Bathroom Flooding

[Pete C]

We have split our en-suite into a bathroom and wetroom area. The wetroom area is formed by 4 walls North = 1500mm East = 1400mm South = 920mm West = 850mm. The entrance into the wetroom is via an opening 600mm.
A Tuff2 former 1500mm x 820 mm has been installed, butting up against the North/East/West walls. Dura CI was laid on the remainder of the 18mm WBP ply floor area.
The floor is finished with 300mm x 300mm porcelain "lava rock" tiles and the walls covered by Grant Westfield panels which are screwed/glued/sealed and sit on top of the floor tiles.
It all looks good, but on using the shower, the fall of the tiles not on the Tuff2 allows the water to follow the perimeter of the South wall and through the opening into the bathroom area. (The shower head is sited in the middle of the North wall).
At the moment we are using bath towels as makeshift sandbags, but this is only an interim solution until the tiler is able to rectify the problem.

The thought of ripping everything out and starting again is a daunting prospect and I doubt if the tiler would be prepared to go that far.

I am therefore wondering if anyone out there has an alternative suggestion that I could put forward to the tiler for consideration.
One possible idea that has crossed my mind is putting a drain channel across the doorway, assuming this can be plumbed in to the main shower drain. Fortunately the wetroom is above the garage so access should be possible by removing part of the plasterboard ceiling.
All suggestions gratefully received.

 

[jay]

hi pete sounds like lack of membrain to shower area (walls and floor )no easy fix not even with the drain you mentioned can you give more info like prep work prior if it was membrained prop water can onley run out door membrain should cover all floor and return up all walls about 2 inches shower walls should be inclusive need more infothat is according to our standards down here not sure about yours anybody!!!!

 

[Pete C]

Hi Jay,
many thanks for your quick response.
It is not that water is penetrating the tiles and leaking into the bathroom area - the tiles have been laid in such a way that water hitting the 600mm x 900mm strip that borders the Tuff2 former, runs away from the former drain and towards the bathroom area.
The prep as follows:
Tuff2 former 1500mm x 820mm laid plumb on joists
18mm WBP exterior ply laid on remaining floor area in the wetroom and throughout the bathroom area (approx 6 sq mtrs)
Both rooms tanked with Dura CI membrane ex-Wetdecs.
Bathroom area only laid with UFH
I think Dunlop large format adhesive was used across both rooms.
Nepal Polished porcelain tiles laid to the bathroom and "lava rock" tiles laid to the wetroom. They meet at the doorway and are joined by a 600mm aluminium strip.

 

[david campbell]

this is defo a problem with how the tiles were laid,they should all be sloping in towards the shower drain in that area,if you are planning to cut out a channel and connect it up with the drain you would probably be as cheap lifting the tiles in the shower area and having them laid properly!

 

[Pete C]

Thanks Dave, I agree that lifting the tiles would be the ideal solution, but this will mean the wall panels will have to be removed. They are stuck with gripfil and screwed down/sealed, so not an easy task and I think they would be rendered unusable. (cost £750 incl labour to replace).
I am trying to find a solution that we could live with and not kill the tiler, but if the concensus of opinion lies with re-tiling then so be it.

 

[basshunter]

I might be wrong but it seems the tiler is at fault?

 

[mikethetile]

all the tiles in wetroom shold have fallen towards the drain

you can add a drain across the door opening but its a lot of work and is going to be difficult to keep watertight unless you take up the tiles and and lay new membrane into the channel

if your going to lift the tiles you may as well fall them back to tray

the aternative is a kerb in opening which i appreciate is not really the look you were after and still leaves the problem of water laying beside the tray and not running away

your best bet is to lift the tiles and relay

 

[Pete C]

Thanks Mike and Basshunter, I am coming to the conclusion that lifting the tiles is the best solution and hope that the tiler is able to find a way of doing it without the need to remove the wall panels.

 

[david campbell]

i would also see your tiler as it sounds as if he may be at fault here,as the tiling in any wet room area should be worked toward angling it at the right drainage point!

 

[Saltire69]

Have you checked the falls Pete ?. Has the tiler cut the tiles to make sure the falls are correct.?

 

[jay]

no waterstop strip between wet area and bath this would help i agree with dave remove and re fall:8:

 

[Pete C]

Thanks to Saltire 69 and again to Jay for responses.
Falls have been double-checked and confirm why water runs away from the tray former drain and out of the wetroom into the bathroom area.
Jay, as the falls are out, a waterstop between wetroom and bathroom would only result in a dam forming inside the wetroom. As I see it, we have to catch the water before it exits the wetroom into the bathroom.
The current general advice is to lift the tiles and create the correct fall. I will put this to the tiler and consider what solutions he is able to offer.

 

[tile55]

Creating a fall (slight slope) is the only way you are going to rectify this problem.
The water is always going to sit in one position and not move unless their is a gravitational pull towards the drain. In effect the bathroom floor should be slightly higher than the shower area so that water cannot pool in the bathroom area and drain away naturally.

 

[jay]

pete the waterstop i mentioned is in case of acidental flooding ie partial blocked drain (face w3asher or soap restricting flow )if falls are correct should give you a bit of time to fix blockage without having to mop up large areas it is part of our standards down here if you do not have a level to check floors a marball or steel ball bearing should always stop rolling in the drain from edges of fall area oldie but a goodie