Shower – replacing a shower base

I have dealt with a lot of tub/shower surrounds. 100% silicone caulk (GE II is best at big box). Most install instructions for the surrounds will actually tell you 100% silicone - some will give you their preferred brand.

Answers:

1. You don't need to take it apart. This may make it easier though. Weigh how much time you will spend taking it apart and putting it back in.

2. All of the old caulk needs to go and you need to be caulking on a very clean surface.

3. It should be sitting flush. Why wouldn't it? The fact that it isn't sitting flush tells me that it is moving (even if very slightly). There is no way this 20 pound shower door is staying perfectly still suspended at certain points. This movement will cause constant issues with your caulk and the fact that it will cause the issues in the easiest place for water to get in is a double whammy. It isn't hard to install these things right. There is no reason this should be sitting right (if it is bent then it needs to be bent back).

Other notes:

• Sorry to say but this whole job looks hack to me. I am not sure about the "main" issue (other than the people working on it) but it looks like maybe the wall isn't perpendicular or base isn't flat.
• On the last picture it looks like you are actually missing a trim piece on the inside. You must have something there to salvage this shower. I would simply call the manufacturer. Ask them if they make something or have replacement parts for your shower. You might want to order a new enclosure. Your actual shower looks fine it is just the door system so I don't think this is a tear down for sure.
• The caulking looks ridiculous. This is "one-month" caulking. More caulk isn't better. The more caulk you apply the greater chance of the caulk being moved, bumped, whatever. Then the seal on the caulk will break and a .5 mm crack can allow tons of water to leak. Also all of your caulking should be from the inside of the shower. Anything on the other side is cosmetic.

This type of shower should not have bounce to it even it has foam underneath to give it a softer touch. The showers are more often supposed to be installed with a heavy layer of thinset underneath to stabilize the pan and to build up any voids. Some showers are a little softer than others but they don't bounce or flex... or they crack and break.

At this point you are asking us internetters what you should do. You are trying to repair it, you are thinking about products and so on. Well you can fix the crack with repair kits. However you cannot fix the flex that is causing the crack. So your repair kit will work until it dries out fully looses its flexibility and then you stand on the area again and it breaks. Maybe you notice a tiny rip... maybe you don't.

Use your resources better - your time and money. The base has to go - for sure. Not only will it be a lot less time to put a new base in but the big issue is the potential damage you are doing to the rest of your house. Water can slowly screw crap up and you don't want a small leak in places you can't see.

To answer your question - you only need enough slope for water to drain. I suggest that you give up on the pan repair and post another question around how you can get that pan out or alternatives for your situation.