# Forum Home Renovation Waterproofing  Waterproofing universal shower base and general waterproofing techniques

## Vanda

I had a tiler quote for waterproofing some time ago (who I wont be using as he was too blasé about the whole process) and he advised he would cut the 'under shower' return from the Universal Shower base and install an aluminium angle - does this sound right? This is the only shower screen going in as it's a walk in shower, with the fall going to a shower grate. I thought I would use the shower base lip/return that's fixed to the base but just cut the height of this lip to make sure it's level and about 5mm above finished tile height (and water proof it). I also recessed the shower base into the studs so wall sheets go into the base. 
Anyway, I've decided to do my own waterproofing, and hoping some pro's can double check my below checklist as I've read so much info on here it has done my head in! 
I've just had plasterers finish hanging and sealing joins using CSR waterboard (pics attached). The flooring is CSR 19mm ContructorFloor (composite cement sheet-waterproof) which I've nailed and glued, then used sika11FC at all floor sheet joins and nail heads after they were punched down. 
So to complete my bathroom waterproofing; 
For wall to floor, I was going to cut a small 1-2mm gap where there base coat is touching the floor/shower base and fill with Sika 11FC. Same with the Niche joins and around toilet/tap holes. I was also going to seal around the shower base where it meets the cement sheet with backer rod and Sika11 and treat it like an expansion join. Was also going to punch wall clouts flush and smear with Sika11FC too in any waterproofed area. Would have been nice to squeeze a bead in the shower corner vertical sheet join, but the plasterers already joined it with tape/base coat (they did however install a PVC angle behind all corner joins including behind niche corners).
Once dried, I was going to use this bond breaker tape (AWS Products. Bond Breaker Tape) over all the wall-floor Sika joins (do I also use bond breaker at the Niche over the Sika11?), and between the flooring to universal shower base.
Then going to use the Crommelin Shower water proofing sold at Bunnings  (Crommelin 15L Shower Waterproofing Membrane I/N 0960103 | Bunnings Warehouse) with this reinforcing bandage (AWS Products. Waterproofing Matting 150mm x 50mm) at any join vertical or horizontal join that I'm waterproofing including niche and around the shower base to floor. 
Plus a water stop angle at the main entrance door, not to mention rolling a few coats on the entire floor and 150mm high up walls all round (as well as around toilet/bath/vanity wall areas). 
Is there anything I've missed or have wrong in how I go about this?   
Thanks in advance!

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## FrodoOne

[QUOTE=Vanda;975941
Was also going to punch wall clouts flush and smear with Sika11FC too in any waterproofed area. 
[/QUOTE] 
I do wonder what those more experienced than I think of the above quote. 
The thought of depending on "clouts punched flush" permanently to hold in position "sheeting" which is to be "waterproofed" does not fill me with a great deal of confidence. 
Since clouts are only flat headed nails, I would have thought that screws, suitably slightly countersunk, would be a better choice.

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## Vanda

> I do wonder what those more experienced than I think of the above quote. 
> The thought of depending on "clouts punched flush" permanently to hold in position "sheeting" which is to be "waterproofed" does not fill me with a great deal of confidence. 
> Since clouts are only flat headed nails, I would have thought that screws, suitably slightly countersunk, would be a better choice.

  
Yeah fair call, maybe I don't need to hit them flush, but just touch up a few that aren't sitting perfectly flat. I read over the Cemintel wet area guide that mentioned flat head nail (clouts) could be used at 200mm centres (but I did just discover that's for wall tiles upto 20kg/m2, but mine will be 25kg/m2 which require 100mm centres) so looks like I will need to go around and hammer more in. I did query why screws weren't used, and he mention that as a lot of my walls have multiple Masonite packers in one spot (some 4 deep! that I glued and nailed), that screws would un-bind when screwed in so he preferred clouts. My plasterer seemed to know his stuff, so I just went with it.
Cheers

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## goldie1

Your plasterer knows what he is talking about. You should have told him the weight of the tiles before hand 
but no harm done.   If hardwood frames smooth shank nails if pine ring shank. Nails should not be punched 
just hammered flush. If punched they break the surface and don't hold . Nails will hold fine. 
The rest sounds fine. Could your post  a close up pic of the edge of the shower base so I can understand 
what you are trying to do with trimming the lip. Does your screen have a frame

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## Oldsaltoz

Have you installed any puddle flanges for the floor waste and sealed around any plumbing that passes through the floor prior to waterproofing?

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## Vanda

> Your plasterer knows what he is talking about. You should have told him the weight of the tiles before hand 
> but no harm done.   If hardwood frames smooth shank nails if pine ring shank. Nails should not be punched 
> just hammered flush. If punched they break the surface and don't hold . Nails will hold fine. 
> The rest sounds fine. Could your post  a close up pic of the edge of the shower base so I can understand 
> what you are trying to do with trimming the lip. Does your screen have a frame

  
Yeah, I didn't even think about the tile weight issue to be honest until FrodoOne got me thinking about the use of clouts making me read the CSR install guide.
The shower screen is frameless which will sit above the lip in the below picture once trimmed to the finished tile height:

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## Vanda

> Have you installed any puddle flanges for the floor waste and sealed around any plumbing that passes through the floor prior to waterproofing?

  The universal shower base already has a fixed flange as part of the unit, so will just water proof as per normal with cloth/membrane. The freestanding bath waste location had some large drop in flange thing which I filled with Sika11FC to the Floor (placing weight on it while it dried). 
I haven't started membrane waterproofing yet, but plan to in the next week or 2 once I get all the facts which sounds like I'm close to getting.

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## goldie1

With a frameless glass screen on one side only on top of the upstand and no door. 
You will need to trim before you tile and then the upstand is your waterstop. You also 
need a waterstop  across the door.  An al angle the same height as the tiles sealed to 
the floor  and the two ends. Use these flanges to seal where the plumbing comes  
through the wall  https://www.totalwaterproofingsuppli...ehsive-flanges 
How do you plan to cut the edge off 
Have you sealed between the edge of the  base and the floor sheet. Just reread 
your OP and see you have that covered.

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## Vanda

> So a frameless glass screen on one side only on top of the upstand and no door. 
> You will need to trim before you tile and then the upstand is your watestop. You also 
> need a waterstop  across the door.  An al angle the same height as the tiles sealed to 
> the floor  and the two ends. Use these flanges to seal where the plumbing comes  
> through the wall  https://www.totalwaterproofingsuppli...ehsive-flanges 
> You could have cut the flange of as the tiler suggested and fitted a one piece aluminium in an L shape 
> Have you sealed between the edge of the  base and the floor sheet. Just reread 
> your OP and see you have the covered.

  
I did see that adhesive flange but had my doubts about it trusting it (yeah, I have trust issues). Is it designed to stick like say a polyurethane sealer would and never move and be enough on its own to water proof the plumbing outlet, or act like a bond breaker that you would cloth/membrane over just to fill the void for waterproofing? Was actually thinking of using the tap flange for some of the bigger holes in the link you provided; https://www.totalwaterproofingsuppli...6mm%20Diametre but the stick on one does look simple.
Yeah, going to seal between base and floor sheet once I sand another 1-2mm out of the base as there is a tiny lip. I didn't factor in the extra couple of mm height from the SikaPro sealer under the shower base...
Cheers

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## goldie1

I normally use the stretchy rubberised ones . You fit them when you are waterproofing. They stretch over  
the pipe then you fold the edges back and waterproof under them and over them then sika around the 
pipe The plastic ones are ok as long as you get a good fit around the pipe

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