Deck mud Vs. Foam pans

Which is better? Why? and does it really matter? I began my tile ventures I was obsessed with making sure whatever I did was the “best” method out there. I’m here to tell you regardless of what you install, If you installed it correctly, up to code, its probably gonna be fine. There’s a million horror stories on a schluter Styrofoam pan going bad, but on the other hand theres just as many mud beds being torn out for water failures. 90% with schluter its product failure, 90% of mud bed failures are bad labor. And that’s what I base my decision off of. Although foam pans can offer a faster and quality product, If someone were to ask me, Would you want your shower build of concrete or Styrofoam, I’d probably have to go concrete. Not only does doing a deck mud pan give you the freedom to set the drain anywhere without having to add extra steps, (like mixing deck mud to fill the areas anyways lol), But you know its a tried and true method that has been done decades. When you combine deck-mud with modern technology such as Flo-FX bonded flange drains, And waterproofing membranes such as GURU or schluter, you can really assure you are getting the most high quality, water tight pans out there. Combined with a pre-slope and pan liner I would confidently guarantee all my shower pans to be leak free for life. Many installers will find some parts of my method overkill, however the shower pan is the heart of your shower! if money is to be spent anywhere its important to remember the quality of the pan is arguably the most important part of the shower.