shower base

[Denkel]

As you can see I have not added a lot to this forum. I'm sorry but I find myself reading the answers to my questions before I ask them and any advice or comments I propose seem inadequate or trivial when I see what others say. Compared to most of you I feel inexperienced and a relative novice.

But I cannot find any info for this... I am renovating a bathroom and ensuite, gutting both and starting afresh. The shower base... does it need cement sheet under it or can it sit directly on the floor boards? and do I lay plaster on the surrounding wall then cement sheet before tiles or just cement sheet then tiles? Further, what thickness sheeting for each?.

Thank you all for your invaluable generosity and I believe I speak for silent majority.


Kel

 

[RightValue]

Hi Denkel,

An acrylic shower base shoud sit fine on a level floor, but a cement sheet may help even things out over floorboards. Sometimes the entire bathroom floor is covered in cement sheet nailed to the floor prior to laying the base and tiling as it helps to provide a smooth surface.

As for the walls of a bathroom. If you are taking it back to frame, use green wet area plasterboard and you can tile directly over that. Ensure that the tiles are well sealed around the shower base.

cheers,
RightValue

 

[Denkel]

Thanks RV. Much appreciated!

Once again, this forum helps me out. Stay tuned for I'm sure to have more exciting questions to ask.

 

[WillG]

It may be worth while waterproofing the shower area before securing the acrylic shower base to the floor.

 

[sabre]

hi all love reading your posts seems i will have leaking shower work for many years to come. [email protected] cheers sabre p.s. seems to me everyone is an expert

 

[sabre]

sorry thats west australia should be [email protected] cheers sabre

 

[XBenX]

sabre, could you post an answer so that the forum could share in your expertise ? this adds value to the forum and if you answer it via private email you might be asked the qn again and again !

im also interested in the answer as I would have made a wrong suggestions the same as RV - shower base right onto the floor - waterproof version of hardiflex (etc) with some of that white waterproofing paint on sealant (whose product name I cannot recall) the tile away.

Or similar without the shower base....

I wanna know where Ive gone wrong !

 

[MichaelV]

Sorry I thought this site was all about sharing info!

If I was putting in a marbletrend type showerbase over floorboards I would definately put tile underlay under the base. This helps to distribute the load evenly across the floor and prevents the boards from expanding/contractiing. Common mistake is not to check out studs in the wall. Tile underlay should extend over lip on showerbase. bottom of tile in shower should be sealed with flexible silicon preventing capilary action behind tiles. Alternatively I have cut the floor out and made a sunken showerbase which is ideal for tiled floors where shower based forms part of the floor. Builders today are having shower areas coated with a waterproof membrane to prevent secondary damage should the showerbase fail. If installed correctly this should not happen!

 

[Guy]

My last shower base was onto an old timber floor & despite extensive use of a couple of jacks, we couldn't get it level.
I put down a 20-30 mm bed of concrete straight onto the floorboards, dropped the showerbase onto it & then put a spirit level over the base. Ran a trowel around to remove & smooth the excess, it worked well.

 

[sabre]

Hi all, I know this forum is for sharing info. I am just trying as a forum member to warn fellow forum members that a lot of reply posts on this subject are ##%$^&*(*&@!!!.
Please, please be very wary of this sort of info as it will in time cost $$$$$$$.
If I see any advice that is completley wrong I'll inform you guys but I still have a mortage to pay just like anyone else, and just like Assey who gives free advice she still charges a commision and Dale.gg the accountant will also do the same.

Sealing Leaking Showers, bathroom floors, baths, porches, verandahs, laundry floor, wc floors, pools, spas, ponds, fibreglass showers etc is what I am qualified to do.
So a standard leaking shower to seal costs $438.00 GST Included, cheap as chips really when you consider expensive rip out methods.

I've been in the bathroom industry and bathroom renovations for over 27 years now.
I'm licensed with the BSA here in Qld (gold card), and a member of the HIA and National Kitchen & Bathroom Association, No. 833093.
We are also in WA as well as in QLD and spreading across the nation (not a franchise). I'm a registered tiler of the Ceramic Wall & Floor Tilers Association in WA, Lic No. 120, also a Licensed Waterproofing Contractor, Lic No. 271, there as well.
I've also have a certificate in Business Management for Trade Contractors too. And did 8 years as a flexible flooring contractor.

So please don't be put out if I don't rush in to hand out free advice all the time, as it took quite a while and hard work to get those qualifications.

So good luck to all you out there having fun with those bathroom problems, but just remember we are the only Leaking Shower Specialist to offer a 15 Year Product Guarantee in writing.

Cheers. S.N.A F.U.

 

[Aceyducey]

Sabre,

I understand your position, it's perfectly normal for people to believe and be concerned that sharing information reduces the likelihood that people will pay for their services.

However, speaking as a marketer, and having both been a business owner & consultant, I have found that sharing information makes people realise how important it is they use a professional by alerting them to pitfalls & ideas they had not considered.

Sharing info works much better than listing credentials - particularly in an online environment, it shows that YOU know your stuff, not that you spent a few bucks to get some bits of paper.

I suggest you note that the people you named (Asy & Dale) and other people who would get lots of referrals from this forum (= $$$ business) such as Rolf Latham, Kevin Hockey & Simon Mack, are all generous with their knowledge and demonstrate their expertise, passion & professionalism through this information sharing approach.

Think about it

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[Jamie]

Hi sabre,

I agree completely with Acey here...

There are many people on the foum who have 20+ years experience in particular industries, and these are often the first to provide information free of charge.

Not one of them loses business because of this... in fact, many of the people I refer to are run off their feet with business because of this forum. By sharing information, you allow people to see how qualified and competent you are, and in turn these people will engage your services.

