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Shower Waterproofing Basics

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 18:57:56 GMT

What's best for your shower?

So you've decided upon a tile shower. Now, how much thought have you given to what's behind the tile? As most people know, tile itself is very resistant to water exposure. Where waterproofing becomes important is protecting the building materials and the rest of the structure from the water that seeps through the tile assembly. A lack of proper waterproofing in wet areas leads to degrading adjacent building materials, which then cause failure of the tile installation.

There are 3 basic types of waterproofing for tiled walls we will discuss here. Liquid membranes, sheet membranes, and waterproof backer boards.

Liquid waterproofing membranes can be rolled or brushed onto suitable substrates to waterproof your installation. While installation is straightforward, it's important to carefully follow manufacturer's instructions to ensure proper performance. Widely used, and a good choice in some situations. Lower upfront cost for material but installation and wait times are longer.

Sheet membranes come on rolls of various sizes and can be trimmed to fit or overlapped as required. Pre-folded pieces are required for overlapping corners properly. The sheet membrane is directly bonded to the wall with thinset mortar. Both sheet and liquid membranes can be applied to any substrate suitable for shower walls such as, cement board, drywall, glass-mat board, etc. Sheet membranes offer better protection than most liquid membranes, higher upfront cost, less wait time.

Waterproof backer boards (WPBB) come from the factory already waterproof. In this case, you're only worried about waterproofing seams and not the entire assembly. Another bonus of WPBB is that in most cases all surfaces and the core of the board are also waterproof. The seams and fasteners are finished with a sealant or with sheet membrane as required by the manufacturer, and you're ready to tile almost right away. WPBBs have a higher upfront cost, less wait time, better protection and require less labour than both sheet or liquid membranes.

Each choice has it's pros and cons. We recommend going with the best protection if you feel it's worth the extra cost. That being said, when properly installed any of these options will give you a long lasting installation.

7 Tips For A Successful Bathroom Renovation

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 16:10:55 GMT

Ensure Bathroom Renovation Success With These Tips

So you want, or potentially, need to update your bathroom, but where do you start?

These tips will help you make confident, informed decisions and properly prepare to renovate your bathroom.

Expect Surprises

As much as renovators strive to plan for each contingency, a complex job such as renovating a bathroom will always reveal one or two things that are not expected. Until the demolition phase of the project begins, it's impossible to know the exact location of plumbing, structural framing members and HVAC. Extra work may be required to make the planned design fit and function correctly, or slight design alterations may be made based on specific findings at the demo stage of the job. An example we've come across on a recent project was a shower drain that lined up perfectly with an existing floor joist when installed according to the existing plan. To avoid extra work on the structure of the floor, we were able to shift the shower's location slightly, which was a more cost-effective manner of solving the problem. Your situation may not allow for an easy solution, so plan for the worst-case scenario.

2. Make A Realistic Budget

The range of prices you will get when researching bathroom renovations can be extremely confusing. Often, advice found online isn't local and deals only in hard figures, leaving you with little information. The most important thing to consider when establishing your budget is why you are renovating. Is it for re-sale? Personal leisure? Changing needs for family? Is it just time for an update? Renovating for pleasure might lead you to spend a little more than someone who just needs what they need. As good starting figures, expect a shower replacement with tile to cost $10K - $15K, or a full bathroom renovation to start around $20K. These figures include every aspect of the job including quality materials. Luxury upgrades such as large format tile, heated floors, tiled shower bases, built-in recesses for shampoo, curbless showers, and premium plumbing fixtures can drastically increase the cost of a project. Remember to plan for contingencies as mentioned above.

3. Use The Correct Materials

As a baseline, we use the same basic building materials on all our projects. We have selected the best products through years of experience and use them accordingly. Regardless of the job you are completing, it's important to use premium products at the rough construction phase. This is like the "foundation" of your bathroom and any corners cut here will show in the finished product later. At this stage, a homeowner renovating for re-sale value might use less expensive or difficult to install finishes, but still have the same basic foundation that a homeowner renovating for pleasure would receive. An easy way to bring down the cost of a project is to skimp on these details that will not be seen once everything is wrapped up. While it can seem tempting for some, it often turns out to be more hassle than it's worth. Using drywall as a tile backer in a shower is a good example of this. Technically, if done properly, there is nothing wrong with it. Can you do it? Yes. Should you do it? No. Drywall in a wet area presents a risk of failure that need not exist, as much better products exist specifically for this purpose.

4. Take Your Time

One of the most common renovation mistakes is rushing to meet arbitrary deadlines.

This makes the experience less enjoyable for all involved and leaves a bad taste in your mouth regarding renovations.TV programs have given a false sense of how long projects take to complete to industry standards, and contractors think they can make more money if they just schedule the work to be done quicker. Slow down, cover all the bases, and respect manufacturer's instructions when it comes to set and dry times for installation. Doing it right the first time will always be quicker than going back to fix it later.

