# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  Question about waterproofing and waterstop angle

## ScottyC

Hi all, 
My brother in law (a builder) and I started ansimple bathroom renovation on the first floor of our house. Initially we intened to just take up the tiles and replace but in doing so, the 3 inches of screed above the AC sheeting cracked up so we've taken it back to the sheeting throughout. There was some form of waterproofing originally used but only in the corners and across the joins in the sheeting. This waterproofing compound was applied maybe 100mm up the wall in the shower recess and over the bricks that made up the hob but nowhere else. There was also no floor waste in the bathroom. 
Anyway, it's turned into a pretty big job. Turned out the AC on the floor and the wall sheeting was asbestos so I have paid for a floor waste and a new waste for the shower to be cut and to have some damaged sheets of asbestos replaced on the walls. I have installed the puddle drains in the floor and used levelling compound to bring the floor up level with the rims of the puddle drains. I now need to waterproof and screed to build up the 3"/75mm to be level with the rest of the house. 
We will be using a frameless shower screen. Our shower recess has 3 walls so it'll be a 300mm fixed panel and a 600mm door. Ideally we want to do it without a hob but we're arguing about the need for a waterstop angle across the open side of the shower recess. My brother in law says to just waterproof the whole bathroom and just make sure the bit under ghe door and fixed panel is a high point with fall back into the shower and away to the floor waste on the other side. Waterproofing instructions all call for an aluminium angle with the vertical extending through the floor surface. Whats the normal procedure in this situation? I am more than happy to waterproof the entire room. Should I waterproof above or below the screed? Again, the instructions all advise under but is there a reason?  
Cheers, 
Scott

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## Oldsaltoz

> Hi all, 
> My brother in law (a builder) and I started ansimple bathroom renovation on the first floor of our house. Initially we intened to just take up the tiles and replace but in doing so, the 3 inches of screed above the AC sheeting cracked up so we've taken it back to the sheeting throughout. There was some form of waterproofing originally used but only in the corners and across the joins in the sheeting. This waterproofing compound was applied maybe 100mm up the wall in the shower recess and over the bricks that made up the hob but nowhere else. There was also no floor waste in the bathroom. 
> Anyway, it's turned into a pretty big job. Turned out the AC on the floor and the wall sheeting was asbestos so I have paid for a floor waste and a new waste for the shower to be cut and to have some damaged sheets of asbestos replaced on the walls. I have installed the puddle drains in the floor and used levelling compound to bring the floor up level with the rims of the puddle drains. I now need to waterproof and screed to build up the 3"/75mm to be level with the rest of the house. 
> We will be using a frameless shower screen. Our shower recess has 3 walls so it'll be a 300mm fixed panel and a 600mm door. Ideally we want to do it without a hob but we're arguing about the need for a waterstop angle across the open side of the shower recess. My brother in law says to just waterproof the whole bathroom and just make sure the bit under the door and fixed panel is a high point with fall back into the shower and away to the floor waste on the other side. Waterproofing instructions all call for an aluminium angle with the vertical extending through the floor surface. Whats the normal procedure in this situation? I am more than happy to waterproof the entire room. Should I waterproof above or below the screed? Again, the instructions all advise under but is there a reason?  
> Cheers, 
> Scott

  Tha Australian standard 2010 states thet the full floor Must be waterproofed. The shower Must have a waterstop as well as the doorway. 
If you don't mind the 3 to 4 day wait for the screed to dry out, waterproof over the screed, this means no chance of mould growing in the danp screed material. I can walk into a bathroom and in most tell if the shower was waterproofed before or after screeding by the smell, it's not a nasty or stinky smell, some people think all bathrooms have this smell about them, but they don't. 
You can install a PVC angle in the shower and cut it down to the required size after the screed has cured. Just make sure the waterproofing goes to the top on the shower side. 
The flashings around the wall floor inside the shower must be at least 50mm above the screed finish height so that in the event of a flooded and overflowing shower the wall are fully protected, the rest of the room should also be 50mm above the screed finish level. 
The walls inside the shower should have all the fixings covered with a sealant and a flashing up the corners to a minimum of 1.80 m in the corners. 
When waterproofing, remove the ring of plastic in the middle (membrane clamp) and make sure the waterproofing goes over the puddle flange and down into the waste just past the clamp area, the clamp itself should not be needed.  
To go hob-less you may end up with a small step up into the bathroom depending on overall levels. 
It's also worth noting that the "standards" are the minimum requirements and that they are now part of the BSA standard, as of last month. 
Good luck.   :Smilie:

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## ScottyC

Thanks Oldsaltoz, the BSA waterproofing page says the waterstop angle needs to be visible through the tile bed. The drawings show it extending 5mm through the bed where it's hidden under a frame and flush with the tiles on a frameless system. I just don't get how this is better than having it finish at the top of the screed where waterproofing can be taken over the top of the angle out of the shower and continued without a break on the other side - if the top of the PVC or Aluminium is exposed then isn't this a point where water can enter as the gap on either side of the angle opens and closes with expansion of the materials? Just makes more sense to me to have the angle finish at the top of the screed and tile/grout as normal. I've asked a few tiling places over the phone and been told that it's just the way it's done but in looking at bathrooms at friends/relatives places with frameless screens, I've not seen any such thing. Always just a grout line under the door. 
Cheers, 
Scott

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## Oldsaltoz

> Thanks Oldsaltoz, the BSA waterproofing page says the waterstop angle needs to be visible through the tile bed. The drawings show it extending 5mm through the bed where it's hidden under a frame and flush with the tiles on a frameless system. I just don't get how this is better than having it finish at the top of the screed where waterproofing can be taken over the top of the angle out of the shower and continued without a break on the other side - if the top of the PVC or Aluminium is exposed then isn't this a point where water can enter as the gap on either side of the angle opens and closes with expansion of the materials? Just makes more sense to me to have the angle finish at the top of the screed and tile/grout as normal. I've asked a few tiling places over the phone and been told that it's just the way it's done but in looking at bathrooms at friends/relatives places with frameless screens, I've not seen any such thing. Always just a grout line under the door. 
> Cheers, 
> Scott

  The idea behind the 5 mm protrusion is to stop water, it won't run uphill, there is a frame base designed with a slot to take the angle. however if your shower will be framless this can be impractical and the waterstop has to be flush, just try to get a bit of extra fall on the first row of tiles on the inside of the shower not against the wall/s. 
It also helps to use an epoxy based grout in this area, it's much stronger, will not hold water so no mould but is a pig to use because you can ony do 4 or 5 tiles beefore cleaning because it goes off much faster than a water based grout. 
Good luck.   :Smilie:

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