BAL WP1

[mattshaw]

I'm tiling 3 walls of a shower cubicle.

The tray is not in yet but I have prepared the baseboard and plumbing. Two of the walls to be tiled have been lined with Green moisture resist plasterboard and the third wall is plastered. (old). I'm thinking of using the BAL WP1 kit or the Dunlop kit on Screwfix.

Can anyone tell me if I need the full kit (primer waterproofer and tape) or do I just need the WP1? I'm tiling using 10mm thick natural slate tiles 400mm square.

I notice the BAL kit also includes a base mat - but surely this is redundant if I'm using a tray?

I want it to be right but also need to do it as cheaply as possible. Ruled out PVA!!!

 

[Richard C]

I take it you got the information you needed from your other post.

 

[mattshaw]

Hi Richard - thanks for your advice. I'm still unsure as to what to do, as the Dunlop kit states you only need to do the bottom metre of the shower! I could buy 2 kits for £90 which would do the whole area or a single kit which would do the bottom 1m. Would you recommend taping the corner joints between walls? Do you think it's a better idea to do this prior to the tray going in or after installation, overlapping the tape onto the top of the tray?

I've bought a bag of ready mix cement I'm going to set the tray onto. I am going to use this in the central recessed area of the tray, then put lots of silicon on the edges of the base (rim) that sits onto the base itself. The cement is just to pack out the area under the tray that is unsupported and stop any slight creaking. The baseboard I have put in is level in both directions. I then plan to pack out between the edge of the tray and the walls with lots of silicon prior to tiling.

Any more tips or advice?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Richard C]

I could buy 2 kits for £90

That’s what I’d do; with plasterboard, I don’t think it’s worth the risk for the sake of 45 quid.

Would you recommend taping the corner joints between walls?

Yes that’s what the tape is for.

Do you think it's a better idea to do this prior to the tray going in or after installation, overlapping the tape onto the top of the tray?

Tape the corners & tank the area immediately below the tray before you put the tray in. Allow at least 24 hours for the cement base to go off then finish taping/tanking the entire enclosure. It must be left minimum 24 hours to cure before tiling.

Hears a link to the BAL data sheet;
http://194.223.92.131/pdf/Technical...hnical Data Sheets/BAL_WP1_Tanking_System.pdf

I've bought a bag of ready mix cement I'm going to set the tray onto. I am going to use this in the central recessed area of the tray, then put lots of silicon on the edges of the base (rim) that sits onto the base itself. The cement is just to pack out the area under the tray that is unsupported and stop any slight creaking. The baseboard I have put in is level in both directions. I then plan to pack out between the edge of the tray and the walls with lots of silicon prior to tiling.

Ready mix may be a little too strong a mix really, what does it say on the bag? Not sure I fully understand you. Some bed the tray entirely on silicone but that’s not what I would do & not what most stone resin tray manufacturers recommend. I wouldn’t use a mixture of cement & silicon to support the tray base. Silicone will flex, cement won’t so the tray could flex around the edge causing stress & may even lead to it cracking; stone resin is quiet brittle & the whole point of the cement is to fully support the tray across the entire base. If you've got any creaking in the floor, it's not rigid enough.

I wouldn’t overdo the silicone, once cured it can be the devil to shift. The tray will be stuck in there & may prove physically impossible to remove if you need to without smashing it up. Make sure you keep silicone well away from the area to be tiled; not much sticks to silicone including tile adhesive!

Any more tips or advice?

May have already said it but use a suitable, quality trade flexible adhesive & grout not cheapo DIY stuff. Rather than grout where the corners of the shower walls meet, run a bead of silicone down there instead & goes without saying to silicone between the tiles & top of the tray.

 

[mattshaw]

I meant a bag of ready mix sand and cement. How do you suggest I bed the tray then onto a wood base?

Thanks

 

[Richard C]

I meant a bag of ready mix sand and cement.

I know that’s what you meant but what type of sand/cement mix is it, what does it say on the bag? You really need a weak mortar mix (soft sand); bricklaying mortar could be around 3 or 4/1 sand/cement, a weaker mix of around 6/1 would be better.

How do you suggest I bed the tray then onto a wood base?

I’m assuming the base is ply not floorboards with gaps in them? Using a 10mm notched (tiling) trowel, lay a bed of mortar completely over the base, lower the tray onto it & tamp down carefully until level in both directions. Lowering the tray can be tricky if you’re hemmed in on 3 sides, sitting it on two thin strips of wood initially & then pulling them out is one way of doing it.

 

[mattshaw]

The base is a 38mm thick solid softwood table top, screwed to the joists every 100mm, as I wanted to have the wood showing below the shower tray to match the floor. I have coated this with 3 coats of varnish. It is very solid and does not creak but I need to be sure that there are no leaks from the tray above, hence my aprehension in getting the tray fitted leak free.

 

[Richard C]

No real need to answer this, refer to your "other" post.

 

[tictic]

just buy a wall tanking membrane. 5metre roll..
less messy and full coverage

homelux/ditra/dura..