5. Flatten Your Walls

The minimum variance acceptable on a wall that is meant to accept tile is one quarter of an inch in ten feet or three thirty-seconds of an inch in one foot. (1/4" in 10' or 3/32" in 12") This means your walls need to be as flat as they can possibly be made. There are many different ways of achieving this, which is best left up to the installer. This is often overlooked and leaves a messy or wavy looking tile installation, with different sized, angled cuts of tile meeting in shower corners. It's also very likely that if the wall is not flat, the installer cannot achieve proper thin-set mortar coverage, leading to rapid failure of the installation. This is again even more likely if you selected large format tile to be installed. Large format tile is tile with any one side over 15". The minimum variances are even tighter for large format tile, and thus it should only be installed by highly experienced tile setters. Lippage is the term used to describe what happens when two or more tiles adjoin and are not flush with one another. Lippage is dangerous, ugly, and a sign of an incorrect installation. Light often comes from straight above, showcasing the flatness, or lack thereof of the install. Flattening your walls correctly is the only way to prevent lippage.

Flat walls are not optional when it comes to tile installation.

6. Hire A Professional

The days of tile being installed by the general carpenter are over. Today's large format tile, complex layouts, and ever evolving methods and standards of installation requires special attention to do the job properly. You wouldn't hire your dentist to do work that should be done by your podiatrist. So why is a roofer tiling your shower? Waterproofing and thin-set manufacturers offer free training to bathroom and tile professionals to ensure their methods are followed correctly. The professional tile installer uses their experience to address site and installation conditions to ensure the installation lasts as long as possible without failure. This is who you want in your bathroom.

7. Enjoy The Experience

Renovating is stressful for everyone to some degree, but it can be fun. Get involved and ask questions. Your contractor should be happy to explain why they are doing things the way they are. Make sure there is something in your agreement about how the jobsite will be maintained. A cleaner site makes for more efficient work and less stress for you. Iron out all the details with your contractor before the job starts so you know where they need access, where materials can be stored, or any special needs you may have. The more planning you do beforehand the happier you'll be when starting the work.

Are you ready to get started on your bathroom? Visit our bathroom renovation services page to learn more.

Shower Silicone - The Right Way

Wed, 31 May 2023 18:36:36 GMT

How To Seal Tile To Tubs, Showers, And Other Surfaces

A very common sight in any bathroom is peeling, dirty caulk or sealant. The most commonly used sealant in bathroom renovations today is silicone. You should find silicone instead of grout anywhere a tile installation changes plane and where tile meets fixed building elements such as tubs, shower bases or countertops. While it is a durable product, application must be done correctly to ensure performance. We will only be discussing tile applications here

When tiling an inside corner in a shower, care must be taken to maintain a small gap in the corner to allow for expansion of the installation when it absorbs water. Any tile, regardless of its quality will absorb some water. This gap cannot be filled with grout and must be sealed with silicone. Problems arise when no gap is left between the adjoining tiles during installation, and the silicone is applied on the surface of the tile to seal this area.

When silicone is applied on the surface of a tile, it's always feathered to a very thin film at the edge. Once dry, when you go to wipe down the silicone this film will lift, opening up the entire bead to eventual failure. The silicone must be forced into the joint between the tiles, and tooled flush. The silicone is then the full depth of the tile, making it stronger and less prone to discolouring.

The same principles apply where tiles meet a tub or shower base. This often hard to clean and maintain area is often subject to the same mistakes, making it even more difficult. Flush installed, high quality, colour matched silicone makes your shower that much more beautiful and easier to clean. Stay away from grout-caulks or anything other than silicone. Mapesil made by Mapei and Latisil made by Laticrete are two options for colour matching to your grout.

This method is guaranteed to outlast surface applied silicone by many years, and you'll appreciate it each time you clean your shower.

5 Tips For Your Curbless Shower Bathroom Renovation

Wed, 18 May 2022 17:18:13 GMT

5 Tips For Curbless Showers

Curbless showers increase the usability of your bathroom and create a unique look. Often, homeowners worry that the risk of leakage is much higher than with a curbed shower, but that is not the case. When done correctly, you are essentially creating a waterproof bathroom. In which case, you're actually taking on less risk. Sometimes, bathroom floors are subject to extreme amounts of water. Think overflowing toilet. Having a completely waterproof floor system will save you costly repair or replacement of the floor.

1. - Waterproofing

There are many different products you can use, each with its own pros and cons. We recommend the use of Schluter Systems , or Laticrete products, and use them exclusively on our projects. Using quality products means your installation is protected not just by our warranty, but also the manufacturer. When renovating to incorporate a curbless shower, you must ensure every protrusion in the floor has been suitably waterproofed. All seams in the uncoupling membrane must be taped, sealed to any pipes, and wrapped up the walls at least 2 inches. Always follow manufacturer instructions and do not mix and match products. Minimize the number of protrusions through the floor. You do not want a heat register on the floor in a curbless shower bathroom.

