How To Put Down A Rubber Membrain In A Shower Pan
If you accept completed or are planning to consummate a shower remodel, yous've likely wondered about shower waterproofing. Hopefully y'all're not every bit confused as the cartoon man in the flick, but wherever you're at in your investigation, I think you lot'll observe this mail useful.
One of the Nigh IMPORTANT steps in whatever shower remodel is waterproofing.
In this mail service I, Steve of SKG Renovations, will be using my extensive knowledge and experience in bathroom and shower remodelling to give yous the whole story almost shower membrane waterproofing.
I will explain the unlike types of shower waterproofing methods bachelor, which ones I prefer and why.
Ok, allow'southward get into it!
Topics Covered:
Brief History of Shower Waterproofing
Fixing the Leaking Shower
Types of Waterproofing Membranes
The New Age of Shower Waterproofing Products
This Contractor's Opinions and Preferences
Brief History of Shower Waterproofing
You might be wondering, "Is shower membrane waterproofing a new thing?" and "Why did the industry determine to abandon the old-school strategies?".
Well those are good questions. And the answers to those questions provides a good groundwork for this mail service about waterproofing products and strategies.
Shower waterproofing is not actually a new thing. In the past (xv+ years ago) it was assumed that the shower surround was relatively impermeable to water, and the shower base was the only identify where any waterproofing was installed.
Older homes also were a lot more forgiving when it came to water penetration in and around the shower assembly.
Older homes were quite drafty with significant air leakage between the inside and outside of home. Moisture that leaked out of the shower stall could often evaporate under these conditions.
This resulted in a far less comfortable home that was expensive to heat, but it likewise lessened the danger of mold growth, dry rot, and toxic air being trapped in your home.
Although acceptable air move helped a footling, ultimately the bug could never be ignored considering of the mistaken supposition that the tiled walls in a shower are essentially waterproof.
This was the flaw that ultimately caused all showers built in that era to fail regardless of the quality of the installation. Ceramic tile usually failed faster than porcelain because of higher absorption rates through the tile, but they all eventually failed.
Old School Shower Pan Liner
Because the shower flooring is a horizontal surface always immersed in water, it is a very intuitive place to install some measures to prevent water from getting underneath and rotting your floor framing.
In the past, these measures usually involved the installation of a rubber or copper shower pan liner (or membrane) below a traditional mortar base to protect the subfloor beneath. This was considered a water in / water out system.
And this method is still used today past installers that subscribe to the "if it ain't broke, no demand to fix it" schoolhouse of thought.
If installed correctly, this membrane did exactly what it was supposed to exercise; keep h2o from getting into the subfloor and wall base framing.
The only problem was that this method assumes that water penetration through and around the mortar base was acceptable equally long equally it eventually fabricated its way towards the weep holes at the base of the drain. And I tin tell you from personal experience that this supposition was not at all adequate.
Since tile, grout and mortar was never designed to be waterproof, a significant corporeality of wet e'er fabricated information technology into and effectually the mortar base, pooling at the liner.
Fifty-fifty with the proper pre-gradient beneath the liner, much of the water adhered to the porous mortar base then information technology always stayed significantly hydrated.
When this happens, the mortar base of operations breaks downwardly and mold starts to grow. I take seen this in countless demolitions, fifty-fifty if the subfloor had the proper gradient and the weep holes were not blocked.
The result was always a rank, toxic smell from the bi-products of rubber and cement breaking down, and mold….. lots of mold. A seriously flawed design in my stance.
In other words, It was a bad idea before, and information technology's yet a bad idea today.
Shower Wall Waterproofing
Before the waterproofing membrane systems were developed, there wasn't really whatsoever consistently applied waterproofing strategies for the shower walls except for the shower pan liner which usually ran upwards the wall only almost 1′ above the shower base.
About building codes too required that a vapour retarder membrane (plastic sheet or building felt) exist installed between the studs and the backer board on outside facing walls, to limit moisture transfer into the framing.
This code rule is however in place today in nearly parts of the world but it has always had serious limitations such every bit inconsistent coverage and varying degrees of moisture permeability.
