Tanking Tape Install Help - Tile Advice

[Flintstone]

Very text book but in the real world, despite my thoughts on it, the customer often doesn't want the extra expense even if it is a small one by comparison to the consequence. I don't work on sites so I don't have some one on my back quoting out of the rule book on every job, the customer gets what they want

 

[Stevev]

If customers want their tiled shower installations to meet BS Codes of Practice, the recommendations are clear. If customers want plaster board tiled without tanking I would ensure a written recommendation to tank the walls was made with a limited guarantee on their chosen specification.

BS 5385-4:2015 was published in October 2015 and Section 7 dealing with ‘wet and damp conditions’ now advises that in areas not subject to continuous water immersion but subject to frequent wetting, the basic structure behind the tiles should be watertight.

In particular, BS 5385 Part 4.7.2.1.4 states the following should apply in respect of installations not immersed but subject to frequent wetting including wet rooms and domestic power showers.

a) The basic structure behind the tiles should be watertight and should be tanked.
b) Water-resistant materials should be used throughout. Plaster and plasterboard, would be unsuitable in frequently wetted areas.
c) The tiles should be solidly bedded so that voids behind them are eliminated as far as possible.
d) When the installation is tanked and water-resistant materials are used, cementitious grouting compositions may be specified.
e) Special attention should be paid to sealing the gaps between wall and base, particularly if the installation is on a suspended floor.
f) Where movement joints are subject to water immersion, water spray or splash, the joints should be sealed with curing sealants.

Its says - water-resistant materials should be used thoughout which I assume means something like Hardi-backer or maybe a shluter system but if these are water resistant this doesn't need tanking except on the joins? or is it suggesting that even the water resistant materials be completely tanked?

 

[Stevev]

also If british standards are applicable to a tiling installation then it shouldn't be an option to the customer whether you use tanking etc or not...that's the point of british standards...to ensure ALL builders/tillers/plumbers adhere to these standards so the customer is protected and can be confident that the job will be completed correctly and no mishaps will occur...

 

[Stevev]

This is all very interesting but would you say that a power shower or even a gravity-fed shower over a bath is worthy of the tanking suggested in BS as only the long wall that will be subject to water and probably water reflecting off the body at that.....I mean, I've got just that at home, the original tiler didn't tank or use any fancy sealer just silicone and over 10years later its still going strong and no leaks...but I guess it's worth the extra confidence in your installation??

 

[White Room]

The trouble is Steve that all back grounds are normally gypsum which suck water up like a sponge, in 84 we rendered shower areas which were block based for the London underground in the lower areas of the office block which was being refurbed and they were for the engineers to have a shower and tiled with Quarry tiles.

Solid as you like.

 

[Stevev]

The trouble is Steve that all back grounds are normally gypsum which suck water up like a sponge, in 84 we rendered shower areas which were block based for the London underground in the lower areas of the office block which was being refurbed and they were for the engineers to have a shower and tiled with Quarry tiles.

Solid as you like.

so are you saying always tank OR use a hardi-backer type background and tank the seams?

 

[White Room]

so are you saying always tank OR use a hardi-backer type background and tank the seams?

What I'm saying is the materials used now for building are all dri lined for a speed construction and the general public want wet rooms which dos'nt allow gypsum to be used, yes they need tanking now due to the amount of water that gets pumped into a shower area.

Whatever system is used works for them and yourself.

 

[Ger]

Water-resistant materials are not watertight. The tanking of water-resistant material makes them watertight. There are many different shower wall substrate materials in the market. Some are not water resistant, some are water resistant and some are watertight. Don't use non-water resistant materials, tank water resistant materials and at least tape watertight materials.

 

[Stevev]

Just a thought.....if you get asked to re-tile the walls round a bath that has a shower over it...and the walls turn out to be render and plaster or even if it is dry-lined....bearing in mind the BS....would I need to take out bath and put water-resistant/tight backing up, tank put bath back..then seal the edge and then tile.?? seems a lot of bother and expense to re-tile...??

 

[Flintstone]

You don't have to do anything. Most people wouldn't go to that length, although it's the best way to do it