If you're trying to stay cheap, I hope you didn't spend too much on that lead pan! Yes, you can put in a one piece base, and no, you would not need the lead pan. In fact, although I'm sure most tile guys around your area are fine with it. that lead pan is actually a no-no by national standards for two reasons-- first the material-- in most jurisdictions, the use of lead is frowned upon. Secondly, it's flat bottomed, which again is obsolete. Put in either a plastic or solid one piece pan, and then cement board down to the lip, and add the couple of rows of tile, and you're done.

Thanks Bill. The plumber told me I couldn't find a ready made pan in that size as it's too small of a shower. The work was $1,100, but another plumber wanted $1,500 and told me the same thing needed to be done. He said I would need cement over the pan and then the tile, and then the lead pan edge bent over the shower curb and wire lathe put on top and then more cement and tile. The other way seemed much easier, but I was told there's no ready made pan in that size. The shower is about 45 years old, and it was all rotted out underneath.

Anyway, it's done aside from the cement and tile, but it seems like an awful lot of work and money. Oh well...

Wait till you get the quote from the tile guy. For a shower pan that size, my price (not including the installation of the floor tile-- just putting the pan and curb together) would be about 350.00, and I'm not in new York.

I have never seen a lead pan first hand in a shower but run across lead flashing and W/C flanges all the time restoring old homes and doing renovation work here in Vancouver.

Lead is a great product for it's strength and its ability to bend and not crack. That said we don't use it anymore and recycle our demo waste and make sure that shavings and demo work is keep well away from young ones.

Building a shower pan is easy. All the information is easily found online. Read up on the best techniques to build this. Stay away from Wood as a building material for the curb. This is a poor choice and with a little searching you will find many examples of failed wood built curbs.

Banging in a few 2"x4"'s is the most basic of techniques and doesn't factor into the picture woods characteristics of shrinking and checking while it dries. Sometimes budget and time line insist that wood be used. If this is the case purchase Export Grade or Kiln Dried lumber. This wood is a little more expensive but is much more stable. Over kill the fasteners and use construction adhesive as well. Securely attach the first board and build up layer by layer.

Wood is used by tile setters because it's easy, proven and fast. Ask 20 tile pros if they think a wood curb is better than a concrete curb. Try this test.

Go out and buy 3 standard 2"x4"'s and nail them together. Take exact measurements to the half mil or 1/32" of an inch. Leave it closet for a year and take some more measurements. Did they change? I bet they do....

Building a curb out of Concrete or incorporating the curbs design with the pan offers up much more stream lined shower installations and can eliminate the "Monster Curbs" you see some tile guys use.

What is the best for your shower? What is the cheapest option? What looks better? What is better for your bad hip?

Often these questions cross paths and what is easier for your tile guy is not the best for your bad hip. Many are so entrenched into the old ways that the thought of spending an extra $200 -$400 on a shower curb construction is crazy talk.

But I ask you this. If you are spending $24,000 on a new en suite Start to Finish - Isn't the extra $200.00 worth a much better looking end result.

Not to mention that a poorly installed wood curb can shrink and check and in doing so stress the waterproofing used.

Just saying....

Don't just search "How to built 'X'" Search "X" failures. Search "love X". Search my "x" failed.

Reading all these stories you will further educate yourself and offer you will be exposed to many more opinions on the use of Standard 2"x4" lumber in the construction of a curb. I have built many curbs with wood - of course this can be done. But if you are paying a guy $350.00 to build a curb and this is a flat rate - does this include Kiln dried wood. Do you know that he did it right. A slow leak may not show it's self for years.

Built it out of concrete and let it dry out. This is not what's best for the tile setter but what's best for your home. Understand this. Educated yourself.

All ways double and triple check your sources.

I use wood framed curbs in every shower I've ever done, and not one curb has failed. yeah, I might have a few years behind me now, but I didn't when I first started, and not one. And that was even back when I was installing flat bottom pans with sheet membranes. All it takes is taking your time and building them correctly instead of just banging them together to make sure you get the check asap. If a curb leaks, blame it on the installer, not the method.