# Forum Home Renovation Waterproofing  waterstop for frameless showers

## phild01

Hi
This has me asking - why a waterstop for frameless showers.  Doesn't the BCA deem this to be an unenclosed shower requiring the 1500mm waterproofing.  I take this to mean just make sure waterproofing extends far enough away from taps and shower head and not worry about waterstops under the shower frame.  So is this the correct interpretation provided I abide by the 1500mm rule?  The BCA comment that a flush fitting waterstop for frameless showers has me at a loss!
cheers
Phil

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## Oldsaltoz

> Hi
> This has me asking - why a waterstop for frameless showers.  Doesn't the BCA deem this to be an unenclosed shower requiring the 1500mm waterproofing.  I take this to mean just make sure waterproofing extends far enough away from taps and shower head and not worry about waterstops under the shower frame.  So is this the correct interpretation provided I abide by the 1500mm rule?  The BCA comment that a flush fitting waterstop for frameless showers has me at a loss!
> cheers
> Phil

  In short they want to prevent water getting out of the shower area. 
And, the 1.5 metres out from the shower spigot is to reduce the effect of water running over a concrete slab that has had no treatment. 
Best practice is to have the fall starting i.5 out from the shower spigot and install watertops there. 
Or, at least waterproof the slab between the shower and room floor waste following the lowest contour. 
Hope this helps.Good luck.   :Smilie:

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## phild01

Thanks, I do understand that but I am thinking of my situation where the floor is fully waterproofed and the frameless screen is around 1m from the spigot.  So if the entire floor is waterproofed satisfying the 1.5m rule, then why bother with waterstops (there is a general floor waste as well).  The BCA writes this up as frameless is non enclosed but no discussion of the shower footprint area being less than 1.5m or falls beyond the frameless screen, it just seems to infer ambiguity! It mentions waterstops for frameless but what is the exact mention of waterstops for unenclosed showers.  I think it is a poorly written rule!  My bet is they considered it a dilemma, perhaps thinking a frameless shower at some time getting replaced with a framed or semi-framed shower.  If this occurred the whole ruling falls apart due to waterstops finishing flush, or tilers burying the waterstop and overfilling with grout at the frameless shower door section for the better look.   

> In short they want to prevent water getting out of the shower area. 
> And, the 1.5 metres out from the shower spigot is to reduce the effect of water running over a concrete slab that has had no treatment. 
> Best practice is to have the fall starting i.5 out from the shower spigot and install watertops there. 
> Or, at least waterproof the slab between the shower and room floor waste following the lowest contour. 
> Hope this helps.Good luck.

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## shauck

I'm far from an expert on this stuff but from what you say and your interpretation of the situation, you could say the whole bathroom is the shower and should be waterproofed and drained accordingly (which you have done) and the stop should be at the doorway to the bathroom. Makes sense to me.

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## ringtail

Agree. Wet room.

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## phild01

Well yes it seems to be a wet room, in my instance, even though there is a toilet and vanity etc.  I just thought that waterproofing is now done for the whole bathroom as a matter of course.  Even so I was trying to restrict the discussion to an area of 1500mm as per BCA ruling, which is really just a bare minimum requirement.  And I am just trying to get my head around their rule which mentions waterstops for frameless showers yet says it is an unenclosed shower area.  From what I recall I should be able to dismiss any need for waterstops except the one at the room's door.
Just on this point as well, if the room isn't fully waterproofed, why put a waterstop at the entry door at all!

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## BaysideNana

An interesting and timely discussion for me too as I'm going through the same right now and finding that tilers quoting on the job are all stating different regs so therefore their quotes are all over the place.   
A simple bathroom makeover (like Phil's) is starting to turn into a nightmare!

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## heavytrevy

If you have a frameless shower it needs a waterstop under the glass, at 1500 and the doorway if your not required(concrete 1st floor) to waterproof the whole floor. 
If the whole floor is required to be waterproofed ie (wood/fc sheeting /second storey)then the 1500mm waterstop can be left out. 
hope this clears some confusion.
 BTW doorway waterstops are to prevent water traveling under the tiles which originate from other sources than the shower recess.
They are also a scecond stop if the recess waterstop is breached   

> Well yes it seems to be a wet room, in my instance, even though there is a toilet and vanity etc.  I just thought that waterproofing is now done for the whole bathroom as a matter of course.  Even so I was trying to restrict the discussion to an area of 1500mm as per BCA ruling, which is really just a bare minimum requirement.  And I am just trying to get my head around their rule which mentions waterstops for frameless showers yet says it is an unenclosed shower area.  From what I recall I should be able to dismiss any need for waterstops except the one at the room's door.
> Just on this point as well, if the room isn't fully waterproofed, why put a waterstop at the entry door at all!

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## DaveTTC

Not sure if this sheds any light on the situation.   http://www.infotile.com/pdffile/advi...7201031556.pdf

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## phild01

> If you have a frameless shower it needs a waterstop under the glass, at 1500 and the doorway if your not required(concrete 1st floor) to waterproof the whole floor. 
> If the whole floor is required to be waterproofed ie (wood/fc sheeting /second storey)then the 1500mm waterstop can be left out. 
> hope this clears some confusion.
>  BTW doorway waterstops are to prevent water traveling under the tiles which originate from other sources than the shower recess.
> They are also a scecond stop if the recess waterstop is breached

  I got a bit loss with my thoughts, even with concrete, the walls intersecting with the floor would still have a band of waterproofing, so the door's waterstop would complete full perimeter protection of the frame.  But I don't see any need for the waterstop under the frameless shower screen unless a screed was used under the tiling; which I know is normal but I think is very poor building practice if the floor is not set down from the normal floor height of the house.  (Yes I think the variation of floor levels should be eliminated as much as possible, but can be be another thread for comment).

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## phild01

Thanks for this link and is useful reading.  I have read things like this before but it doesn't really address why a waterstop should be placed under the frameless shower screen if there is a 1500mm waterstop.  The opposing wall with bond breaker waterproofing would be enough.  Interestingly, no mention of the general floor waste, so is the ruling to accomodate any of our States that don't mandate a floor waste!! Also, I don't understand why waterproofing would be skimped for the 1500mm area of floor under any circumstance of shower enclosure.  It just doesn't take much more effort to do and the materials don't cost that much more.  Even if it is first floor concrete!  Maybe tradies just get too much money these days for the simple tasks such as this and price their services to the point where such simple tasks make people think twice how they can save money.   

> Not sure if this sheds any light on the situation.   http://www.infotile.com/pdffile/advi...7201031556.pdf

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