The 2 people you referred to (asy and Dale) both run full time businesses, have families, and still take the time to help others through their posts on the forum (around 3000 posts combined). Neither of them take commissions for any advice they give here... they do it freely and without question (often to the detriment of a social life )

I hope that you stick around the forum and share your knowledge in this area, rather than hold back in the hope of snaring customers. As you can see, the more you share with the forum, the more you benefit in the end.

Best wishes,

Jamie

 

[Jas]

Originally posted by Jamie
Neither of them take commissions for any advice they give here... they do it freely and without question (often to the detriment of a social life )

To further Jamie,

Their forum customers become their friends, and their advocates. I happily recommend them to people as needed, because I know they'd do a good job, and that includs people I haven't used professioanlly (such as asy) precisely becuase she has proven time and time again that she understands her business.

Another example is my accoutant. I don't use Dale, but should my current accoutant and I part ways, do you think that he'd be the first on my list? He sure would be.

Sales books like rate customers. I can't remember them all, but the gist is customer, referrer, advocate.

Likewise sales people go up the ladder from ordertaker, to sales person, to 'friend in the business'.

Wouldn't you like to have the fourm as your adovacate? Wouldn't you like to be the fourm's 'friend in the business'?

Jas

 

[sabre]

I take all your replies on board & agree in many ways, but as I said at the very beginning I would help if any advice given by other members was completley wrong.

Cheers

 

[DaveC]

The problem of preventing shower areas from leaking causes a lot of anxiety to renovators. The damage caused by leakage can be add up to big dollars in repairs.

A builder I used on a bathroom reno went to a lot of trouble waterproofing the whole bathroom (not just the shower area) but failed to allow or movement effects and hence the membrane failed causing me a lot of grief.

As for repair methods.. there seems to be a wide range of views on methods and also costs involved.

Sabre, having a vested interest in this subject has put his two bobs worth in and has copped some flak. To be fair to him, I emailed him about my problem and did receive some constructive advice in return.

Sabre is promoting his company's method of leaking shower repair & the price seems cheap compared to the cost of a 'rip it all out" method.

I have opened up the yellow pages and been confronted by heaps of companies offering shower reseals without tile removal.
I would be interested to know if all these companies basically use the same products & methods. Also what do the guarantees cover? Do they cover failure caused by ongoing building movement, abrasion due to cleaning etc.

 

[Aceyducey]

Originally posted by sabre
I take all your replies on board & agree in many ways, but as I said at the very beginning I would help if any advice given by other members was completley wrong.

Cheers

Sabre,

Nothing person, but how could we trust your opinion that someone else's advice is wrong, or the advice you provide?

You've given us a shopping list of credentials, but frankly I could not trust that any of these are real if you'venot demonstrated any expertise.

Sorry Sabre, simple fact of life - you've got to give knowledge openly to get credibility....and to get all that leaking shower work you indiccated you wanted to get for years to come.

DaveC,

There are a few different methods out there for resealing, I don't have opinions on the different systems as frankly I've not yet found one who can give a good enough guarantee to justify resealing over the cost of redoing. I have found from experience that it's relatively cheap to simply rip out and replace a bathroom & the effect is much better - particularly when leaking has been an issue.

When leaking isn't an issue, White Knight is king!


Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[sabre]

HI . ACEYDUCEY i PROMISED that i would help or speak up YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ask aspecific question and i will help !! cheers S.N.A.F.U.

 

[Tibor]

Hi Sabre,

Firstly, thank you for any advice that is given. I am pretty sure that it will be appreciated by all those members who will do themselves as well as by those members who just want to understand, so the 'professionals' can not ripping them off or to verify that the job is done correctly.

I do appreciate you extensive qualification and experience took several years and considerable amount of effort to gain, but when you will give free advice

- you are promoting yoursleves and your services FREE (saves heaps on advertising) among people who are in the property game.
- while some people will use the advice and do the job themselves (instead of hiring your services) there are others who will either recommend you as an expert, other will use your services as they might not have the inclination or skills or time to do it themselves.

So you might loose some, but pretty sure you will make much more than you've lost. If you are interested in this, why don't you ask any of the freely contributing members how much extra business they had as a result of contrbuting to the Forum. I am pretty sure they had lots in directly as well as indirectly.

Just keep in mind that several people here have multiple properties and often asked for a recommendation by their friends
(words of mouth, the cheapest and most effective way of advertising).

Tibor

 

[sbe]

OK, My 2c worth now...

I've just done a bathroom, but am not an expert.

House is 4 bedder with floorboards / stumps.

Gutted the bathroom, left plumbing in same place to save hassle.

Shower base - Mortar onto floorboards. Previous base just sat there by itself. I decided to "glue" mine down.

Walls - Use AC sheets. The waterproof plasterboard works, but if you scratch the waterproof anywhere, water may get in. AC sheets, I don't care, they're made for it! I've pulled apart a bathroom tiles onto plaster (well, what was left of the plaster). Us AC sheet. Costs a bit more to do the job, cheap insurance but.

Floors - Tiled mine, over AC sheets for stability. Also, easier to rip up if you ever change your mind... I put a floor drain in at the same time - cheap insurance for a bath overfill.......

Good luck.

Simon.

 

[Nimee]

Hi Denkel,

Sorry I haven't got any advise to you ; but I will be interested to hear how it goes regarding this bathroom renovation.

I am also in Boronia, so if you found any reliable tradesmen etc I want to know

Sabre

read chaper 2 of this ebook ; I think you will always get more than you give; but you got to give first

http://www.jims.net/jim_book/surprise.htm