Prefab Tile Shower Walls
|Prefab Tile Shower Walls – When many people enter their tile shower they rarely consider the behind the scenes method that went into making that shower work effectively. Unfortunately some contractors make use of this for their advantage to scrimp and save one or two bucks. I have to say most contractors want to do an adequate job, even though some of these never learned the correct procedure and why these processes are crucial. The best strategy to find the best tile contractor is usually to make them explain the idea. If they are able to inform you the ins and outs behind the scenes, the chances are greater you’re going to get a good job. If your mates refer somebody to you personally it’s still OK to question these questions, all things considered what can your mates actually know in regards to the foundation of a tiled shower? They may are finding a contractor who is nice and easy to use and their fresh shower looks great, in case you don’t want to fight mildew in 6 months as well as the next 20 years you will ask one or two of questions.
So let’s start at the beginning and explain common language and theory of a tile shower. First you have what is known a shower pan. This is a completely waterproof section that covers the shower floor or more the walls about 10″. This is the hot mop, (the industry number of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar and so on) or it’s really a PVC membrane which is folded to the corners as well as over the dam. The most important thing about this for you personally the homeowner to understand is of course it is absolutely waterproof but additionally who’s has what is known a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is simply a float of cement or similar product beneath the pan that creates a flow to the drain together with the shower pan. This is important because, say as an illustration your shower pan is flat (no sub-pitch) water will travel through your grout to make its way to the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle through your tile floor rather than flowing towards drain it becomes stagnant and shortly can become mildew with your grout. With a sub-pitch the river that produces its way to the pan will continue to circulate towards drain always being substituted for freshwater. It is similar to the difference between a pond along with a creek.
Next you’ve got a vapor barrier which is applied to the walls directly to the wood studs. This is usually a paper with a tar kept in the middle. This paper keeps moisture out from the walls. Why is this important? Not a lot of water penetrates the shower walls, but the substrate (the substrate is whatever surface your tile is stuck to, backer board, cement float, etc.) this surface is certain to get moist. Moisture will move from substrate toward the within wall, out over the grout and down towards pan, without vapor barrier paper you’re going to get small amounts of water into your wall cavity. So you say “why should I concern yourself with this type of little water”. The reason is when you invest in a drop of water inside your wall whenever your shower can be used, those drops add up when your wall doesn’t have any ventilation for evaporation, so eventually the wood is obviously moist. Do you know what loves moist wood? Termites, they love these conditions since they never have to travel back to the ground to acquire a drink, they are able to just keep eating. It would be just like you and I never having to go to the market. Think of how productive we might be if that were the situation.
Well that’s the idea of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you adhere to the following tips a new shower contains the best chance of feeling better for countless years, without extreme maintenance.
So a final thought, I hope it is been an instructive in addition to understandable explanation of why a nicely waterproofed shower makes a difference. As a Contractor I welcome customers that will ask me these questions, it tells me they understand the value of a job well done.