Mrs Jones's Wet Room - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

23-11-2007

[B]So what is a wet room[/B], everyone’s talking about them and now you have Mrs.

Jones your best customer asking questions because she wants one in what was

the on suite upstairs and another in the garage extension they are building. You

need to supply and fit both before you tile the 2 rooms so getting it right is

important

Where to start what to use. New screed going in downstairs and existing green

weyroc in the on-suite.

[B][U]The Floor Choices:[/U][/B]

A grp base will have falls molded into it usually a 2% fall to the gully. Lay

your base in position mark around it and cut out the existing weyroc, the

former will then drop into the hole resting on the joists. At this point you

will be able to see how your waste fits in and where you need to add extra

noggins for strength. The waste should obviously be one recommended by

the former manufacturer and fitted as per the instructions. Grp bases are

not cheap as they generally originate from the disabled level access

market and they are real money lovers.

A composite base again with falls incorporated and made of a formed poly

material and is cheaper than the grp as you would expect. These work

really Well in screed situations where they can be concreted around. Using

a composite former for a weyroc floor is a little more difficult as they are

generally thicker than grp, 40mm against 20 ish so there is more messing

around to get them level. The gullies are installed as per the instructions

and set in the concrete ready for tiling. We have found the former

excellent for this as the supplied gully locks into it and seals itself so no

leaks (worth the messing on wood floors).

[B][U]The Wall Choices:[/U][/B]

With one exception this will cover the actual tanking / waterproofing system

which will then also be used on the floor.

A flexible liquid membrane or gum can be used on plaster board walls after

priming, concrete when dry, existing tiles after priming and weyroc (not
green)

to name a few. It is applied with a trowel, roller or brush in coats of 1mm;

two coats are required in differing directions the second coat around 2hrs

after the 1st. Tiling can be started after around 12hrs on absorbent

surfaces or 2-3 days on non absorbent surfaces. The pre-made reinforced

tapes used for making corners and making the skin from walls to floor

former are bedded into the gum so preventing cracking and breakdowns.

The gums are reliant on a 1mm minimum thickness and as with most

adhesives they perform differently with temperature. The manufacturer’s

installation data should be followed at all times. Generally we have found

the Mapegum method of waterproofing good for walls

A bituminous rubberized adhesive sheet that comes on a roll can be used

in most of the above situations again after priming. This product does not

like dust or grease so surfaces have to be clean. The backing is removed

from the sheet and it is applied (stuck down) to floors and walls so creating

a lined area. Joints are made good with a supplied tape and waterproofing

made good around the gulley with putty. Internal and external corners

have to be made from the joint tape which is a bit of a fiddle and you must

NOT let silicone come in contact with the sheet. This tanking system is

promoted widely as part of the Impey system is not cheap and is a bit like

using a giant fly tape (grrrrrr)

A compressed foam composite layered /sandwiched between two

cementitious layers. These layers are reinforced with a fiberglass mesh,

are waterproof and ideal for shower areas instead of plaster board.

Where as these tile backer boards

(There are a few of them around with differing tags) seem the answer to all sorts

of situations nothing is ever that clear cut. They come as half or quarter sheets

and some if not all require special fixings which can push up the cost. Even

though they are waterproof the joints between them will still need sealing and

more noggin out is required. Where as these are not big negatives they are all

reflected in cost. Often because of their heat insulation properties we are asked

to fix these backer boards under floor heating and they work well.

A waterproof decoupling membrane for sealing walls and floors. Can be

used on any surface that a tile adhesive can be used on. It comes on a roll

and quite simply you stick the membrane to the walls and floors with a

good quality flexible tile or floor covering adhesive. Using a 4mm trowel

spread the adhesive and push the membrane back with the back of your

trowel. Make good the angles with the pre-made corners and tape before

sticking your tiles directly to it. The biggest advantage to this is peace of

mind it’s not complicated and you’re using materials you’re used to. Works

over green screeds, cracked and wood surfaces (depending on which
membrane)

to prevent cracks in your tiled floors and walls.

Ok you have an outline of the different wetroom systems available and an idea of

how they work although remember it’s the manufacturers instructions you need

to follow. Hopefully I have helped you decide which way you will approach Mrs.

Jones’s wet rooms and make sure she remains your best customer.

**Dan** · 23-02-2008

It has taken some time but I'm please to say that Tiler-101 / Wetdecs Wetroom Systems did sign up to sponsor the forum and will be on the forum with more information soon.

**Dave** · 23-02-2008

nice one wetdec...(tiler101)

Captain Slow · 23-02-2008

Nice post Wetdec (Tiler 101).

Previously, for waterproofing / tanking I have used "Tilesafe" membranes (flypaper?) which can be a nightmare, but very effective, and easy to tile onto - great for floors but horrendous to apply to walls where you have pipes and other fixings or outlets to go round. My usual preference is Ardek WPC which can be tiled onto after 2 hours, easy to use and let's you get the job done quickly.

For floors I have laid a self levelling compound and using thermal insulation strips and a bit of coaxing with a trowel, have managed to achieve a satisfatory taper to ensure easy fixing of floor tiles.

I'm all in favour of making life easy and look forward to learning more about your products.

Thanks