The new problem is that this quondam arrangement is incompatible with new shower waterproofing membrane systems and can cause major problems with condensation in your outside shower wall.
These old shower wall waterproofing methods were seriously flawed and needed to exist replaced with the new membrane systems, not supplemented by them.
Shower Nooks and Niches – Most Problematic
It is piece of cake to run into how shower nooks and niches could be the cause of major water infiltration issues in the showers of the by, when they nonetheless cause problems in some shower today.
A hole in the shower wall was always a risky undertaking and almost always resulted in water running into the shower wall no matter how conscientious the contractor was when edifice these problematic shower boxes.
There were no preformed ready to install tileable foam shower niches back so, and no shower waterproofing membranes, let alone quick to install finished shower niches. All these wall nooks, niches and lather trays had to exist custom congenital by the framer or tiling contractor.
They had to apply the materials available at the fourth dimension, so forest studs framed it, tar paper "waterproofed" it, gypsum wall board lined it, and tiles were laid over it. At the fourth dimension, tile and grout were considered to be relatively impermeable to water and so it was not considered to exist a problem.
This was a grossly mistaken assumption, but fairly mutual during that period. Needless to say, information technology didn't take long for these assemblies to rot, causing the tiles to break off and water to get into the wall framing.
Fixing the Leaking Shower
The new shower waterproofing membrane technology has basically solved all of the problems of the past by placing the waterproofing layer directly beneath the tile layer and combining information technology with decoupling.
These technologies have truly revolutionized the unabridged tiling manufacture, including the way that tiled showers are constructed and waterproofed.
At that place are basically 4 main types of shower wall and floor membranes:
Sail and liquid membranes, as well as the newer foam wall boards, cream shower bases and foam shower niches (in the foam wall boards category).
Each of these products take some similarities and some important variations that I will become over in particular.
Sheet membranes are also unlike from liquid waterproofing membranes in that they can too serve as uncoupling membranes. Before we get into the details of each type of waterproofing membrane, I will endeavour to explain what uncoupling is all about.
Decoupling / Uncoupling Membrane Mystery
I of the additional benefits of the sail way waterproofing shower membranes is that they can also serve as uncoupling membranes.
Non many people understand the term, or the purpose of uncoupling the tile associates from the capitalist board and I can't really blame them. There are some complex physics involved in these systems and bluntly most tiling professionals don't really have a inkling either.
I will attempt to explain the basics of uncoupling in the following sections.
Crack Isolation Membranes
The explanation of crack isolation membranes goes a long way to besides explain the advantage of the uncoupling membrane in the shower:
Most of you have probably seen tiled floors that accept cracked along their grout lines, sometimes quite dramatically. This is often the result of a crack in the concrete floor beneath the tile.
When the tile is firmly fastened to a concrete subfloor, the crack that forms in the subfloor will scissure the tile assembly attached to it as well, normally separating along the grout lines. This horizontal movement can also cause tile delamination effectually the crack.
A scissure isolation membrane is basically only a thicker and heftier version of a waterproofing membrane that can stretch horizontally sometimes as much as one/8″.
This type of membrane tin can reduce the hazard of grout line cracking in the example above, by floating the tile associates (tile, grout, mortar) on the surface of the membrane and then it tin can stretch horizontally as the floor cracks, instead of the tile assembly being pulled apart (explained more thoroughly in the side by side department).
Uncoupling Membranes in the Shower
Because the shower floor and shower walls are exposed to lots of moisture and wide temperature changes, this is also a place where grout line cracking can occur.
This can happen in the aforementioned way as the floor instance to a higher place just to a much bottom degree. Without a uncoupling membrane, the bottom backer board layer can aggrandize and contract at a different rate than the tiptop tile layer, causing grout line cracking.
This movement can occur at the margins betwixt two adjoining capitalist board panels, or almost often in the corners where the wall meets the floor, and where the back wall meets the side walls.
Uncoupling can solve this problem by essentially disconnecting the pinnacle tile layer from the bottom backer board layer.
