When planning a wet room the background must be stable and rendered watertight against moisture before tiling begins.
Always give consideration to the best material to use. Natural stone is beautiful and unique but is also porous to varying degrees and may contain minerals that can react with water over time. Porcelain tiles are non-porous and have high-grip finishes.
Tiles themselves don’t form a waterproof layer, therefore wetrooms and any other areas which will be subject to high levels of water should have the substrate underneath water proofed or ‘tanked’. This process prevents any damage to the underlying surfaces. Suitable tanking can be achieved by use of Schlüter waterproofing membranes, sealant adhesives and drainage systems.
Water resistant adhesives, grouts and substrate materials should always be used, even when tanking. Use of substrate materials which are susceptible to damage by prolonged exposure to moisture should be avoided.
Any fall required in a wet room should be incorporated in the substrate where possible, Schlüter have a range of preformed showerbases, for use in conjunction with their range of floor drains, to help with this.
Schlüter-KERDI matting is a waterproof membrane made of soft polyethylene, which has been covered in a special fleece to anchor the membrane to the tile adhesive. This membrane can be fixed to any even, load bearing, nonflexible substrate with a thin bed of adhesive. In order to maintain a watertight seal the edges should be over-lapped by 50mm. These joints must be sealed with an application of Schlüter-KERDI-COLL adhesive sealant to form a complete watertight seal.
Schlüter-DITRA 25 matting is a waterproof polyethylene membrane with a grid cavity structure and an anchoring fleece on its underside for use on floor substrates. It can be adhered to the underlying substrate using a thin bed of adhesive. If a waterproof seal is required, the joints should be overlaid with Schlüter-KERDI-KEBA tape, and sealed with Schlüter-KERDI-COLL adhesive sealant.
When using Schlüter-DITRA 25 matting the tile dimensions should be a minimum of 50x50mm, and the adhesive bed a maximum of 10mm thick.
Schlüter-DITRA 25 matting serves a dual purpose for boarded substrates, firstly as a waterproofing membrane, when the mat joints have been sealed with Schlüter-KERDI-KEBA tape and Schlüter-KERDI-COLL adhesive sealant; secondly as an uncoupling or separating membrane between the floor and the tiled surface above to prevent stress cracks from transference of lateral movement.
Schlüter offer a range of floor drains which when combined with Schlüter waterproofing materials can provide a complete wet room solution. Floor drains are stocked with either 150x150mm or 100x100mm square stainless steel grates or alternatively as linear grill ranging from 500-1800mm in length.
It is important when choosing a shower to compare the output of the shower, with the drainage capacity of the drain. We can obtain other linear grill sizes and designs from Schlüter’s range as well as levelling boards and preformed showerbases.
Showers should not be used for 14 days after grouting.