Shower cabins and bathrooms are subject to mandatory additional internal waterproofing. The fact is that, contrary to popular belief, tile coverings on their own do not provide adequate moisture blocking, so waterproofing the showers is necessary.
Waterproofing the shower floor
The design of the floor under the shower stall, especially if it does not have a tray. Allows the use of shower waterproofingproducts of any type. However, in the case of welded or bonded materials, it is necessary to pay additional attention to surface preparation and spending time on its leveling. The use of coating, spraying or penetrating compositions is possible in the presence of even significant local protrusions, sagging, depressions and other defects.
Roll products
Roll materials are a proven waterproofing option for showers without a tray. They are prepare on the basis of layers of fiberglass, synthetic canvas or paper impregnated with polymerized bitumen components. The base on which the roll products will be laid must be level and not have depressions or high tubercles. If the subfloor has any holes, cracks or other flaws, Straighten with a sand-cement screed. Treate the strips are laid out on a clean, dry surface with a primer, primer or bitumen-based mastic.
Coating and penetrating products
The technologies for using any consistency composition for waterproofing in a shower without a tray on the floor are similar . Apply them by coating with brushes, spatulas, rollers, as well as by pneumatic spraying. Such products have high adhesion and water-repellent properties, and are resistant to deformation loads. The main difference between the technologies for applying these types of waterproofing is that bitumen coatings are used only on well-dried substrates. While penetrating mixtures, on the contrary, require thorough moistening of the substrate. After completing the arrangement of the hydrophobic layer (rolled, coating, etc.), cover it with a cement-sand screed or form a concrete shower tray. The Kalmatron company recommends enhancing the water-repellent properties of solutions by adding a special additive Kalmatron-D to their composition . The finishing layer on the floor of the shower cabin is tiles with a special moisture-resistant grout.
Pallet installation
Waterproofing the shower tray, as in its absence, is carried out according to similar schemes. However, Install ready-made pallet , then you can avoid making a covering screed. In this case, it is necessary to carefully seal the seams around the installed plumbing product, using moisture-resistant sealants.
Waterproofing shower tiles
Tiles are capable of absorbing moisture and releasing it to the walls, and carry waterproofing of walls in bathrooms at the stage of floor installation. After processing the horizontal surface, they move on to the walls, covering them to a height of up to 200 mm. Protect the wall to which the shower stall is adjacent , but sometimes, to save money,allow partial coverage , approximately 500 mm up from the floor and to the sides of the water pipes. However, it is advisable to exclude such solutions in showers. To waterproof walls under tiles in the shower, use coating mastics and cement-polymer mixtures. Apply them in any convenient way (trowel, brush, spraying) so that the result is a smooth surface with fine relief, which is an excellent base for laying ceramic tiles. If the shower floor and its walls are made of brick or concrete, used deep-penetrating cement-base compounds. For example, if surfaces require preparation with a leveling layer, then Kalmatron-Econom plaster mixture is suitable.
Also Read: Eco-Friendly Plumbing Solutions in Altona: Green Practices
Waterproofing a shower in a wooden house
Bathrooms in wooden houses require a special approach to moisture protection issues. To correctly answer the question of how to properly waterproof under a shower stall in this case. It is necessary to consider only integrated approaches and act even at the stage of making the foundation under a wooden structure. At the construction stage, at the point where the shower stall will be located,install additional support posts should under the logs. For this, use building bricks . Waterproofing Melbourne offers a comprehensive range of waterproofing solutions for showers, ensuring your bathroom remains dry. Treat Wooden joists and rough flooring in the bathroom with antiseptic impregnations, followed by thorough drying. Coat them with bitumen or primer varnishes. These types of varnishes have high elasticity, which allows them to withstand deformation changes in the geometry of wood elements.
Features of working with waterproofing materials
Today, there are many waterproofing materials, each with advantages and disadvantages. When choosing them, you should focus not only on cost but also on the features of working with a specific type of waterproofing. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of waterproofing materials:
Coating materials
They are mastics based on bitumen or polymer-bitumen. Apply them with a brush or roller; the layer thickness is two millimeters. Their advantage is elasticity, high application speed, and polymerization within a few minutes.
Posted waterproofing
It is a roll of self-adhesive or weld-on materials.
Waterproofing a shower without a tray
If there is no shower tray in the shower, special attention must be paid to the waterproofing of the drain. Select a drainage location (in the center or a corner), connect the drain to the sewer, and fill the floor surface with a layer of concrete at a slope of 2-3° to the drain hole. After hardening the concrete, seal the seams with an elastic profile coated with waterproof glue. Before laying tiles, treat the floor surface with a coating mastic or a cement-polymer mixture.
Penetrating waterproofing
Modify cement-sand mixture with special additives. Penetrating the pores of concrete endows it with hydrophobic properties, as a result of which the base itself becomes a waterproofing material.
Waterproofing shower tray
At the preliminary stage of waterproofing the shower, it is necessary to install a drainage system and prepare the base. Level the floor with a screed, and after it has dried, glue the polystyrene foam boards; they will prevent the formation of condensation resulting from temperature changes.
Shower tray waterproofing
Clean the bathroom walls from the old finish and, if necessary, level it with plaster mortar. For this, you can use both traditional cement-sand and modified construction mixtures. At the final stage, before laying tiles or other finishing materials, treat the walls with polyurethane-based mastic. Pay special attention to areas exposed to increased moisture.
