Makes me wonder how many out of a hundred showers would fail (obviously not wetrooms) if tiled professionally without tanking, waterproof boards etc...
I will guarantee probably all of them would not fail .
As long as tiled properly, not dot and dabbed, probably none would fail in a domestic shower.
Let’s be honest, tanking in a domestic shower (not wetroom) is to protect the substrate, not to stop leaks ,silicons is to stop the leaks.
I’m not a fan of rapping the tanking tape over the shower base, which a few do,as tanking paste is much much easier to remove from a shower base than silicone.
I’m going to rip my en-suite out in the new year, it’s been in over a decade, no tanking, no leaks , with 3 girls using it , my youngest is in it for about half hour every night , wife in in morning and night , eldest in it morning and night(when she lived here) work out how many times that’s been used in all them years, that’s some luck I’ve had ?
Been doing it myself ever since I went self employed in 2002. Every single shower. Started off using Kerdi and WP1 and Homelux then Mapei and now Tilemaster. I’d say it’s been common for more than a ‘few’ years. I admit that I must’ve been an early adopter.
Kerdi has been around since the late 80’s.
Before tanking, we always used to fit Knauf Aquapanel. This was early 90’s.
Just saying how it was done round my way.
Another one which I’ve never heard of until recent years , the waterproof boards, don’t think I’ve ever used them , in wetrooms or showers,and I actually don’t see the point.
Sorry I do see the point, it makes the manufacturers a hell of a lot of money