Onyx Solid Surface Shower Walls

The Onyx Collection Shower Base Color Thunder And Travertine with sizing 2448 X 3264

Onyx Solid Surface Shower Walls – When most people enter their tile shower they rarely think about the behind the scenes process that went into making that shower work effectively. Unfortunately some contractors uses this for their benifit of go cheap and save a couple bucks. I have to say most contractors are attempting to do a sufficient job, however some ones never learned the correct procedure and why these processes are important. The best approach to look for a tile contractor is to make them explain the theory. If they are able to let you know how it operates behind the scenes, it is more probably you’re going to get an excellent job. If your pals refer somebody to you personally it is OK to ask these questions, in the end so what can your pals really know in regards to the first step toward a tiled shower? They may are finding a contractor that’s nice and easy to use and their brand-new shower looks great, in case you won’t want to fight mildew in six months as well as the next two decades you will ask a couple of questions.

So let’s begin in the beginning and explain common language and theory of an tile shower. First you have what is known a shower pan. This is a completely waterproof section that covers the shower floor or higher the walls about 10″. This is whether hot mop, (the industry quantity of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar and the like) or it can be a PVC membrane which is folded in to the corners well as over the dam. The most important point about this in your case the homeowner to find out is naturally it’s totally waterproof but additionally it has what is known a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is only a float of cement or similar product beneath the pan that induce a flow for 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 cross your grout to make its way for the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle below your tile floor rather than flowing on the drain it becomes stagnant and soon can be mildew in your grout. With a sub-pitch the river that makes its way for the pan continues to flow on the drain always being substituted with freshwater. It is just like the difference between a pond along with a creek.

Next there is a vapor barrier which is applied for the walls directly for the wood studs. This is commonly a paper that has a tar held in the center. This paper keeps moisture out from the walls. Why is this important? Not a lot of water penetrates the shower walls, though 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 inside wall, out with the grout and down on the pan, without vapor barrier paper you’re going to get small amounts of water in your wall cavity. So you say “why should I concern yourself with this kind of little bit of water”. The reason is when you’re getting a drop of water inside your wall whenever your shower is employed, those drops add together because your wall doesn’t have any ventilation for evaporation, so eventually the wood is usually moist. Do you know what loves moist wood? Termites, they love these conditions because they never have to travel back for the ground to secure a drink, they are able to just keep eating. It would be just like you and I never having to go for the food store. Think of how productive we could be in the event it were the situation.

Well that’s the theory of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you stick to these tips a new shower gets the best chance of being confident for many years, without extreme maintenance.

So a final thought, I hope this has been an informative and also understandable explanation of why an adequately waterproofed shower makes a difference. As a Contractor I welcome customers which will ask me these questions, it tells me they comprehend the value of an job done well.