Tiled Shower Wall
|Tiled Shower Wall – When most people enter their tile shower they rarely take into account the behind the scenes process that went into making that shower work effectively. Unfortunately some contractors will use this with their benefits of go cheap and save a few bucks. I have to say most contractors are attempting to do a sufficient job, although some people might of which never learned the right procedure and why these processes are important. The best strategy to find the best tile contractor is usually to make them explain the theory. If they can tell you how it operates behind the scenes, higher you will get a good job. If your friends refer somebody for you will still be OK to inquire about these questions, all things considered what can your friends truly know regarding the first step toward a tiled shower? They may have realized a contractor that is nice and all to easy to help along with their brand new shower looks great, but when you won’t want to fight mildew in a few months but for the next twenty years you may ask a few of questions.
So let’s start at the start and explain common language and theory of the tile shower. First you have what is called a shower pan. This is a completely waterproof section that covers the shower floor or over the walls about 10″. This is the hot mop, (the variety of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar and the like) or it could be a PVC membrane that is certainly folded in to the corners and also over the dam. The most important part of this in your case the homeowner to know is naturally it is absolutely waterproof but additionally which it has what is called a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is only a float of cement or similar product underneath the pan that can cause a flow towards the drain together with the shower pan. This is important because, say as an example your shower pan is flat (no sub-pitch) water will cross your grout making its way towards the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle beneath your tile floor rather than flowing towards the drain it might be stagnant and very quickly can be mildew within your grout. With a sub-pitch water which makes its way towards the pan continues to flow towards the drain always being replaced with fresh water. It is much like the difference between a pond along with a creek.
Next there is a vapor barrier that is certainly applied towards the walls directly towards the wood studs. This is ordinarily a paper which has a tar held in the middle. This paper keeps moisture 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 lining wall, out with the grout and down towards the pan, without vapor barrier paper you will get small amounts of water to your wall cavity. So you say “why should I worry about a real small amount of water”. The reason is when you invest in a drop of water within your wall each time your shower is used, those drops mount up as your wall doesn’t have any ventilation for evaporation, so eventually the wood is always moist. Do you know what loves moist wood? Termites, they love these conditions because they never have to travel back towards the ground to obtain a drink, they can just keep eating. It would be as if you and I never having to go towards the food store. Think of how productive we might be in the event it were the truth.
Well that’s the theory of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you follow these guidelines your new shower has the best potential for looking wonderful for several years, without extreme maintenance.
So a final thought, I hope it is been an informative and also understandable explanation of why an adequately 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 the job well done.