The preparation steps of building your shower can be strenuous, but it is one of the most important items and giving your attention to this will be well worthwhile.

One of the most important preparation steps is to pre-slope a shower. Forgoing this step could mean the difference between having water damage and mildew in your shower. There is a possibility that water can go through your mortar bed underneath your tiled shower floor. The real question is, where does that water go once it has gone through your liner? Once water has gone through your liner, it will eventually reach your sub-floor or cement floor. 

A pre-slope is necessary because once water has reached there, it needs to be directed to the drain area. If underneath your liner is flat – without any slope to the drain – this will cause water build-up, eventually causing mildew. This is water damage that you don’t want to have. 

The following photo shows a damaged ceiling as the shower installed above it has been water damaged:

The photo below shows the water damaged shower. This becomes a very expensive fix requiring a lot of work.

A little frightened? The good news is there is a solution to this!

The Pre-Pitch System is designed to build your pre-slope. This system enables you to create the perfect slope underneath your shower liner ensuring proper drainage. The pre-pitch sticks sit on top of your sub-floor or cement floor. There are a total of six sticks that come in a pre-pitch package. Or purchase a OneLiner Shower Waterproofing Kit which will give you eight pre-pitch sticks, along with everything else needed to build a waterproof shower. If you have a larger shower size and need more coverage, you can purchase single pre-pitch sticks for a great price of only $5.25 (USD) each.

Handy Pro Tip: If working with a wooden sub-floor, make sure you prepare the wooden sub-floor with a Mortar Reinforcement Kit to prevent the mortar from rotting your wood. 

The best thing is that by using the Pre-Pitch System you will have a solid, properly angled pre-slope going towards your drain.