I have seen countless cases of poor bathroom waterproofing, resulting in very expensive waterproofing repairs and disruption to homeowners. This problem is more common than people realize, even in relatively new buildings, as well as in existing homes when bathroom remodeling is taking place. Bathroom waterproofing repair can mean major work because tiles, fixtures, tile bedding, etc. they need to go out to redo the waterproofing, not to mention restoring everything to its original state. Based on my personal experience, I have compiled a list of 10 major mistakes and reasons bathroom waterproofing fails that you need to take seriously.
The following general and specific mistakes come to mind when I look back on many of my bathroom waterproofing jobs done over the years. Many homeowners place little importance on bathroom waterproofing, especially shower stalls during the bathroom remodeling process.
1. Attempting to do the waterproofing work yourself, but inexperienced and not following the waterproofing material data sheet and application instructions.
2. Giving the work to an unlicensed and unqualified person and not requesting guarantees for the work in writing.
3. Floor and wall surfaces which may be concrete, particle board or fiber cement board, not properly prepared and primed prior to application of waterproofing membrane material.
4. Not allowing the waterproofing membrane material to dry before applying a bed of cement and sand or gluing the tiles.
5. Inadequate sealing of floor-to-wall and wall-to-wall corner details where there is a lot of movement due to temperature changes, which is particularly a problem with fiber cement sheet walls over wood framing .
6. Do not have the membrane folded under the bathroom door area with an aluminum or brass angle fixed to the floor first. This is a very common and easily avoidable mistake.
7. Inadequate sealing around pipe and faucet penetrations in the walls of shower stalls and bathtubs, usually because the plumber did not pay attention to detail or used the wrong sealant, resulting in water leaks in the wall. In some cases, the repair is not as extensive or difficult, but it will still cost money.
8. Although not directly related to waterproofing, the installer uses the wrong type of glue for ceramic coatings, because the walls were waterproofed with a polyurethane-based waterproof membrane, for example, while the glue used is based on acrylic.
9. The plumber should perform a water pressure test on the water pipes, leaving the pipes under water pressure for 24 hours, and do a visual inspection for water leaks before lining the walls to make sure there are no holes. in the system where water can slowly drip and find its way under the bathroom floor and surrounding areas. On some of the waterproofing rectification jobs I had contracted out, the culprit for water leaks under the bathroom floor turned out to be a small leak in the water pipe in the wall that kept dripping very slowly and saturating the area around it. it’s.
10. Lastly, if you are waterproofing your bathroom yourself, you should read the material manufacturer’s data sheet or the instructions on the side of the can, bucket, tube of sealant, or other packaging that the materials come in. waterproofing. . If I were to use a product that I have not used before, even though it is chemically the same type of material, I would still read the manufacturer’s instructions on application, primer, and other information because there might be something I don’t know. Please read the third-party application and instructions carefully and take the time to do the job thoroughly.
Take bathroom waterproofing seriously and don’t try to save money on this important part of your bathroom remodeling job. I hope this article has been helpful to you in avoiding the bathroom waterproofing mistakes mentioned above.
