How To Waterproof A Shower Floor Before Tiling

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor.

How to waterproof a shower floor before tiling.

After the second coat is dry and the whole shower area is prepped it s time to make tile decisions before going any further. You can also use plywood we typically call the tile people to put a mud bed sloped to the drain before we get going. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. You ll need to let this second coat dry another 24 hours before it s ready.

Second waterproofing on flats and down to floor. Tiles are cut as necessary to fit where they belong. Sheet membranes are plastic or elastometric sheets that have to be bonded to the substrate before tile installation. Measure each wall area calculating the width times height.

This means deciding where the first tiles will be laid and how the tiles will align with floor and wall joints. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. Cement is actually a very porous material and can easily absorb water. This used to be done with sand and it is still in the tcna handbook.

Tile and grout 1. For our shower we chose a running bond pattern. It s likely that different styles of tiles will be used for floor and walls based on how much slip resistance they provide. You ll need a design plan before you start attaching the tile.

Pattern they ll take is established. Once all the mortar has cured tiling can commence. There are two types of waterproof membranes sheet and liquid applied options. Install the preformed curb covering it with mortar and waterproof membrane.

Smooth the membrane with the trowel. Waterproofing concrete is a fairly simple procedure. Water can ruin the best tile installations destroy bathroom walls quickly and seep through floors to attack foundations if the waterproofing is badly done. To prevent water damage you must install a waterproof membrane just below the tile bonding mortar as close to the tile as possible.

Determine how much tile you ll need. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. Therefore any concrete that may come into regular contact with water such as under tile or for a pool will need to be waterproofed. After letting the waterproofing agent dry apply a final coat of waterproofing to the walls and bathroom floor with a brush or roller.

Fortunately waterproofing an enclosure is only a matter of proper preparation of the walls before the first tile is laid.