Stone Shower Walls
|Stone Shower Walls – When most of the people enter their tile shower they rarely think about the behind the scenes method that went into making that shower work correctly. Unfortunately some contractors will use this on their benefit to scrimp and save a few bucks. I have to say most contractors want to do a sufficient job, however some of these never learned the right procedure and why these processes are important. The best approach to find a good tile contractor would be to keep these things explain the thought. If they are able to show you how it works behind the scenes, it is more likely you’ll get a great job. If your pals refer somebody for your requirements it’s still OK must these questions, after all exactly what do your pals truly know about the foundation a tiled shower? They may are finding a contractor who is nice and all to easy to work with as well as their brand-new shower looks great, however, if you dont want to fight mildew in a few months as well as the next 20 years you may ask a few of questions.
So let’s begin at the start 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 over the walls about 10″. This is either a hot mop, (the amount of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar etc) or it’s really a PVC membrane that is folded in to the corners as well as over the dam. The most important point about this to suit your needs the homeowner to know is of course it is absolutely waterproof but in addition who’s has what is known a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is simply float of cement or similar product beneath the pan that induce a flow towards the drain on top of the shower pan. This is important because, say as an example your shower pan is flat (no sub-pitch) water will travel through your grout and make its way towards the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle beneath your tile floor rather than flowing towards drain it might be stagnant and very soon will become mildew in your grout. With a sub-pitch the water that makes its way towards the pan continue to circulate towards drain always being substituted for fresh water. It is just like the difference between a pond and a creek.
Next you do have a vapor barrier that is applied towards the walls directly towards the wood studs. This is commonly a paper with a tar kept in the center. This paper keeps moisture out from the walls. Why is this important? Not a lot of water penetrates the shower walls, nevertheless the substrate (the substrate is whatever surface your tile is stuck to, backer board, cement float, etc.) this surface can get moist. Moisture will move from substrate toward the interior wall, out with the grout and down towards pan, without vapor barrier paper you’ll get small amounts of water to your wall cavity. So you say “why should I bother about this kind of little water”. The reason is when you get a drop of water as part of your wall each time your shower can be used, those drops add together as 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 towards the ground to get a drink, they are able to just keep eating. It would be as you and I never having to go towards the food store. Think of how productive we could be in the event it were true.
Well that’s the thought of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you stick to the following tips your shower gets the best chance of feeling better for many years, without extreme maintenance.
So a final thought, I hope it has been an instructive as well as understandable explanation of why a nicely waterproofed shower makes a difference. As a Contractor I welcome customers who will ask me these questions, it tells me they understand the value of a job congratulations.