in the mortar base of the shower. All kinds of liners have been tried in the past, including liners of steel, iron, copper, lead and even tar. None of these materials were completely satisfactory. The currently used liner sheets seem to be the best solution yet.
Don't even think about building a masonry tile shower without a liner membrane. Why not? Well, you see, a shower floor is not waterproof. Water seeps right into the grout of the floor and then down into the shower base. The only thing that keeps the shower leak-proof is the liner layer. It's made to catch all the water that seeps into the floor and route it to special drain holes built into the floor.
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Here's what you get for the liner...
The actual liner sheet is made of either chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Either material works. The CPE is more flexible and seems to stay soft better, but it's more expensive and harder to find. Most installers use PVC liners and they seem to work perfectly, even if they are a little harder to fold and bend.
Here's how the liner, PVC or CPE, fits in the floor...
The PVC liner is installed between two mortar layers. The bottom mortar layer is sloped and that's what supports the liner sheet and guarantees that the water moves right to the drain. The liner is run up the wall to produce a water proof layer higher than the water could pool in the shower.
The real key to a leak-proof shower is getting the right shower pan liner membrane and getting it installed properly. Installation is not complicated. There are just a few tricks to make it a sure success.
The Tile Shower Pan Liner Membrane - Tips For Success MEMBRANE
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