Porcelain Shower Wall Panels
|Porcelain Shower Wall Panels – When most of the 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 uses this to their benefits of scrimp and save a couple of bucks. I have to say most contractors making the effort to do a good job, although some people might of these never learned the best procedure and why these processes are very important. The best strategy to find a very good tile contractor is to you can keep them explain the theory. If they could tell you the way it operates behind the scenes, it is more likely you’re going to get a good job. If your friends refer somebody to you personally it’s still OK to ask these questions, after all what do your friends fully realize concerning the foundation a tiled shower? They may are finding a contractor who’s nice and simple to work with and their brand new shower looks great, but when you dont want to fight mildew in half a year and for the next two decades you’ll ask a couple of of questions.
So let’s begin in 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 and up the walls about 10″. This is either a hot mop, (the quantity of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar etc) or it could be a PVC membrane that’s folded into the corners and over the dam. The most important thing about this for you personally the homeowner to understand is naturally it’s absolutely waterproof and also which it has what is known a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is simply a float of cement or similar product under the pan that produces a flow towards the drain on top of the shower pan. This is important because, say for instance your shower pan is flat (no sub-pitch) water will travel through your grout to make its way towards the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle under your tile floor as opposed to flowing towards the drain it becomes stagnant and soon will become mildew in your grout. With a sub-pitch water which makes its way towards the pan continue circulation towards the drain always being substituted with water. It is much like the difference between a pond and a creek.
Next you do have a vapor barrier that’s applied towards the walls directly towards the wood studs. This is commonly a paper which has a tar trapped in the center. This paper keeps moisture out of 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 inside wall, out through the grout and down towards 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 type of tiny amount of water”. The reason is when you’re getting a drop of water inside your wall whenever your shower is used, those drops add up when your wall doesn’t have ventilation for evaporation, so eventually the wood is always moist. Do you know what loves moist wood? Termites, they love these conditions given that they never have to travel back towards the ground to acquire a drink, they could just keep eating. It would be just like you and I never having to go towards the food store. Think of how productive we’re able to be in the event that were the situation.
Well that’s the theory of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you stay with the following tips your brand-new shower contains the best probability of feeling better for several years, without extreme maintenance.
So a final thought, I hope it’s been an interesting as well as understandable explanation of why a correctly waterproofed shower makes a difference. As a Contractor I welcome customers which will ask me these questions, it tells me they view the value of a job well done.