Uncoupling is accomplished by the mortar attaching not to the membrane canvass itself, but merely to the fleece fibers (tiny plastic hairs) on each side of the sheet. This creates a tiny gap at the base of operations of the fleece on each side of the membrane sheet.
This tiny gap allows the assembly on acme side of the membrane to move a little. Not much, but it's enough to let the tile, grout and mortar to essentially float over the backer lath while still able to carry a pregnant load.
Genius, right? Like I said, I wish I would take invented it!
Types of Waterproofing Membranes
Sheet Waterproofing Membranes
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The sheet membrane is exemplified past the brand leader in the manufacture, Schluter Systems and their Kerdi waterproofing membrane (run into higher up), but there are several other brands likewise (more on brands later).
These sheet membranes are made from a blend of plastic compounds designed to be attached on the surface of the tile backer lath and shower base of operations with either a thin layer of tile mortar, or "skin and stick".
The peel and stick shower membrane merely requires a primer to be applied earlier sticking it to the backer board or shower pan. These are not also common in the US but more than mutual internationally.
To seal the corners of the shower environment, these membrane systems use preformed / molded membrane pieces sold separately. You mortar or stick these pieces in place similar to the membrane application.
Your wall tile and shower floor tile is so attached to the membrane with a layer of thin-set mortar in the same way you would set any tile, using the appropriate sized notched trowel for your tile.
Both forepart and back surfaces of the membrane are specifically designed to bond to virtually sparse-set tile mortars.
Liquid Waterproofing Membrane
The liquid waterproofing membrane is exemplified by the most pop of these products, Redgard Waterproofing Membrane by Custom Building Products, although there are also a number of other brands out in that location (more than on that afterwards).
This type of product can be considered a waterproof pigment for your shower because the most mutual method of application is with a paint roller. You can likewise spray it on with a paint sprayer.
Afterward it dries information technology turns into an elastomeric (rubber like) layer which stays flexible.
This is the cheapest and easiest way to waterproof your shower walls and shower floor and it does provide proficient protection in almost cases if applied correctly.
It can also exist the fastest fashion to go the waterproofing job over with asap, if yous pick the right production and the weather is not too cold or wet.
Some of liquid membrane manufacturers claim that they can as well serve equally a crack isolation membrane if they are applied a little thicker.
Foam Tile Capitalist Boards
I included these foam backer board products in my shower membrane post considering they are the merely waterproof wall boards that are designed to serve as tile backer boards. The nearly pop of these is Kerdi Lath by Schluter Systems.
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Simply like ordinary tile backer boards, they can serve every bit a structural, dimensionally stable and load bearing substrate for tile too as a waterproofing shower membrane.
The wall boards are fabricated from extruded polystyrene cream and take a layer of fabric on both sides designed for tile mortar bonding.
This bonding layer is most frequently a plastic fabric with fleece webbing for bonding and decoupling however, at that place are a couple of products that have a cementitious cloth bonded to their outer surface.
They are attached to the wall with specially designed fasteners, with washers to forbid the screw head from pulling through the material. The fasteners are subsequently covered with adhesive or a pocket-sized piece of membrane to maintain membrane integrity.
The wall boards come in various thicknesses to permit y'all to use them as building panels every bit well equally backer boards. Most manufacturers are encouraging their utilise for quick and piece of cake shower bench construction every bit well as waterproof partitioning walls, tub decks, etc.
If you'd similar to read more than about foam backer boards (and other tile backer boards), check out my Shower Tile Backer Board DIY Guide.
Foam Shower Bases
Foam shower bases (or shower pans) are sold separately or as part of a shower kit that contains several shower waterproofing components.
These components frequently include a foam shower curb that is secured and waterproofed in the same way as the base. They likewise include other essential components like a membrane bonding shower drain and corner and seam tape to reinforce and waterproof the perimeter and seams.
The shower bases are formed from the aforementioned cream material as the wall boards, some having a mortar bonding layer on their surface and some not (more on the this in the Cream Shower Wall Panels, Bases & Shower Niches section below).
