How to Document a Shower Pan Flood Test So You Can Prove It Later
General information for contractors, not a licensed inspection, code advice or engineering advice. A flood test is one of the few moments in a bath remodel when you can show, with water, that a shower pan holds. It is also one of the easiest to forget to document. This post is only about the record. How a test is run, how long it runs and what counts as a pass come from the waterproofing manufacturer and your local authority, so follow those and use this as the checklist for what to photograph.
Why the record matters more than the test
A test nobody can show happened is hard to rely on later. If a stain appears under a bathroom two years from now, one of the first questions will be what was done to check the pan before the tile went on. A short set of dated photos helps answer it.
What to photograph, in order
• The substrate and slope before the waterproofing goes on, with a level or straightedge in the frame
• Each layer or coat of the waterproofing as it goes on, so the coverage is visible
• Corners, seams, the drain connection and every penetration, close up
• The pan with water in it, showing the water level against a mark you can see
• The same view later, showing the level, with the time visible in the frame or on a phone clock in the shot
• The first course of tile going over it
Make the photos prove themselves
A photo of water in a pan could be from any pan. Put something in the frame that ties it to this job: a piece of tape with the date and the address on the wall, or a wide shot that shows the room before you zoom in. Mark the water level with tape so a later picture shows whether it moved.
Take the first and the last picture of the test from the same spot at the same angle. A before and after that line up is much harder to argue with.
Get the photos onto the job the same day
A test record that lives in a phone is a record that will be gone when the phone is replaced. Put the photos on the job as they are taken. Supervisr lets a crew send them through a link with no app or login, reads each one as it arrives for visible waterproofing gaps, and files it to the job record. It reads what is visible in the photo; it does not test anything and it cannot see behind tile.
What this is not
A set of photos is not a substitute for the test itself, it is not a licensed inspection, and it does not guarantee that a shower will not leak. If you find existing water damage, mold or soft framing, stop and bring in a qualified professional.
The waterproofing is the layer you cannot show anyone once the tile is on. Photograph it while you can. If you want to see how Supervisr reads a bathroom photo, the free photo check on the homepage takes three photos with no signup. Supervisr can make mistakes. Double-check responses, and use with caution.