Shower tray former: tiles and waste height

[DazJWood]

Just an idea but could not not stick mosaic mesh sheets to the former and trowel over with adhesive? Will make the base pretty solid and will follow the fall/fleet.. Then fit the mosaics as normal fixed to mosaic mesh. Not sure if 2 layers would be enough? Should get over any point loading issues and will achieve a 100% bed.

Think I understand what you mean.

Do you mean the rigid plastic mesh sheets that are about 30 by 30?

Do you mean stick these to the tile former and then level them with adhesive? Can you elaborate?

Thanks,

Daz

 

[jobdone]

How does the tray sit with the rest of the floor. Raising all the tray will effect the floor height.

 

[J K Tiling Cornwall]

Yep those are the ones a plastic mesh 30x30cm. They are self adhesive, really sticky with wax paper you peel off. I'd make sure the former is really clean, free from dust. If you adhere them to the surface then fill the voids flush with adhesive using a plastering trowel or rigid grout float. Let it go off then tile as normal but use mosaic mesh also on the back of the mosaics. Hopefully with 2 layers you should be close to the height but if not you could double up the layer on the former. In response to Jobdone I'm guessing you only have mosaics in the wet area? What tiles do you have on the rest of the floor? Thanks

 

[DazJWood]

How does the tray sit with the rest of the floor. Raising all the tray will effect the floor height.

No the tray is installed on a raised framework so no problem with matching height of former and tiles to floor.

 

[DazJWood]

Yep those are the ones a plastic mesh 30x30cm. They are self adhesive, really sticky with wax paper you peel off. I'd make sure the former is really clean, free from dust. If you adhere them to the surface then fill the voids flush with adhesive using a plastering trowel or rigid grout float. Let it go off then tile as normal but use mosaic mesh also on the back of the mosaics. Hopefully with 2 layers you should be close to the height but if not you could double up the layer on the former. In response to Jobdone I'm guessing you only have mosaics in the wet area? What tiles do you have on the rest of the floor? Thanks

Great thanks for replying. Yes that sounds like a reasonable way of raising the height and keeping the fall. Thanks for the suggestion.

Still seems strange that the drain height is so high considering mosiacs are used a lot in shower floor installations.

I'll ring the manufactured Monday for their recommendations but the mesh idea sounds good as a solution.

 

[Tony_C]

That same manufacturer does a tray with a drain that drops to 5mm for tile height, its unfortunately just the tray and drain you have ended up purchasing.

I don't think you will find any thin backer boards to over board that tray with (xps style) that will take the mosaics. Usually the shower trays themselves are stronger than building boards you can buy

 

[DazJWood]

That same manufacturer does a tray with a drain that drops to 5mm for tile height, its unfortunately just the tray and drain you have ended up purchasing.

I don't think you will find any thin backer boards to over board that tray with (xps style) that will take the mosaics. Usually the shower trays themselves are stronger than building boards you can buy

Ah OK. Yes must admit the tray to top of drain height was not something I looked at when purchasing the tray. Just didn't even consider it to be honest.

Surely though I could use 6mm Hardie backer board if I decided to go down the route of over boarding the tray. Why would it need to be XPS backer board?

 

[Tony_C]

It wouldn't have to be xps. I was just letting you know that the thinner 4mm boards probably wouldn't be an option. If you do opt for hardie just make sure you fully tank those boards also 👍.

I just perhaps see each extra layer added as another step for potential failure of not done 100%. Skip the headache and get bigger tiles

 

[DazJWood]

It wouldn't have to be xps. I was just letting you know that the thinner 4mm boards probably wouldn't be an option. If you do opt for hardie just make sure you fully tank those boards also 👍.

I just perhaps see each extra layer added as another step for potential failure of not done 100%. Skip the headache and get bigger tiles

Why would I need to tank the Hardie backer, if I chose to use it? The shower former has an XPS waterproof core. Raising the height of the former wouldn't then require the need to tank the top layer again, unless I'm missing something. What's the logic behind tanking it again?

 

[Tony_C]

Hardie isn't waterproof, just has a resistance to water. Yes your xps tray is waterproof but you don't want to be letting hardie sitting submerged in water it's the layer between the tiles and tray so it would be. You would want to help the water pass off it and not through it.

If your unsure read the hardie instructions or call them, Its stated in their manual to tank it also in a wetroom situation.