There are some standard size shower base of operations and shower pan kits with either correct hand, middle, or left hand drain orientations. And considering they are made from foam, they tin hands be trimmed to match your shower size and drain position past using a round saw, hand saw or even a utility knife.
There is no demand to pre-slope the subfloor or install a prophylactic or metal shower pan liner to the subfloor with this system. The foam shower base simply bonds to the unaltered subfloor with sparse-set up tiling mortar.
Nigh, just not all of these shower bases require a membrane to be applied over their unabridged surface. This type includes a drain assembly with a membrane bonding flange that is attached to the polystyrene with thinset mortar.
The bases that are covered with a cementitious blanket do not require a membrane to be bonded to their surface and include a drain assembly that glues into identify with a special adhesive.
All of these cream shower bases also crave their unabridged perimeter and seams to exist sealed with either preformed membrane corner pieces fastened with thinset mortar, or strips of fiberglass tape applied to all the corners and seams, then covered with a thick waterproof adhesive.
The New Age of Shower Waterproofing Products
I accept gone over the various types of shower waterproofing membranes above. Now it's time to give y'all a rundown of the brands within these categories.
I'll try to go over their distinguishing features also as my preferred products and install techniques.
But first, a little background about how these membranes are rated for moisture permeability.
Striving for the Perfect Shower Seal
I should go far clear that there is no such thing as perfect shower seal or perfect waterproofing for your shower.
The term "waterproofing membrane" is in fact misleading; No membrane is completely waterproof. They all belong to larger classification of Vapor Retarders. Any vapor retarder volition simply limit the amount of moisture that can laissez passer through information technology, non eliminate information technology.
Vapor retarders are rated as to their moisture permeability and given a "perm rating" that represents how much water vapour will laissez passer through the material in a given period of time at a given pressure (1 grain of water vapor per hour, per foursquare foot, per inch of mercury).
At that place are three vapor retarder classes that all waterproofing material's fall into.
Class I: 0.1 perm or less (these are mostly considered vapor barriers).
Class II: 0.1 – 1.0 perm
Class Three: ane.0 – 10 perms
Almost shower waterproofing membranes fall into Class II but some stop up in Grade Iii besides. The bottom line is, the lower the perm rating, the less moisture will get through the membrane.
There are not a lot of established requirements when information technology comes to the definition of a waterproofing membrane for use in a shower environment. The merely rules that take been established are related specifically to steam showers. If yous are interested in the specifics of the testing procedure, information technology can be purchased from ASTM International: Procedure Due east of ASTM E96.
I will explain the significance of perm ratings for unlike shower installations a picayune afterwards when I requite you my opinion and recommendations.
Canvas Waterproofing Membrane Products
I will be listing a few of my favorite sheet membrane products in guild of their perm rating, starting from the lowest (least permeable) to the highest.
Wedi Subliner Dry out:
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This canvas membrane system was engineered for the high h2o vapor surround of steam shower. The difference is that this membrane has an exceptionally low .05 perm rating co-ordinate to the manufacturer.
As far every bit I know, Wedi Subliner Dry has the lowest perm rating of all the shower waterproofing membranes in the industry.
It is also engineered so it tin be used on both shower walls and shower bases.
In addition to their canvas membrane, Wedi also has a range of polystyrene foam products that make upward an entire wet room system. This includes shower bases, shower niches and building panels.
Durock by USG ,
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Durock canvas waterproofing membrane has a .079 perm rating so it is too very proficient compared with the other sail membranes. It's besides engineered for shower walls and floors.
Like the others, Durock likewise makes a line of polystyrene shower products, including shower bases, curbs, benches, ramps, tile backer board, building panels but no foam shower niches. They do however make a waterproof ABS plastic shower niche that has a fleece surface for tile mortar bonding.
None of their polystyrene products have any coatings on their surface to facilitate the bonding of tile mortar.
Noble Visitor:
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Noble has a few skillful sheet membrane products designed for shower waterproofing. Their ValeSeal membrane is i of their less expensive membranes with a perm rating of "less than 0.5 perms", which makes it slightly meliorate than the Schluter Kerdi membrane, the virtually popular shower waterproofing membrane out there.