2. - Level Your Floors

This is another point that should go without saying but is often overlooked. It is essential for any tile installation to have a flat, and level substrate (surface tile is bonded to). This has to be achieved before uncoupling membrane, or tile is installed. SLU, or Self Leveling Underlayment, is usually the best way, but other work may be required based on the unique situation of your home. This is a cement compound that is poured on your floor, and it levels itself using gravity, creating a very flat floor. In a curbless installation, this is more important than ever. We rely on the slope of the shower base to keep the water where it's supposed to go. If an area outside the shower is sloping in the wrong direction, it could create an area for water to pool and compromise the installation, or damage structure.

3. - Plan Your Floor Height

There are 3 ways to make a curbless installation work. The easiest and most cost-effective methods are to raise the floor outside of the shower area, to bring it flush with the shower base, or use a ramp to lead into the shower. The final method is more labour intensive and thus more costly but creates a more user-friendly space. Using this method, the shower base is recessed into the existing floor. This is done by removing concrete and pouring at the correct depth for the prefabricated shower base to have a flush transition in case of concrete floors. In wood structures, the sub-floor is removed in the shower area, and wood blocking is installed between joists, with plywood installed flush to the top of the joist. The shower base is then installed on this assembly, recessing it into the subfloor. The recess method is best because it allows for the bathroom floor to be as low as possible in regard to any adjacent flooring such as carpet or hardwood. Make sure you include the thickness of your sub-floor, any required underlayment, and uncoupling membrane when planning a curbless installation.

4. - Floor Layout

Consider how the floor tile in your shower will layout with the rest of the bathroom. Do you want a seamless transition, in one size of tile? or to mix things up with a mosaic on the shower floor?

Using a single plane shower base and linear drain, you can use large format tile with minimal cutting required. By using a method known as "envelope cutting", you can also install large format tile with a point drain. Linear drains are ideal for installation against the wall, and out of the way. This makes linear drain curbless showers extremely accessible.

5. - Dream Big

While every curbless shower isn't meant to be a luxury space, they go a long way in changing the feel of your bathroom and how you use it. Open concept designs can make any size bathroom feel much larger. Options such as niches, benches, heated floors, and tiled sinks or vanities, let you customize everything to suit your taste and specific needs. Grab bars can be utilized to create safer spaces while still looking the part. Match your drain and trim finish with your fixtures, create an accent, or match the tile colour and let your fixtures stand out. We can help you put together a bathroom you'll love, well into the future. If you're in the Ottawa or Cornwall area and are considering a curbless shower, get in touch with us today.

All About Grout

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 19:59:09 GMT

Cement Based Grouts

For well over 1000 years, tile setters have used grout as an essential part of any successful installation. Using the sand strata method, tiles would be laid on a bed of tamped sand, with a bond coat of wet mortar. This wet mortar also served to fill the joint between the tiles.

As methods and products evolved, grout became a separate product with a different composition from setting mortars or thin-sets. The main difference being that mortar has lime in it and grout does not. Grout is composed of water, cement, and sand.

The most common type of grout on the market today is cement based grout. This type is used in most residential installations.

This has been the standard for decades, and will continue to be. Cement based grout is sold in "sanded" and "unsanded" varieties.

Sanded grout has more course aggregates, meant for wider joints, while unsanded has a fine aggregate meant for thin joints. While it gets the job done, there are some drawbacks.

Cement based grouts are porous and require sealing to prevent staining. Efflorescence (visible mineral salts on the surface of the grout) is a common issue with any cement based product.

Mixing powdered grout releases chemicals into the air that are then breathed in by the installer, and potentially anyone else in the work area.

When mixing, the installer needs to take great care to ensure the mixture is correct, and consistent throughout the entire installation.

An incorrect ratio of water to grout can cause excess efflorescence, inconsistent colour, pin holes, and other issues. Most contractors leave the grout installation to their unskilled help, which does not turn out well.

Advancements in composition mean cement based grouts can offer very solid performance over the life of the installation. The key is choosing the correct one for the type of installation you are planning, and carefully following the manufacturers instructions.

We use and recommend Laticrete's Permacolor Select when choosing cement based grout for your project. Colours can be matched, customized or selected from the range of 40 available colours. Sealing is not required and it is eligible for lifetime warranty coverage.

Epoxy Grouts

Epoxy grout is a 3 part product, an epoxy resin, hardener, and coloured silica filler are mixed together at time of installation.

This is the most durable, stain resistant type of grout available. It is most commonly used in corrosive industrial settings where high chemical and stain resistance is required.

