Hi all

I'm just about to do a wetroom with a solid floor. The drain has been dug out by the plumber and made level with the floor. I've built up the floor around the shower floor with cement boards to bring up the hight so there's a fall to the drain. I have a few questions.

1. What is the best way to create the fall for the drain prior to tiling? should i use an slc but mixed very thick and just trowel it to a fall? (the tiles are mosaics)

2. Do i tank before or after creating the fall with slc?

3. The mosaics cover the floor in the rest of the room aswell, which would you tile first? The shower or the rest of the room?


Cheers for responses

I'd go for a fast set waterproof adhesive to form your falls to the drain.
I'd then tank the whole area and up the walls.
I'd set the floor out with the emphasis on the drain outlet, but then tile the main areas first working towards the outlet. But it will really depend on the room size/the time available/and your own particular work ethic.

Hi mate not sure without pics, slc does not lend its self to formiing falls well , it can be done. Could you not preform falls using backer-boards enveloped to create desired falls. Am I missing something pics would help

Hi mate not sure without pics, slc does not lend its self to formiing falls well , it can be done. Could you not preform falls using backer-boards enveloped to create desired falls. Am I missing something pics would help

your not missing anything, i've not got any pics but the backer board option sound good or i'll form the fall using a fast set like timeless said. I was thinking of using rapid set but wasnt sure if it was right or if i should have tanked before or after. cheers guys

I think a tray former would have been best!

sorry mate is it a linear type drain?

Hi mate if you go with TJs rapid set (which is sound) as he says tank afterwards, my suggestion depends on how much depth you have to play with, you could solid bed fix the backer- boards using envelope method with WP rapid set, then tank. Both good ways of overcoming your problem. Before the advent of pre-formed trays I used enveloped backer-boards with very good results. Just make sure you use the water proof tape on the boards prior to tanking. Good luck

You could probs use a taper cut peice of timber held under your straight edge or level to check/ help get a good fall with boards.

Same goes if you wish to create four equal falls without boards (two tapered peices of timber resting on dots of mortar) and form fall with straight edge creating one section at a time.

preformed would again be my prefference though.

You can slope self-leveler, but you need to reduce the water by just about 25% to make it hold its shape and it takes a bit of tricky trowel work.
Then you use a good thin-set to finish the rough parts.
Make sure you use bonding agent.

Let it cure to below 12% moisture content and then use a waterproofing compound.

You Europeans and "tanking"..."tank it".....cracks me up...very funny.