Pictures: latest project 'what lies beneath and why we tank and don't butt join tiles'

[redrex]

Hi all,

Thought i'd pop up a couple of pics of the latest project. Brief outline is that the builder fitted the bathroom 18mths ago, didnt use a floor former, didnt tank, pretty much butt joined the tiles and did very strange things with the ply floor, customer hasn't been able to use the wet area for months as water poures throught the kitchen ceiling. Anyway, i've started to get my teeth into this one and will post more pics as i get on. I have lifted the ply now and whats under there is worse than these pics...comments on the ply welcome

[Dave]

Just look at the state of that......who sez tanking shouldn't be done....


he wants stringing up...This is why Tiling to wetrooms/bathrooms etc should be licenced..IMO...

[redrex]

and the ply......couldnt work it out...but turns out the floor level under all of this is pretty good but the builder installed the walls first and cut the bath panel too short as it goes into the room so had to build up the floor towards the middle to meet the higher bottom edge of the bath(hopefully you understand that) the tiled floor ended up a U shape looking at it in profile...

[Dave]

MY GOD!!!!!!!!.... thats the worst i have ever seen.....

thanks for the pics.....can't wait to see more and a nice end to this nightmare for that customer...

[janzbro]

I was thinking he may have raised it at the window end so any water would flow down toward the shower waste

[redrex]

MY GOD!!!!!!!!.... thats the worst i have ever seen.....

thanks for the pics.....can't wait to see more and a nice end to this nightmare for that customer...

i will pop them up next week..plumber is coming to sort out the spaghetti under the floor....also none of the ply is supported at the perimeter, only joists and no noggins (even where the boards meet) and the best bit? customer couldnt understand why the drain was backing up.....small matter of the waste pipe falling back to the drain! also the end stub wall erm doesnt have any studs...or base or top plates or anything really. although, on the bright side I have a quick splashback to do on Monday/Tuesday where the builder asked me how i want the walls prepared...I said don't polish the plaster and please dont prime with PVA...he said 'no probs and thanks for telling me coz I was going to polish and PVA!' so some builders do listen and ask first!

Ed

[smurf21]

lol did he think with the ply there was safty in numbers.. good luck look forward to the outcome

[redrex]

I was thinking he may have raised it at the window end so any water would flow down toward the shower waste

im afraid that this builder probably wasnt that clever. If the wet floor was fitted correctly, this really shouldnt be a problem IMHO...also the 4mm lip at the end of the shower screen completely prevents any water getting to the drain.

Ed

[Colour Republic]

looks good to me

what the hell was he thinking, what worries me more is how many other wet rooms this firm might have fitted Was there underfloor heating down before?

[Colour Republic]

also which way do the joists run in that room?

[Dave]

I noticed the tape as well..?

[Fekin]

Jesus

[redrex]

Hi Dave/Colour,

well spotted! UFH heating was there....i will be putting it back but not so sure about running it over the wet area (which is where it was) my plan(eventually) is to install an aquadec and then tilesafe the whole area-impeys website says that tilesafe also acts as a decoupler.

Ed

[Colour Republic]

I do like the look of that sliding glass door, did that work nicely or did he mess that up too?

[redrex]

also which way do the joists run in that room?

They run lengthways, window wall to entrance.

Ed

[Dave]

Hi Dave/Colour,

well spotted! UFH heating was there....i will be putting it back but not so sure about running it over the wet area (which is where it was) my plan(eventually) is to install an aquadec and then tilesafe the whole area-impeys website says that tilesafe also acts as a decoupler.

Ed

personally i would use the durabase gear....

[Colour Republic]

They run lengthways, window wall to entrance.

Ed

judging by what he did to the ply, i was wondering if he had cut the joists to an inch of their life to get the shower waste out

[redrex]

I do like the look of that sliding glass door, did that work nicely or did he mess that up too?

looks nice yes but messed up too.

Ed

[redrex]

judging by what he did to the ply, i was wondering if he had cut the joists to an inch of their life to get the shower waste out

You will love this and i so wish i took the pics yesterday but he has actually put all of the plumbing in OVER the original floorboards and then built up over them. the one saving grace is that at least (when some of the pipes are moved down) i will have lots of floor depth to install the former. this also explains the fall to the drain...the trap outlet is actually just below the previous floor level but the T to the drain outlet sits over the floorboards.

Ed

[redrex]

personally i would use the durabase gear....

first thought of mine too.. I also really wanted to put some business his way (Tony W that is) but I cant raise the floor at all on account of the door having no adjustment left (not even 5mm for adhesive and the matt) I am having to lower the floor level as it is in the wet area to fit a 22mm former flush with 18mm ply as I cant build that up either.

Ed

[user123]

Saw the pictures and felt sick in the stomach, and that's not knowing anything about wetrooms, just common sense stuff!
That builder, wouldn't he be a nice candiate for that cowboy builder program? Good grief, those poor customers, makes you shudder...well done for putting it right...

[redrex]

Im no plumber but what i can see under the floor, there is no way that i will be able to get the waste to join the rest of the system without completely removing the whole floor and having it join with correct falls over in the far corner where the toilet is. my guess is that we will end up running it straight through the window wall and picking up the drain outside. but thats for my plumber to solve.

ed

[Colour Republic]

my guess is that we will end up running it straight through the window wall and picking up the drain outside. but thats for my plumber to solve.

ed

that's what should have happened first time round! but i guess the builder thought it would be better for it to drain through the kitchen ceiling in the hope the shower was directly above the kitchen sink and go through that waste

[redrex]

that's what should have happened first time round! but i guess the builder thought it would be better for it to drain through the kitchen ceiling in the hope the shower was directly above the kitchen sink and go through that waste

LMAO!!! sadly true though. customer had 3 new kitchen ceilings in the first 12mths and then just didnt want to use the shower anymore.

Ed

[jay]

scarry esp with floor heating thanks for the post i think this is just the tip of the iceberg (tanking over the top of floorheating makes sense ay sorry wetdeck couldnt resist )

[lucius]

Whats the story with the builder and the client Red was he reccomended or just cheap i know a lot of people know nothing about building and trust the builder but it amazes me how he got his far without someone questioning some of his methods.
Lucius.

[faithhealer]

you will love this and i so wish i took the pics yesterday but he has actually put all of the plumbing in over the original floorboards and then built up over them. The one saving grace is that at least (when some of the pipes are moved down) i will have lots of floor depth to install the former. This also explains the fall to the drain...the trap outlet is actually just below the previous floor level but the t to the drain outlet sits over the floorboards.

Ed

what!!!!

[tommyzooom]

OMG Its as rough as a bears arse

[jay]

yep agree with tommy but at least the bears waste works

[devonmark]

I noticed the tape as well..?

Well.....they did have to be stuck down...