wetroom advice before i make a mistake

[BertyUK]

Hi,

I'm having a small wet room installed in my loft (new conversion) and am choosing all the components for the shower area.

the walls are 12.5mm plasterboard, the floors are 22mm thick on wooden joists.

My plan currently is to use a Impey shower former (22mm will sit flush with floor). I plan to tank all walls (or at least the recommended areas, until the kit runs out) with Bal WP1 kit, then use an Impey tile safe kit on the whole floor. All walls will then be tiled using Bal adhesive/grout.

From all my reading, I can see two areas which I can see people making suggestions - the pasterboard, and the floor material.

I understand that the wall/floor materials that i'm currently using are not water proof, and that some form of tile backer (Wedi) would be better, but is it really that important when properly tanked? I'm not trying to cut corners but also don't want to go too 'over the top' if I don't need to.

Can anyone see any potential problems with what I plan to do?

Thanks

 

[Jackrae]

Showers, tiles, plasterboard and wooden floors --- all mutually exclusive terms as far as I'm concerned. Tile grouting leaks, soggy plasterboard sags, wooden floors move.

Wet-wall type sheeting is, in my opinion, the only way you can guarantee that the walls won't eventually "leak"

What guarantee do you have that your tanking won't fail. Also the argument that you need tanking suggests you consider the tile grouting will fail and pass water. Designing something on the basis of failure isn't too good an idea.

 

[BertyUK]

not sure what you mean, from what i've read on this forum all grout does leak eventually and should not be considered as the main protection for your walls. This is why tanking is a must for all showers/wetrooms.

I was also under the impression that tanking systems like the Bal kit were 100% water proof if installed correctly which is why i'm asking if the waterproof tile backer is really needed.

by your reasoning, how are you sure that your joints in your tile backer wont eventually leak?

I'm not designing something on the basis of failure, i'm assuming that tanking is good enough and asking if i'm correct.

 

[jctilingservices]

Tile grouting leaks, quote]

unless it is epoxy grout then it IS totally waterproof

 

[jctilingservices]

Hi,

I'm having a small wet room installed in my loft (new conversion) and am choosing all the components for the shower area.

the walls are 12.5mm plasterboard, the floors are 22mm thick on wooden joists.

My plan currently is to use a Impey shower former (22mm will sit flush with floor). I plan to tank all walls (or at least the recommended areas, until the kit runs out) with Bal WP1 kit, then use an Impey tile safe kit on the whole floor. All walls will then be tiled using Bal adhesive/grout.

From all my reading, I can see two areas which I can see people making suggestions - the pasterboard, and the floor material.

I understand that the wall/floor materials that i'm currently using are not water proof, and that some form of tile backer (Wedi) would be better, but is it really that important when properly tanked? I'm not trying to cut corners but also don't want to go too 'over the top' if I don't need to.

Can anyone see any potential problems with what I plan to do?

Thanks

personally I would remove the plasterboard and replace with hardie backerboard 12mm, and I would still advise tanking the area

what material is your floor, floorboard, ply, etc ????

Bal wp1 will do for your walls and floors mate, as long as it is applied correctly. don't forget it is flexible grout and adhesive you will need

 

[amsie]

Berty i've given advice on this forum before and i'll be called a cowboy by some on here who want to get the top dog on the forums, but I can only tell you that tanking a domestic shower is overkill imo. I can also tell you on the years that we were contracting to all the major house builders when I had my tiling company i've never seen backer board, WP1 tanking kits any anything of the sort. They all use tiles, adhesive and plasterboard for baths/shower areas.

The only time we took out tanking was on commercial shower blocks in buildings like 100 Bishopsgate, or the Gerkin building, usually gyms in office blocks and that sort of thing.

Im sure that those that give some of the advice on here know far more than specifying architects, housebuilders and big construction companies in London and the South East but go with what advice you feel you must.

 

[BertyUK]

Berty i've given advice on this forum before and i'll be called a cowboy by some on here who want to get the top dog on the forums, but I can only tell you that tanking a domestic shower is overkill imo.

