Since I’m just a tile guy I”m not usually up on all the new technological crap that has nothing to do with tile, like online video or the ‘SlapChop’. I’ve decided that since I spend most of my days in other people’s showers that I should get out more and learn something else.
So naturally, since I own kitchen knives, I decided to make a video about a tile subject. So here is my first video, sans sound because in audio I sound like a drunk leprechaun, for my readers. Umm – that’s you.
And since I actually have a day job and bills to pay all you get is a time-lapse photography of the creation of a mud deck for a tiled shower floor. But I’m gonna call it a tile video ’cause Google loves that shit. 
If you’re old-school like me you can actually read the steps involved in this process starting with ‘How to Create a Shower Floor – Part 1′ wherein I will dazzle you with bad humor, lousy metaphors, and horrible photography. Oh, and a load of information on how to properly fabricate a shower floor for tile. But I know you just read my blog for the bad humor.
You can also get all this in one handy little free ebook entitled, originally enough, ‘Create Your Own Shower Floor‘. You are not allowed to give me crap about my inability for ebook title originality. Sorry.
If you think my photography skills suck – wait’ll you see this. I’m absolutely certain the damn thing has already started playing even though I told it not to. Computers don’t listen to me. You can use the controls beneath the movie to start, stop, or FF, REW, all the old-school VCR stuff. 
Feel free to leave a comment below. You know, something like ‘Hey dumbass, you shoulda bought a SlapChop instead!’ If you want more videos just let me know. Maybe one day, with enough practice, I’ll be able to make one that doesn’t look like a three-year-old did it. Enjoy.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a question. The grout around the drain in my shower was coming out. I have the small one in tiles. I started removing the grout and the tiles started coming up. Under the tiles was something that seemed to be just sand. I removed the tiles around the drain. Some of the sand has mold in it. From what I could tell the entire shower floor has about inch of sand under the tile. Is this just morter that has broken down or is it really just sand. Do I need to replace the entire floor?
Hi George,
To be honest I don’t know, I can’t see it from here.
Most likely it is simply a case of the deck mud being mixed either too dry or with the improper ratio of portland to sand. If it is that unstable it may be best to replace it. Is it literally like sand? If you stick the hose of a shop-vac into it would the mud bed be sucked up? If so it would probably be best to replace it but if it’s solid enough you may be fine with just mixing up a bit more deck mud to fill that area and retile it.
While you have the area around the drain open you should check the weep holes to see if they are plugged. Mold should not be present in your mud bed because it has no food source. Excess moisture (from plugged weep holes) along with soap, shampoo, etc. would allow mold to grow. A properly draining floor has no viable way to grow mold.