Shower receptor installation method

Abstract

A method of installing a shower receptor with improved control of moisture and trapped water with one or more of the following improvements: the flange is significantly higher above the threshold than prior art receptors so a membrane can overlap the flange without reaching the ledge; the ledge area has multiple steps adapted to meet the subwall and finish wall materials and position the subwall higher than the finish wall; caulk is strategically applied.

1 . A method of constructing a shower stall comprising:
 (i) placing a shower receptor comprising a ledge and a vertical flange into an alcove with at least one framed wall;   (ii) applying a subwall material to said wall so that said subwall overlaps said flange;   (iii) applying a finish wall material to said wall;   (iv) leaving a gap between a bottom edge of said finish wall material and said ledge; and   (v) positioning a bottom edge of said subwall material such that the bottom edge of said subwall material is higher than the bottom edge of said finish wall material. (vi) caulking said gap.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said gap is at least about one-quarter inch and said positioning is at least about one-quarter inch higher than said bottom edge of said finish wall material. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ledge comprises more than one step, said bottom edge of said subwall resides within about one-quarter inch of one said step and said bottom edge of said finish wall resides within about one-quarter inch of another said step, whereby said positioning is facilitated. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subwall overlaps said vertical flange at least one inch; and said method further comprises: fastening a membrane to the framing of said framed wall or to a subwall material surface, such that said membrane overlaps said flange at least one inch, and a gap of at least one inch is left between said membrane and said ledge. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said vertical flange extends upward at least about three inches above the ledge whereby said gap between said membrane and said ledge is facilitated. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the ledge has at least one corner comprising a valley sloped toward the base; and further comprising:
 leaving each valley substantially free of caulk.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said ledge comprises more than one step whereby said positioning is facilitated. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: caulking between said bottom edge of said subwall material and said ledge. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said ledge comprises three or more steps. 
     
     
         10 . A method of constructing a shower stall comprising:
 (i) placing a one-piece shower receptor in an alcove with at least one framed wall, said receptor comprising:
 a base having sidewalls extending upward from each edge of the base; 
 a threshold having a substantially horizontal surface extending outward from the top edge of at least one of the sidewalls; 
 a ledge having a substantially horizontal surface extending outward from the top edges of the remaining sidewalls; and 
 a vertical flange extending upward from the outer edge of the ledge; 
   (ii) applying a subwall material to said wall, overlapping the flange and leaving a first gap of at least about one-half inch between a bottom edge of the subwall material and the horizontal ledge surface;   (iii) applying a finish wall material to said wall;   (iv) leaving a second gap of about one-quarter inch between a bottom edge of said finish wall material and the horizontal ledge surface; and   (v) caulking said second gap.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said horizontal ledge surface comprises at least one step adapted to mate with said bottom edge of said subwall material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said horizontal ledge surface comprises more than one step. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising: caulking said first gap. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the vertical flange extends upward at least about three inches above an outer edge of the ledge, and further comprising: fastening a membrane to the framing of the alcove or to a subwall surface of the alcove, such that the membrane overlaps the flange at least one inch, and a gap of at least one inch is left between the membrane and the horizontal ledge surface; 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the ledge area has corners comprising valleys sloped toward the base; and further comprising: leaving the valleys substantially free of caulk. 
     
     
         16 . A method of constructing a shower stall comprising:
 (i) placing a shower receptor into an alcove with at least one framed wall, the shower receptor comprising:
 a base having sidewalls extending upward from each edge of the base; 
 a threshold having a horizontal surface extending outward from the top edge of at least one of the sidewalls; and 
 a ledge extending outward from the top edges of the remaining sidewalls, with a vertical flange extending upward from the outer edge of the ledge, the flange extending higher than the threshold; 
 wherein the ledge comprises more than one step, a first step disposed closest to the flange and highest in elevation with respect to the base, and each subsequent step lower in elevation and closer to the base; 
   (ii) applying a subwall material to said wall so that said subwall overlaps said flange;   (iii) leaving a first gap between a bottom edge of the subwall material a step;   (iv) applying a finish wall material to said wall;   (v) leaving a second gap between a bottom edge of said finish wall material and a subsequent step; and   (vi) caulking said second gap.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: caulking said first gap. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the vertical flange extends upward at least about three inches above an outer edge of the ledge; said subwall overlaps said flange at least about one inch; and further comprising:
 (i) fastening a membrane to the framing of the alcove, so that the membrane overlaps the flange at least about one inch, and   (ii) leaving a gap of at least about one inch between the membrane and the outer edge of the ledge;   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the ledge has one or more corners comprising a valley sloped toward the base; and further comprising:
 leaving each said valley substantially free of caulk.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the ledge comprises three steps. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the dimensions of the sidewall, base, threshold and ledge of the shower receptor are adapted for use as a bathtub.