I have a question in regards to the “How to install a shower” video by Tom Meehan on the main page. I am currently redoing an upstairs shower that leaked. It was installed poorly with tile over plain old drywall and a fiberglass shower pain. The tile/drywall leaked, the pan eventually cracked, and now I have water damage to the kitchen ceiling. So it was time to do this job again. So I went to this site for resources and information. I did watch the videos with Tom Meehan and read some of the previous posts on the Breaktime forums. I have thought about the Kerdi system as a possible solution for the water proofing as well. But here is the question:
In the videos by Tom Meehan, he only uses Kerdi on the shower base corners/seams and the shower pan itself. Is that a standard? I thought one would use the Kerdi shower system for the entire shower and not just the base and corners/seams? I will be intalling cement backer board throughout the shower and was going to use the Kerdi shower base and drain.
Should I used the membrane as well on the wall, should I used the membrane on base and bottom corner seams, or what? I have seen several ways to apply and I just want to do this job right. Any thoughts???? Thanks
Replies
bump!
Installing a shower video? ;) or video showing how to install a shower. :) eh the bump will get you more exposure.
Shower Video
Were you thinking maybe Bates Hotel shower video?
IMO, you should use kerdi as the pan, and as the wall waterproofing..
Note that when kerdi is used as the pan, it must be used over a pre-sloped mortar bed (or other type of pre-slope).
You might want to go do some reading over at JohnBridge.com. That is a great place to learn about tile work and mud jobs. IIRC, there's even an old thread that has a ton of pics describing how to do the mortar pre-slope.
Hybrid
I haven't seen the video so I can't comment on what he did to the walls and how he tied that to the pan, but there are a lot of hybrid applications of Kerdi.
The "proper" way to do Kerdi is for a Kerdi drain, Kerdi floor, and Kerdi walls. The slope can either be created with a Kerdi foam tray, or with deck mud. I almost always use deck mud.
I'm of the mind that if you want a topical membrane, then use a topical membrane throughout the shower. Using a topical on the floor and a buried membrane on the walls is sort of half-arsed. My opinion.
If you need a vapor barrier for a steam shower, then you only have a couple of choices for topical membranes, Kerdi is one of them.
Trowel on membranes on the floor can get tricky with a clamping drain, you can divot the floor, etc.
I'd say the latest in hybrid applications is the Kerdi drain combined with a trowel-on membrane on the floor slope and the walls.
If you want to do this job once, do it right, and if you desire the warm-fuzzy of being fully covered by a manufacturer's warranty, then stick to the manufacturer's installation instructions. Kerdi drain, Kerdi floor, Kerdi walls. The Kerdi tray versus deck mud slope, either is fine, both are accepted.
Need a link, if it exists
Mongo, is there any way to bring up that thread you did a while back about how to do a Kerdi shower?
I wanted to send it to a friend but no clue how to find it in the new and inproved BT.
Seems more like Brokentime here as far as finding anything.
Joe H
thread is there but no photos
The thread is still there, but all of the embedded photos are lost. I actually contemplated going through and editing the photo links back into each post, but it appears these forums are dying a slow death and it just might not be worth my efforts.
Here is the original thread: http://forums.finehomebuilding.com/breaktime/photo-gallery/kerdi-shower-w-niche
About a year ago some woman took my pictorial and saved it on her own website. I'll dig and see if I can find that url.
Bummer
A completed illustrated article of how to build a shower vanished down the Revson ego hole.
If you find the link I'd like to have it, got a friend that wants to do a shower and has no experience (or clue) and could use the help.
Joe H
Found it
Tried to start a new thread by doing a simple cut and paste of the first post, some text and a couple of photos. Is pastes fine onto the window and shows the text and photos perfectly, but when I post it it only loads the text.
I tried a couple of variations of the simple copy and paste, no go.
So to redo it, it looks like I'll have to load/link it photo by photo. Right now I don't have the motivation to spend a couple of hours browsing through and uploading photos. Maybe over the course of this week I'll get it going.
School maint guy got 4 years inna pen here for installing one of those at the high school........