Custom Shower Wall Panels
|Custom Shower Wall Panels – When a lot of people enter their tile shower they rarely consider the behind the scenes procedure that went into making that shower be effective. Unfortunately some contractors uses this on their benifit of go cheap and save one or two bucks. I have to say most contractors are attempting to do a good job, however some ones never learned the correct procedure and why these processes are important. The best approach to find the best tile contractor is always to keep these things explain the idea. If they could tell you how it works behind the scenes, it is more likely you will definately get an excellent job. If your friends refer somebody to you it is OK to inquire about these questions, after all exactly what do your friends really know regarding the foundation of a tiled shower? They may are finding a contractor that’s nice and all to easy to use in addition to their completely new shower looks great, however, if you dont want to fight mildew in 6 months as well as the next 2 decades you may ask one or two of questions.
So let’s start at the start and explain common language and theory of a tile shower. First you have what is known as a shower pan. This is a completely waterproof section that covers the shower floor and up the walls about 10″. This is whether hot mop, (the number of layers of tar paper, hot tar, tar paper, hot tar and so on) or it’s really a PVC membrane that is folded in to the corners and also over the dam. The most important point about this for you personally the homeowner to learn is needless to say it’s totally waterproof but in addition it has what is known as a sub-pitch. A proper sub-pitch is simply a float of cement or similar product beneath the pan that induce a flow for the drain in addition to the shower pan. This is important because, say for example your shower pan is flat (no sub-pitch) water will cross your grout and make its way for the pan while showering. If this water forms a puddle under your tile floor as opposed to flowing on the drain it might be stagnant and soon can be mildew with your grout. With a sub-pitch the water that creates its way for the pan continue to flow on the drain always being replaced with fresh water. It is similar to the difference between a pond along with a creek.
Next there is a vapor barrier that is applied for the walls directly for the wood studs. This is normally a paper that features a tar trapped in the guts. This paper keeps moisture out of 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 will 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 will definately get small amounts of water into the wall cavity. So you say “why should I bother about this type of small amount of water”. The reason is when you’re getting a drop of water within your wall each time your shower is used, those drops add up as your wall doesn’t have 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 for the ground to obtain a drink, they could just keep eating. It would be as you and I never having to go for the supermarket. Think of how productive we might be if it were the truth.
Well that’s the idea of waterproofing behind your shower walls. When you stay with these guidelines your new shower has got the best chance of looking great for many years, without extreme maintenance.
So in closing, I hope it is been an interesting in addition to understandable explanation of why an adequately waterproofed shower makes a difference. As a Contractor I welcome customers who will ask me these questions, it tells me they comprehend the value of a job done well.