It also has many uses in commercial buildings, and residential homes. Different formulations exist for residential and industrial applications.

Epoxy is completely stainproof, never needs to be sealed, and its colour is always uniform. It's easier to clean than standard cement based grouts, and cures harder.

The only drawbacks to choosing epoxy grout are the increased upfront cost, and more difficult installation when compared to cement based grouts. You must mix the entire package contents at once, and cannot stop or only grout a section at a time.

Pre-mixed Grout

Pre-mixed grouts are now widely available, and each are made differently. Some are acrylic based, others are urethane based.

Being one unit requiring no mixing, the installation is quicker and cleaner. The installer is able to grout small sections as required, or a huge floor, without worrying about wasted material.

Premixed grouts are very colour consistent, being coloured the same way as epoxy grout.

The softer composition of premixed grouts is one reason they can be problematic. They usually are not rated for submerged or steam shower applications because the constant water exposure breaks down the grout.

Pre-mixed grouts often fail in showers when they are used for extended periods of time in a day, by multiple users.

One pre-mixed grout offers performance that is comparable to epoxy grout, and is way easier to work with.

Laticrete's Spectralock 1 pre-mixed grout is stainproof in residential applications, has no efflorescence, and is suitable for submerged applications. It is also eligible for lifetime warranty coverage.

How To: Repair Drywall

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 15:55:36 GMT

How to: Repair Small Drywall Damage

Required Tools and Materials

This method is for repairs under 6”x 6”. To repair a larger area, other steps are required.

Inspect the area to be patched. You’ll be looking to make sure the visible damage is all that needs to be repaired. Potentially, the drywall is also broken or soft on the back side of the board, around the perimeter of the visible damage on the surface. If required, cut out any extra damaged board you find.

If there is no hole and you are only repairing surface damage, or the existing hole is not square, you will have to cut the board square to allow your patch to fit easily. Make sure to remove any dust before proceeding.

Now the area is ready to be repaired. The next step is to prepare your patch piece of drywall. Measure the area to be repaired, and cut a piece of drywall 2” bigger than this measurement on both sides.

On the back side (brown) of your patch, score the measurement of the hole, but do not cut all the way through your patch.

Now, remove the leftover pieces of drywall, leaving the paper face behind and attached to your patch. You should be left with a piece of drywall, with 1” of paper extending out past each edge.

If using pre-mixed drywall compound, follow the directions on the container and mix in a small amount of water in before use.

Take your drywall trowel, and spread mud on the face of the board around the hole. A little excess mud on the edge of the board is ideal, especially if your patch is slightly smaller than your hole.

Set the patch into the hole, and smooth out the paper, making it as flat as possible. Feel the patch with your hand to make sure there are no air pockets beneath the paper.

Spread mud over the entire surface of the repair, extending out at least 6” past the paper on all sides. Do your best to get this coat as flat as possible, but the most important part is that all the paper is covered.

Allow the area to dry, a fan can be used to speed up the process.

Use your trowel to scrape down any ridges or high spots in the repair. Do not sand at this stage.

Apply another layer of compound, coming out past your previous perimeter to allow your repair to blend into the existing wall.

On some smaller repairs, 2 coats may be all that is required, but most often 3 are needed.

Apply a finish coat of compound by adding a little more water to your mud. Using a 8” or larger trowel, spread a thin layer over the area, again extending past your previous perimeter. Adjust the angle at which you pull the trowel to get the thinnest layer possible for this coat. This will fill any small imperfections and make sanding easier.

Once dry, very lightly sand the area with a 150 grit sanding sponge. You can also wet sand with a grout sponge, to control dust in the area. If dry sanding, make sure to remove all dust from the area before painting.

Apply a high quality latex primer before painting. Inspect the texture of the existing wall around the patch area.

It’s likely that your patch is perfectly flat, while a wall that has been painted 10 times is likely to have much more texture. If you wish for the patched area’s texture to match that of the existing wall, apply extra coats of primer until suitable.

Apply 2 coats of high quality latex paint. To match the existing wall paint, you will have to paint the entire wall.

Anatomy of a Failed Shower

Sun, 23 Feb 2020 16:41:16 GMT

Why Do Showers Fail?

This is an animation of a traditional shower system with pan liner and mortar bed. If you have a tiled shower in your home and have never replaced the shower, this is likely the system you have.

The installation method in this animation is incorrect, but more often than not, this is how the majority of showers we tear out were constructed. The fasteners installed through the pan liner cause water and vapour to grow mould on any organic material behind the shower. In our area, a pre-sloped base under the pan liner is almost never found, which allows the water to stagnate under the tile. As you can see in the video, the corners should be folded, but are often found cut and overlapped/glued when removed.

Do you suspect your tiled shower has failed? Would you like to have a professional inspect it? Call us for a no cost inspection and replacement estimate on a shower that's guaranteed not to leak.