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Simple details to ensure that the shower seat installation is waterproof and trouble-free
Simple details to ensure that the shower seat installation is waterproof and trouble-free
If you remove one thing about building quality and shower waterproofing from this column, then you should really need to pay attention to the waterproofing of shower seats-that is, if you want to avoid expensive warranty calls from dissatisfied customers and homeowners.
Some large national builders have set Schluter Kerdi-Board as the standard specification for all shower bench seats, giving priority to this detail. The ceramic tile substrate is installed by trained installers and forms a 100% waterproof surface.
Is Schluter more costly than backplanes or membranes? certainly. But remember, large builders are companies that track expenses down to a penny. They have found that the extra expenses they spend on proper (and consistently) waterproof shower benches in advance are less than they used to deal with leaks, mold, and rot caused by ingress of water.
I do not recommend that all builders bear this additional cost, but if your shower room includes benches or other horizontal surfaces, such as window sills or pony wall caps, you need to be extra careful in waterproofing. Fortunately, the correct details will produce trouble-free results without putting pressure on the budget.
Many construction companies use 2-by wood and plywood frame shower benches and then cover the modules with EPDM membrane. The installation of the membrane was performed very well, which is good, but this kind of perfection is rare. It is difficult to put all the wrinkles on the inner corners of the shower seat, which can cause leakage and moisture problems.
A better way is to cover the plywood with a back sheet, and then cover the board with a liquid waterproof membrane.
You can use cement pads, but as pointed out in the previous column, you'd better use a gypsum-based product with a pre-sealed surface, such as Georgia Pacific DensShield. Not only is it inherently more waterproof than cement board, but it is also easier to install.
As shown in the figure below, before installing the backing plate, wipe the shower seat and the wall under the seat with butyl tape. After installing the board, seal all corners and exposed fasteners with C-920 25 grade caulk, and then cover the components with RedGard liquid waterproofing membrane from Custom Building Products.
The advantage of using DensShield is that you only need to extend the RedGard waterproof membrane up to 12 inches from the seat surface; for cement boards, you need to apply RedGard to the entire wall.
Needless to say, you should install the shingle type: the wall under the seat, the seat itself, and then the wall above the bench. This will eliminate the horizontal absorbent joints at the corners.
You also don't want seams on the surface of the shower seat-this means using something other than tiles as your finish. Consider using a single piece of marble, granite, or other solid surface materials. As with the pads, the correct order is to install the seat surface material before finishing the shower wall with tiles or other materials.
To ensure proper drainage, all horizontal surfaces need to be inclined at least 1/4 inch/foot toward the inside of the shower. This sounds like common sense, and most builders do a good job of reclining shower seats. However, in shower rooms with beamed windows, I often see window sills without slopes or slopes towards the windows themselves. This is the secret of disaster. Even if the window is above the shower head, the window sill is still a damp area that can (and will) collect water and needs to be treated like this.
As the building performance expert of the IBACOS PERFORM Builder Solutions team, John Koenig promotes the quality and performance of residential buildings.
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