# Forum Home Renovation Bathrooms  waterproofing a timber floor

## ScroozAdmin

Can anyone confirm if you need to sheet timber floorboards with say villaboard or ply before applying a waterproof membrane or is there some kind of mesh you use, thanks

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## president_ltd

yes - you need something to give you a far more 'flat' surface and with less joins that can move. 
recommend cement sheeting.  then if any moisture does get in it won't rot.

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## ucdailoi

> yes - you need something to give you a far more 'flat' surface and with less joins that can move. 
> recommend cement sheeting.  then if any moisture does get in it won't rot.

  I don't think that is the right way to go about it. The cement sheet will absorb the moisture and cause serious long term problems. You need to waterproof the  cement sheets with a product like Gripset and also put a bandage over the joints, as well as the joints to the wall before tiling the floor.

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## Pulse

Look up a manufacturer's wet area manual. The best way is to rip up the floor and resheet with scyon or something similar, then waterproof and apply a mortar bed to get the fall, then tile it. 
The other way is to sheet the timber with ceramic tile underlay and waterproof over that.  
Villaboard is a wall/ceiling product. 
Waterproofing and bathrooms need to be done right, not the best project to learn on or make mistakes on.. 
cheers
Pulse

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## njsamson

> Can anyone confirm if you need to sheet timber floorboards with say villaboard or ply before applying a waterproof membrane or is there some kind of mesh you use, thanks

  
Hi,
It is actually possible to waterproof a floor as such without laying ply or concrete by using a flexible Prelasti EPDM Membrane.  
Using a Prelasit EPDM membrane you can cover the whole surface with a single sheet of membrane of equal thickness which has enough elasticity to take up the movement of the floorboards.  
For more info on Prealasti email me on leigh.weller@njsamson.com 
Cheers  :Smilie:

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## dib

You can water proof right over timber floor boards, but if you intend on tiling then use cement sheet and waterproof that otherwise you increase the risk the tiles coming up in the future *but* you don't need to.

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## r3nov8or

A friend of mine has polished (3 coats / two-pack) hardwood floors in all wet areas - bathrooms, laundry and kitchen. Council accepted based on aesthetics (whole house is original polished boards).  
He also contends that the detection of failed waterproofing under cement sheet and tiles would take far longer (therefore cause more damage) than detection of leaks and the potential for water damage upon polished boards.   
But I'm in two minds... What do you all think?

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## Oldsaltoz

If you are planning to tile the floor you only need to nail down some 'tile overlay' sheets.  
This is then waterproofed and flashings added to the wall/floor joint. 
If you get the waterproofing done by a professional it will come with a 5 year warranty and a certificate of installation. 
Worth noting that insurance claims for leaks are not processed without certification. 
Avagoodweekend...... :Biggrin:

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