I prefer their NobleSeal TS membrane considering of it'south ultra low rating of .fifteen perms. This makes it one of the better shower waterproofing membranes in the manufacture. Engineered for both shower walls and bases.
Noble as well offers a range of extruded polystyrene cream products including preformed shower benches, preformed shower niches, and shower bases.
Schluter Kerdi:
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The Kerdi waterproofing membrane is past far the near popular sheet membrane at the moment.
Schluter originally claimed that merely unmodified mortar can be used to attach their membrane because information technology'due south equanimous of lime based cement, which can hands cure nether a vapour retarder like Kerdi. Modified mortars manifestly can take too long to cure, compromising their bond forcefulness.
That said, Schluter now makes its ain modified sparse ready mortars that apparently can be used higher up and below their Kerdi and Ditra membranes. Information technology's magic I estimate.
According to Schluter, if you follow the awarding instructions you should be able to tile over Kerdi immediately after information technology's installed, which is common for most canvass membranes.
The standard Kerdi membrane has a perm rating of .75 but Kerdi DS has a .nineteen perm rating. Kerdi DS was engineered for the harsh environments of steam showers.
Paint On Liquid Waterproofing Membranes
Redgard Waterproofing Membrane by Custom Edifice Products:
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As I have already mentioned, Redgard is the most pop and the virtually talked about liquid waterproofing membrane out there.
All liquid waterproofing membranes are applied either with a castor and roller that would exist used for painting, or sprayed on with a paint sprayer. Most professionals and DIY'ers apply a roller and brush.
The utilize of a wet film thickness estimate (supplied) is recommended with all liquid membranes as well. This ensures that it is applied to the right thickness. If it is non, it will compromise its waterproofing qualities (and its warrantee).
Joints or changes in aeroplane (wall to floor) can be reinforced with fiberglass mesh tape and recoated with Redgard if you want "extra protection", only this is not a requirement according to the application instructions.
This blazon of membrane requires at least 2 applications for it to take the proper thickness for shower waterproofing. In warm dry out weather information technology can dry very speedily simply may take up to several hours betwixt coats and again before tile tin can exist practical over it.
Yous must allow 12 hours to cure before flood testing.
Redgard has a perm rating of .36 when applied co-ordinate to the application instructions.
Mapei Mapelastic Aquadefense:
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This liquid membrane is besides quite pop and effective if applied co-ordinate to the instructions. It basically has the same application procedures and limitations as the other liquid membranes.
The manufacturer says that a reinforcing tape in the corners and seams is optional only they also sell this type of product (Mapeband) if you desire to "provide additional protection".
It tin also be used as a crack isolation membrane up to 1/8″ co-ordinate to the specs.
Aquadefense has a perm rating of <.5 co-ordinate to the manufacturer which is intentional considering they engineered it to meet the requirements for steam shower waterproofing membranes (Process E of ASTM E96).
Laticrete Hydro Ban:
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Hydro Ban is likewise ane of the more than pop liquid membranes out there.
It has a significantly higher perm rating at 1.25 perms then it is non rated for steam showers.
It tin can too exist used as a crack isolation membrane and it does not require whatsoever reinforcing mesh be applied at the seams or corners according to the application instructions.
Foam Shower Wall Panels, Bases & Shower Niches
There are a off-white number of companies producing and selling foam wall panels, shower bases and preformed shower niches today and more are jumping on the bandwagon every other month it seems.
These products are getting extremely pop considering they can help you build and waterproof your shower far quicker and easier than ever before.
Here are a few of them:
Schluter Kerdi Board:
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Equally I already mentioned, Kerdi Lath is the most popular of the cream wall boards out in that location. They as well make the most pop foam shower base available.
Their wall boards come up in i/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″ and 2″ thicknesses and have a reinforcement layer on each side to create more structurally stability. This layer also has fleece webbing attached to it's surface to facilitate tile mortar bonding.
Their 1/2″ lath is typically the ane used in identify of a standard tile backer board on the shower wall.
Without whatever waterproofing membrane fastened, this board has a .36 perm rating. With a perm rating under .five, it can exist used every bit a tile backer for steam showers installations according to the Tile Quango of Northward America.
