Advice For Tiling On Tanked Area For Wetroom And Few Other Questions

[woking]

Hi Guys,


New to the forum I need advice in the few areas of tiling for by bathroom that my builders are currently making up from scratch.

Here is what we plan: Wet room style tray fitted with full wet room setup from OTL. Tray former is 24mm birch ply and I am planning to lay 25mm marine ply to the joists for the rest of the floor. Additional support will be built for the former to fit it between 60mm spaced joists. Walls will be made from 18mm marine play on the side of the shower area and green pasteboard for the rest of the room. Loose wire warm up will be used for under floor heating area including wet room tray. Tanking membrane and corner tape will be used for waterproofing. OTL provided tray former, tanking stuff, tape, corners, primer and waist.

Main tiles are 9.28mm 300mm x 600mm 3.5 kg. Floor tiles are 12mm x 220mm x 900mm 5kg.

Here are the questions I have:

1. Should I use Hardibacker boards instead of pasteboard on the wall? My builder is not very keen on Hardibacker board as he says he will have to pre-drill them which will be time consuming.

2. Would 25mm ply give enough sturdiness laid over 600mm spaced joists or should be more support used?

3. I spoke to OTL guys and they say that normally tiles are laid direct on the ply that had tanking applied to it. My builder say that he previously had to lay Ditra or similar materials prior to tiling on the floor. He also says that tiles might not stick well if laid direct on tanking. He also mentioned that different material used for tray that for other part of the bathroom. Should I just use tanking and tile direct to it or should I also add Ditra or similar membrane? I want very good waterproofness but having both tanking and Ditra seems too much overkill or not? And my concern is that it will further increase finished floor level.

4. We also really want to have tiled shelf built in the stud wall but not sure if it would be possible to waterproof really well it and tile over in nice manner. Our builder seem a bit hesitant ti make it and say he cannot guarantee waterproofness. I’be sewn one done on Utube with corners and tanking. Does this type offers very good waterproofness? (We were considering shelves made from Kerdi boards but they a bit too wide to fit where we would like them.

5. Tiling corners. We would like them but our builder say they do not stay well on tiles and might make them not stay in place very well. Should they be used or naked tile edge good enough? My concern it that age will be prone to scuffing…


Please let me know what other factors I should take into consideration and ask my builders to do.

I think I would have more questions along the way but hoping to get moving in the right direction for now.


Would really appreciate your advice guys.

 

[One Day]

I'm really kind of sorry to say this, but with the description you've provided I'd personally not get involved at all with a set up like that. please, do yourself a big favour and read up on real wetroom systems from the likes of schluter and wedi. with the investment your going to spend, do it once and do it right. the words plasterboard, ply and hardibacker have no place in the vocabulary of professional wetroom installers, and builders should not be involved in the prep. instead, find yourself a properly trained installer. he or she will ideally have been on an approved installer course provided by one or more of the major wetroom manufacturers.

 

[One Day]

and your builder really needs to go back to school as far as bathrooms, wetrooms, showers and tiling are concerned...!

 

[woking]

I think with proper advice and guidance my builder should be able to do it properly. I was looking to get highly rated tiller to do tiling but anyone decent is fully booked this side of Christmas.

Has anyone had any experience good or bad with OTL wet room formers? I was recommended their wet room formers in favour of Wedi.

We are not planning full wet room setup. Shower area will have glass panels fitted on all sides.

Sorry I have quite a few questions but even if someone could get some of them answered that would be much appreciated.

 

[woking]

I think I probably posted in the wrong part of the forum. Maybe moderator could move it to
Tanking and Wetroom Installation Advice Forum

Thanks!

 

[White Room]

All done.

 

[mache]

Hi Woking,
I would take the advice of the professional tilers here, from the information you have given so far it certainly sounds that your builder is not competent to do this job for you. It sounds like you want this finished for Christmas, please don't let desire be your reason for pushing ahead with your builder. Better to wait until you have the right person available to do the job when they are available rather than push ahead now and have to have the lot ripped out and started again six months time because its failed. I also note that in your first post that you are going for a full wet room setup, but later you state it's not and that there will be glass panels on all sides. Which ever way you still need a sound structure from the off that is suitable for a wet room/wet area.

The guy's on here give sound advice. I did build my own wet room and was very pleased with the finished results but I did research on research, asked and took advice, and this forum was invaluable in achieving the end results. Be warned though that even those experienced in wet rooms also have peferences for various systems and methods so it can also get confusing.

My guess is that work has already started, please if possible stop where you are and hold the project until the right proffessional is available. Don't get fixed in thinking that the tiler is only giving the final finsh as he's not the base prepartion has to be right to start with, only your tiler can properly advise on this not your builder doing what he thnks the tiler needs.(read past forum threads you will very quick see this time and time again). Importantly check and double check the creditials on your chosen tiler. . A good starting point would be is he a member of this forum, can he give you references for previous installations, verify those references and don't just accept a few photographs as evidence as they could have come from anywhere. Just researching a few threads on this forum will show you the importance of this and a creditable tiler will have no problem in you asking these questions.

I wish you well in the project and hope you get the final result you are looking for, you next moves will determine if achieve this in the long term.

Best Regards
Martin.

 

[One Day]

there is simply no way a wooden shower former can ever be as effective as a wedi tray. wedi is totally waterproof, the wood is not. and please believe us on here when we warn that builders are not fit to prepare wet areas. we may joke that they're not fit to tie their own laces but the reality is that such a critical application is best left to real specialists, not ones who simply claim to know what's what. don't rush into this!

 

[Old Mod]

Cheers @mache,

it's great to hear feedback like that, it reaffirms our belief that spending time helping others, is a worth while task!
Cheers Martin.

 

[woking]

I have made decision on the tray. At the time was advised against Wedi. I am following tray manufacturers installation instructions. 25mm ply seem to give good support and I could not feel any flexing even if jump on it. Just wandering if it would still advisable to install uncoupling membrane.

 

[One Day]

advised against wedi?! by who? for what reason?! that's like being in the market for a new 4x4 and being advised against a landrover in favour of a ford fiesta!

 

[woking]

By competent plumber who installed both Wedi and OTL and preferred OTL for being more rigid and well supported waist design.

I wonder if someone who has installed OTL could reply to say if they just used tanking that comes with the kit or used any extra for waterproofing. Their German tanking staff supposed to be really good and not needed extra membrane.