I’ve never used Latacrete or Kerdi products but it looks easier to use then anything else when doing a shower base from the little I’ve seen about it. Does anyone have any good info on these products? HAs anyone had much experiance with them and if so how well do they work and how difficult or easy is the application. Any tips or cautions?
Thanks
Be well
Namaste’
Andy
It’s not who’s right, it’s who’s left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Replies
I can't give you a good answer myself but this forum has more info on your question than you might care to know:
http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php
Thanks Evan.....yeh....I was there a few weeks ago.....probably will go back ..Its just that I know these blokes here and figured I'd get some humor mixed in with facts...lol...thanks man
Be well
Namaste
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
When I was renovating my current home, I designed shampoo bottle niches for the shower and bath. I showed the tile contractor an article in FHB on niches which (I believe) described the use of laticrete. He used it to waterproof my niches and, judging by the appearance of this stuff, it would scare the hell out of any moisture.
All has been well for about three years now.
Eric Svendson
Silver Spring, MD
Apples and Oranges.
Laticrete 9235 is generally for waterproofing floors (except showers) and walls of any variety applied directly to the setting bed. It is a latex mat, applied by spreading black latex, imbedding a mat, and re-applying the latex. It is messy and disgusting work. It is not recommended for shower liners (which are applied to the pre-slope), and I would recommend PVC, CPE or hot mop. It is fairly inexpensive.
Kerdi is designed for shower floors, in lieu of a liner. It is applied directly to the setting bed and afixes directly to a special Kerdi drain. It can be used as an independent waterproofing agent without the drain for walls and floors. It is fairly new to this country, and anyone with experience with it, has acquired it only in the last few years. This stuff is German made and is very expensive.
Other waterproofing agents include Pasco and NobleTS, which are sheet membranes made with PVC which again are applied to the setting bed. This stuff is moderately priced.
As for recommendations, I would never use Laticrete as a liner on top of a pre-slope. There is no way to adequately interface it with the drain, and there would be this huge gap around the drain which would be un waterproofed, and where water could, and would, go right into the subfloor and framing. Mold would grow and you would have a soggy smelly awful mess. There are some that have successfully used Laticrete 9235 for this purpose by spreading it out over the clamping drain, but there just isn't enough to clamp onto, and the interface between the walls and the floors becomes really, really dicey. Some will disagree with me, that is my experience. It is a great product for walls and floors however.
Kerdi is a great product, but hard to get and is not Code in most cities. That does not mean it won't work, it will and is equal to and perhaps superior to the typical PVC liner. What it does mean is that you will have to do a song and dance for the inspector. The special drain also allows you to adjust the drain for height after the setting bed is in, which is nice. Because it is on top of the setting bed, one eliminates the need for a pre-slope. But it is too expensive and too complicated to deal with visa vis the authorities, who don't understand the product.
For my money, I would use regular, ordinary, garden variety PVC. I have been using it for 20 years and have never seen a failure which was due to the product. The failures have been due to the installer punching holes in the liner below the curb line, not clamping it tight enough, not installing a pre-slope, or leaky improperly constructed seams. You can do a liner job for less than $100 including the liner, the special glue, and some tubes of butyl. If you can wrap a Christmas present, then you can make a liner out of PVC.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1927
Edited 8/26/2002 6:12:51 PM ET by Boris Yeltsin