At that place is too a series of Kerdi Board prefab shower niches that are designed to be tiled.
Kerdi Shower Base of operations:
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Schluter as well sells a foam shower base (or shower tray) that dominates the prefab shower base market.
This base of operations is fixed to the subfloor via unmodified thinset mortar (explained in Kerdi membrane department).
This base of operations has e'er always been a blank foam shower tray with no tile bonding surface attached, but this has recently changed. They at present have an integrated waterproofing membrane laminated to the top surface. Every bit such, there is no longer any need to adhere the Kerdi membrane to its top surface as there was in the past.
The Kerdi Shower Kit as well comes with a custom drain that has a congenital in bonding flange for the membrane to attach to.
Durock shower trays and panels past USG:
The Durock pre-sloped cream shower trays are part of their shower system which includes the waterproofing membrane, pre-formed corners, pipe and valve seals and foam shower curb.
This shower base is similar to the Schluter base and many others in the sense that there is no tile bonding cloth attached to the top surface to facilitate mortar bonding. Their waterproofing membrane must be attached to it'southward surface earlier tile can be placed.
Information technology besides comes with a custom shower drain specifically designed for this arrangement so it integrates hands with their waterproofing membrane.
Their trays come in interlocking sections to allow for some ability to customize the size of your shower base of operations. This is a relatively unique feature amongst the competition.
Durock as well makes foam tile capitalist board panels, benches, and ramps. Their shower niche product is (surprisingly) non constructed with foam but rather ABS plastic. Information technology besides has a fleece covered surface so that a standard thin prepare mortar can be used to bond the tile to it'south surface (unlike it'south plastic competitors).
ProBase by Noble Visitor:
ProBase is unique amidst information technology'south competitors because it has a fleece covered membrane bonded to it'south surface. This fleece allows for extremely secure mortar & tile bonding along with decoupling.
The fleece coating ways that no additional membrane attachment is required for tiles to bond to information technology. The custom drain assembly also bonds easily to its surface, maintaining the integrity of the membrane.
Noble also has a selection of foam shower niches and benches.
Wedi Shower Systems:
Wedi has a whole range of foam shower bases, backer board panels, benches, niches and thicker building panels.
These products are unusual because they are some of the very few products in the industry that accept a cement coating on their surface to improve mortar and tile bonding.
This means that the surface is tile fix without any additional membrane attachment required (as with Schluter, Durock shower bases).
Hydro-Blok Shower System:
The Hydro-Blok system is very similar to the Wedi organisation and includes all the same of prefab foam products.
Another similarity is information technology'southward cement coating. These products also install and integrate with the waterproofing membrane and shower drain assembly, merely like Wedi.
This Contractor'south Opinions and Preferences
My simple answer for the best waterproofing method available for your shower would exist to use a sail membrane with the lowest permeability available.
I prefer to use Wedi Subliner, Durock sheet membrane, NobleSeal TS, or Kerdi DS, considering they have the lowest perm ratings.
Follow the manufacturer'south directions and make sure all the joints and corners are sealed with the proper membrane components.
That would exist my simple recommendation if you would like the easiest and safest protection confronting moisture problems downward the road.
More than Details….
You didn't call back I was going to get out it at that , did you lot?
Of class in that location are many different waterproofing techniques and materials that you may be because so I volition too be providing my perspective on a few of these that I feel are important.
Issues With Liquid Waterproofing?
There is mostly cipher wrong with liquid waterproofing membranes for shower waterproofing, but I prefer not to employ them and I would recommend that yous not apply them either.
The reason for this is because they basically require perfect application. The waterproofing integrity of this membrane relies on a even thickness of material applied uniformly across the entire surface of the shower.
In my experience, perfectly compatible application is hard to achieve even if you're skilled with applying this type of membrane.
Every bit well, nigh liquid membrane application instructions suggest that it is non necessary to utilise reinforcing tape in the corners and seams. This questionable communication too contributes to thin areas in the membrane every bit the liquid tends to recede into gaps and crevices.
