Hot mop shower pans for new showers and remodels

A seamless, flood-tested hot mop pan under every shower we do, for homeowners, general contractors and tile setters across Orange County.

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The short answer

A hot mop shower pan is the waterproof layer under a tiled shower floor. We build it on site from layers of felt paper bonded with hot asphalt, mop it over the pan, up the walls and over the curb, clamp it into the drain, and flood test it. Then your tile setter lays the mortar bed and tile on top.

What a hot mop pan includes

Every shower is different, but a complete hot mop pan from us covers the same essentials:

• The shower floor, mopped in one continuous membrane with no seams or folded corners.
• The walls, with the membrane carried up well above the height of the curb so water can't get behind it.
• The curb, wrapped up, over and down the outside in the same piece.
• The drain, with the membrane set into the drain body and locked down by its clamping ring.
• A flood test before anything covers the pan. See flood testing & inspection.

How we build it

Hot mop is a traditional Southern California method. Instead of a plastic sheet folded into the pan, the membrane is built in place: a layer of felt paper is laid down and sealed with hot-applied asphalt, then another, until the pan is one solid, seamless liner shaped exactly to your shower.

Cross-section of a hot mop shower pan. Simplified for clarity; details vary by project and by what your city requires.

1. Framing and subfloor. The shower floor and curb are framed solid and the drain body is set by the plumber.
2. Sloped base. Where the job calls for it, a mortar base sloped toward the drain goes in first, so the membrane itself falls to the drain.
3. Hot mop membrane. Layers of felt paper, each bonded and sealed with hot-applied asphalt, mopped into one seamless pan.
4. Up the walls. The membrane runs up the walls well above the height of the curb, so water can't get behind it.
5. Over the curb. It wraps up, over and down the outside of the curb in one continuous piece.
6. Clamped at the drain. The drain's clamping ring locks the membrane into the drain body, so water that reaches the membrane drains away.
7. Mortar bed and tile. After the flood test, the tile setter lays the mortar bed and tile over the membrane, which protects it.

Because the membrane sits under the mortar bed, the drain matters. A clamping-ring drain lets water that soaks through the tile and mortar reach the membrane and run out through the drain's weep holes. Keeping those weep holes clear is part of a good handoff to the tile setter.

New construction and remodels

New construction: we hot mop once framing, blocking and the drain body are in, before the walls are boarded and tiled. We fit into your schedule between the plumber and the tile setter, and the pan is flood tested in time for the inspection.

Remodels: once the old shower is torn out down to the framing and the drain is set, the new shower gets the same treatment as a new build. If you're replacing a shower because it leaked, see shower pan leak repair.

Curbless and walk-in shower pans

A curbless (zero-entry) shower has no curb to hold the water back, so the pan has to sit lower than the bathroom floor and slope to the drain, often a linear drain. That usually means recessing the subfloor or lowering the framing, which your general contractor (or Luxury Builders CA) takes care of. Once the recessed pan and drain are ready, we hot mop it and carry the membrane past the shower opening as the design calls for, then flood test it like any other pan.

Planning a curbless shower? Talk to us early, before the framing is done. The recess and slope are much easier to get right on paper than to fix later.

Benches, niches and tub decks

Custom shapes are where a built-in-place membrane is at its best. Built-in benches and niches inside the wet area, as well as tub decks and steam shower pans, can be mopped as part of the same continuous membrane. More on tub decks, benches & steam showers.

What needs to be ready before we hot mop

• Framing, blocking and the curb finished and solid.
• The drain body set at the right height by the plumber.
• A sloped base in place if your job calls for one (tell us who's doing it).
• The shower area clean, dry and clear so we can work.

Contractors: the full checklist is on our page for contractors and tile setters.

Hot mop shower pans across Orange County

We hot mop showers throughout Orange County, from Irvine, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and San Clemente, and up to Anaheim, Orange and Yorba Linda. We're a division of Luxury Builders CA in Trabuco Canyon. See all the areas we serve.

Hot mop shower pan questions

How long does a hot mop shower pan last?

A hot mop pan that's built and protected correctly is meant to last for the life of the shower. How long any shower pan lasts depends on the installation, the drain, the mortar bed and tile above it, and how the shower is used and maintained.

Does hot mop smell?

Hot asphalt has a noticeable smell while it's being applied. We ventilate the work area, and the smell fades after the asphalt cools.

Can hot mop go on the shower walls?

The membrane runs up the walls from the pan to well above the height of the curb, as part of the pan. The rest of the wall is waterproofed as part of the wall system your tile setter or contractor uses.

Do I need a sloped base under the hot mop?

Many showers are built with a sloped base under the membrane so water that reaches it runs to the drain. Whether your job uses one depends on the design and local requirements. We'll talk it through with you or your contractor before we start.

Do you install the tile too?

We focus on the waterproofing. After the flood test, your tile setter takes over. If you'd like one company to handle the whole remodel, ask about Luxury Builders CA, our parent general contractor.

Free estimate

Homeowner, contractor or tile setter: call or send the details and we'll get back to you. Mon–Sat, 8:00–5:00.

(949) 446-4413 Send project details

Keep reading

Related

Hot mop vs. other methodsLiners, Kerdi and liquid membranes, compared honestly. What is a hot mop shower pan?A plain-English guide to the method and its layers. Flood testing & inspectionHow every pan is tested before tile.

Get your shower pan done right.

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