Thanks for the reply.
I've had to rip out a shower before because the installer hadn't properly waterproofed the area and since then I see no point in not tanking. At the very least, it's £60 for a Bal kit on top of standard plasterboard and even going 'all out' doesn't break the bank when compared to the price of a full bathroom.

I take your point that it probably isn't always necessary, but for the price I don't see why you'd choose to not do it and save hassle/cost down the line.

I'm not a builder/tiler/plumber etc so my opinion may not mean much, but the thought of having water running onto an internal floor with no waterproofing is foolish.

I appreciate you trying to help though.

 

[jctilingservices]

, but I can only tell you that tanking a domestic shower is overkill imo. I can also tell you on the years that we were contracting to all the major house builders when I had my tiling company i've never seen backer board, WP1 tanking kits any anything of the sort. They all use tiles, adhesive and plasterboard for baths/shower areas. quote]


unfortunately this is not a domestic shower, it is a wet-room, a domestic shower is fitted over a bath or in a shower enclosure, a wet-room is exctly as it says, a wet room, shower on wall, drain in floor, everywhere gets soaking. hence the need for tanking materials.

if you have only seen people use adhesive. tiles and grout on plasterboard walls for shower areas they certainly do not know what they are doing, period, and if you owned a tiling company and employed these kind of tradesmen, its no wonder you do not have a tiling company any longer. Honestly, people whodo not know what they are talking about should refrain from giving people the wrong information. It gives real tillers and wet-room installers a bad name

 

[BertyUK]

so would you recommend a water resistant tile backer (hardibacker) over a waterproof tile backer (wedi).

to answer your previous question, im not sure what it is my floors made of (i'm no builder) but it looks like green mdf. just your bog standard flooring i guess. It's 22mm same as the shower former so I was just going to use the tanking kit (impey) all over it and up the walls 70mm as per instructions. Hopefully this will be sufficient.

Thanks

 

[jctilingservices]

so would you recommend a water resistant tile backer (hardibacker) over a waterproof tile backer (wedi).

to answer your previous question, im not sure what it is my floors made of (i'm no builder) but it looks like green mdf. just your bog standard flooring i guess. It's 22mm same as the shower former so I was just going to use the tanking kit (impey) all over it and up the walls 70mm as per instructions. Hopefully this will be sufficient.

Thanks

,
hardie backerboard 12mm, then tank ( manufacturers say you don't need to tank this ) but my opinion is, its better to be safe than sorry, then tile mate.

green chipboard, not really ideal for use in a wet area or for any kind of floor tiling to be honest, personally I would replace with 22mm wpb ply

 

[amsie]

sorry didnt read the wetroom part my bad was only browsing whilst seeking advice on another part of the forum

Berty your opinion is worth as much as anyones, at the end of the day its your home and you have to live with whatever is installed, preferably for 20 years or until you get bored and decide to redo the bathroom/wetroom.

 

[tictic]

sorry didnt read the wetroom part my bad was only browsing whilst seeking advice on another part of the forum

Berty your opinion is worth as much as anyones, at the end of the day its your home and you have to live with whatever is installed, preferably for 20 years or until you get bored and decide to redo the bathroom/wetroom.

Amsie.....

This is diynot.......

I.e...DIY....the op that are posting don't tile fix for a living,why don't you look thro a few threads and you will be able to...Suss if the ops are up to the job...yes a good few are but they need help with preperation and materials...

Am sure you realise this tho...

 

[amsie]

sorry didnt read the wetroom part my bad was only browsing whilst seeking advice on another part of the forum

Berty your opinion is worth as much as anyones, at the end of the day its your home and you have to live with whatever is installed, preferably for 20 years or until you get bored and decide to redo the bathroom/wetroom.

Amsie.....

This is diynot.......

I.e...DIY....the op that are posting don't tile fix for a living,why don't you look thro a few threads and you will be able to...Suss if the ops are up to the job...yes a good few are but they need help with preperation and materials...

Am sure you realise this tho...

Yes Tictic and I have appologised for not reading the post properly. You know views on other issues we don't agree on

 

[tictic]

Agree to disagree then mate....