In that location is also a trend for pinholes to form in the surface of the membrane every bit it dries. This is mainly due to air bubbling from the capitalist board when it has non being appropriately sealed (bonded) before application.
A good mode to limit this problem is to utilise a bonding agent to the surface of your cementitious backer board before applying the liquid waterproofing membrane.
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I utilise Weldbond for this purpose (pictured in a higher place) because it's easy to use, non-toxic, economical, and readily bachelor.
Y'all merely dilute it with h2o (follow the directions for using equally a bonding agent), and employ one coat to the tile backer surface using a roller and brush. Make sure y'all cover the entire surface where yous will be aplying yor liquid waterproofing.
The Water Vapor Sandwich
The reality is that at to the lowest degree i of the walls of your shower volition likely be on an outside wall.
This creates a problem with your modern shower waterproofing strategy considering in addition to the membrane that you lot apply over the backer board, there is also usually a sail of vapor retarder plastic behind the backer board to protect the inside of the stud wall from wet.
Although it is important to severely limit wet from making information technology into the wall, this ii layer approach allows the moisture to be trapped betwixt these two layers and condense on the plastic layer below.
This causes mold growth, deterioration of the backer board, and can lead to eventual failure of the entire wall assembly.
In other words, a terrible thought.
A Amend Approach to Shower Wall Waterproofing
I would recommend you commencement remove whatsoever vapor retarder plastic sheet or felt from the stud surface on all the outside shower walls. The low perm waterproofing membrane (Wedi, Durock, NobleSeal TS) practical on the capitalist board surface will be the only layer of waterproofing required for this wall.
Because there is now just one waterproofing layer, this eliminates the vapor sandwich trouble birthday.
If this technique is used, and your outside wall is adequately insulated, whatever trace amounts of moisture that pass through this membrane tin can harmlessly misemploy inside the stud cavity instead of beingness trapped past a plastic vapour retarder sail.
If you don't trap the wet, there's no condensation, rot and mold. Problem solved.
Shower Niches – The Weakest Link
Afterwards reading about all the problems that can and exercise happen with exterior shower walls, I retrieve most of you would guess that it is e'er a risky motion to install a shower niche in an exterior shower wall.
A preformed foam shower niche can be a used equally a keen defense force against long term leak issues into the shower wall, but they will never entirely eliminate wet from moving into the stud infinite (run across my discussion of perm ratings).
When a niche is mounted in an outside wall, this problem is compounded because the niche installation requires that some of the insulation exist removed to brand room for it.
In an outside wall that is probably already too thin for an adequate insulation thickness, the moisture moving into the stud cavity behind the niche has an extraordinarily high risk of condensing into water. This ways mold growth and other bug.
A style to combat this would be to increase the thickness of the wall and so more than insulation can exist installed behind the niche, but this is ofttimes non a practical pick.
The bottom line is…. I would recommend that you non install your tile ready shower niche in an outside wall.
Only if y'all practice insist on doing so, the best solution would exist to install a shower niche fabricated from material that is impermeable to moisture, like a finished stainless steel niche. If moisture can't get through it, in that location's much less risk of condensation behind information technology.
If you'd like to know more well-nigh the mistakes that are frequently made when installing a shower niche, check out my v BIG Shower Niche Install Mistakes post.
The Revolutionary Shower Base of operations
Yes, I am calling the cream shower base of operations revolutionary considering of all the major issues that it solves in the modern shower. All the same, there are some weather condition.
If you read nigh the problems with the old schoolhouse shower base applied science in the showtime section of this post, you should exist able to appreciate the awesomeness of this new engineering science.
The reason it is so awesome is considering the shower waterproofing membrane is at present directly under the tile, on the walls as well as the base.
Prior to this technology, the shower base of operations was an technology nightmare. At present, no significant moisture makes it into the base material so there is no concern about rotting and molding of the mortar as well as the continuous expansion and wrinkle of the base assembly.
Because no moisture makes it in or around the shower base, there's also no need for a subfloor preslope or a redundant drainage pan underneath your shower base, as was required in the past.
Conditions……..
