New member with a quick question!

[stott]

Hi everyone,

I'm new on here, been reading through for months though coming up to starting my ensuite project and this site has been the business fair play.

I'm currently in the middle of it now and have a quick question.

I've removed the plaster from the walls, primed all with bal apd, tanked shower area with wp1 and tiled with travertine brick mosaic using bal rapidset flex (white), I've got norcros jasmine grout ready to complete it, and hg inpregnator too.

I masked the tray up and lipped the tanking onto it so it sits just behind the tile, but I'm confused as to the sealing of the tray.

If I seal between the tray and the tiles now, then what happens to the water that goes through the tiles and runs down the tanking? It seems to me that it would just sit there or have to make its way back through the tile/grout to drain off. In fact I read a post somewhere where the guy was complaining that his tray to tile seal was going mouldy but when he scraped it out to redo it water streamed out that was being held behind the tile.

Can anyone explain this for me please?

Cheers
Stott

 

[White Room]

Hi and welcome....depends on how many are using the shower, an epoxy would add better degrees of waterproofing, a standard grout may allow to much water through with a heavy usage.

 

[stott]

Thanks and I understand that bit, but my question is relating to the seal where the tiles meet the tray.

It seems to me that sealing this after tanking creates a similar scenario to sealing a shower enclosure internally, ie the water can get in but not out.

I just don't get why you would lip the tanking onto the tray, then seal it up so no water running down the tanking lip can escape.

Cheers
Stott

 

[Dan]

You'd use the tanking to seal the tray to the wall. Then without tile, the water would always run into the tray and down the drain. If you use that method, you'd only sticking tiles on to clean easily and look nice.

You'd then just use a small silicone bead which is required as the surfaces will expand and retract at different rates and if you used grout, it would fail eventually at that point (crack or fall out even).

If you used epoxy to seal and didn't tank, then the surface of the tiles becomes the water proofing, and the silicone is then an actual seal to prevent water getting behind there at all.

No need for both methods in one shower area though. And as epoxy is more expensive and takes longer to use than tanking systems, it's only really specified in certain areas.

 

[stott]

Ok thanks, so I've wp1d the walls, grouted with regular grout (non epoxy) and left a gap of 3-4mm to the tray which is currently open.

I get what you mean about sealing it up for aesthetic readons but was worried that I was sealing in all the water the tanking would "catch"

Cheers for the quick reply

 

[macten]

Hi, the water will come out the sameway it went in - evaporate out through the grout joints. Since the wall is tanked then the substrate is protected from this contact with water as the drying/evaporation takes place.

 

[prceramics]

think you are overestimating the amount of water that will get through the grout

 

[stott]

Cool, I'll go ahead and seal it up then, thanks to everyone for the replies

One more thing, what jasmine sealant would you lot use? Mapei?

Cheers
Stott

 

[Stef]

Hi, if you seal the travertine & the grout then it would only ever be a minute amount of water that would pass through to the substrate, ie tanking.

As said above it will either evaporate out or find its own way back out.

Cut out & replace the silicone if it does end up really mouldy.

Unless you are really thorough & clean & wipe down after every use & have good ventilation then i think its a hard job keeping mould a bay.

 

[John Benton]

Ok thanks, so I've wp1d the walls, grouted with regular grout (non epoxy) and left a gap of 3-4mm to the tray which is currently open.

I get what you mean about sealing it up for aesthetic readons but was worried that I was sealing in all the water the tanking would "catch"

Cheers for the quick reply

Did you make sure that when you grouted you "pushed" the grout in both directions to completely fill the joint. If you do not fill the joint completely then the depth of grout will vary therefore providing a shorter distance for water to penetrate.
If you have sealed tiles and grout then this will act as another barrier but it is always best practice to fill the joint fully.

 

[stott]

Yeah I tried my best with the grouting, at present I've used 6kg to do 4.5 square meters (not finished yet) so it's not going very far and hopefully is a good fill