I think I have fabricated it articulate that I practice indeed remember these foam shower pans/ bases are swell. But this is actually more than almost the fourth dimension savings it offers the installer, rather than about the material itself.
What I'thou really most excited about is the new "surface sealing" waterproofing membrane technology (undertile waterproofing) which has single handedly solved all the problems of traditional shower bases.
If you want a chip of a challenge and would like to relieve a bunch of money, you can always try installing a mortar shower pan instead of a foam one. You volition but demand to install a membrane over your mortar base of operations to achieve the all important waterproofing barrier.
When More than Waterproofing is Not Improve
What you SHOULD Non Practise is presume that since one waterproofing strategy for the shower base is expert, than two strategies will be even better.
First of all, I have to say that the "undertile" waterproofing membrane technology was created to eliminate the need for a drainage pan below the shower base of operations. Period!
Installing a subfloor preslope and a shower pan liner and drain assembly is simply a lot of extra piece of work with no benefit whatsoever.
In fact, if you are using a sheet membrane over the shower base with this blazon of traditional drain associates, you lot will be violating the most important waterproofing chemical element of this organization and causing an intentional breach.
The two stride drain that must exist installed with a traditional shower pan is non compatible with a surface sheet membrane because there is no membrane bonding flange on these drains.
That is why at that place will always be a breach in the membrane around the shower drain if you install this type of drain instead of the custom integrated bleed assembly that is sold with your canvas membrane system.
If you decide to go ahead with this pointless exercise against my communication, water will get between the drain and mortar slab, allowing the mortar base of operations to saturate, trapping h2o under the sheet membrane.
This may not effect in any damage to your framing (assuming the shower pan functions properly), merely information technology will have some interesting and undesirable long term furnishings, I can clinch you.
Bottom line is….. Decide on one system or the other. Never utilize both together.
Best Foam Shower Bases
If you read my overview of foam shower base of operations features above, you volition remember that I mentioned only two products that have a cement layer bonded to their surface. Wedi and Hydro-Blok.
These shower bases are my favorite past far and in fact, the only ones that I will use. If they are not available, I will choose to lay a mortar base instead.
My reasoning?
Every bit much as I love the time savings all of these bases offering, I am non at all comfortable with the blank foam bases, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, bare cream will not bond to a traditional thinset mortar. What this means is that even thought these bases are fully waterproof, you cannot apply mortar and tile to their surface considering they simply won't stick.
That is why all of the bare foam products crave a membrane to comprehend their unabridged surface earlier it is ready for tile. What is not often recognized is that the mortar used to "attach" this membrane does not really attach to it.
The mortar simply floats over the cream base and serves to stiffen the surface somewhat making information technology less vulnerable to deflection or point source damage.
The cement covered shower bases on the other manus, offer a completely waterproof and ridiculously rigid bonding surface for mortar and tile bonding, with no need for an additional membrane.
Don't Drop the Scrub Castor!
And speaking of point source damage….. This is my next complaint well-nigh the bare cream shower base of operations products. You merely need to look it up online to see what I am taking about.
Fifty-fifty with a mortar imbedded waterproofing membrane laying over top of the blank foam base, it is notwithstanding considerably vulnerable to bear upon harm.
This damage can technically occur during installation or even after installation if you make the mistake of using 1″ mosaic tiles for your shower base tile (not recommended).
See my shower remodel post for more than info on this scary event.
Wrap Up
Equally a professional in the field of shower waterproofing, I am fascinated how this business continues to evolve and aggrandize. As such, I tried to write something that provides timely and actionable info for the boilerplate DIY installer as well as the seasoned professional.
I really promise that you were able to get something from information technology. Please let me know what you lot recollect in the comments below.
I am also interested to hear about your own experiences with shower waterproofing, good and bad.
This post is for data purposes only and should Non be interpreted every bit professional advice. You should always consult a licensed local contractor earlier undertaking whatever remodelling work in your dwelling house. Click here for my total Personal / Professional Disclosure.
Source: https://redblockindustries.com/blog/shower-remodel/shower-membrane/
Posted by: randallouten1988.blogspot.com
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