# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  How to patch waterproofing membrane?

## joedm

I recently started pulling up floor tiles in my upstairs bathroom. 
After about 8 years in the place (from brand new), a line of tiles in our ensuite developed a small hairline crack along the grout (edge of the tiles). Then the edge near the crack seemed to lift up, which I put down to either the house wood frame moving slightly or water making it's way under the tiles. 
Anyway, when I started, I carefully cut around a a single floor tile with a dremel and used a flat edge tool to try to lever the tile up, thinking the tile cement would eventually separate from the mortar.  
To my surprise, even the mortar came off with the tile leaving the waterproofing membrane with a small hole.   
I've now successfully removed most of the floor tiles in the shower area but I recall that the waterproofing membrane covered the whole ensuite including the toilet etc.  
I'd rather not have to rip up the whole bathroom. 
Is there a way to just patch the membrane that I have damaged?
Or should I at a minimum put another waterproofing membrane down in the shower area to form a bucket there? 
I went to bunnings looking for some waterproofing but I don't know what the original type of membrane is made of so I can't choose one that would be likely to adhere to it. 
Any advice on how I should tackle this?

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## cherub65

can you post a pic

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## joedm

pic in 1st thread.
I couldn't see it because the post had to be approved, but now it's there. 
You can only just make out the particle board coming through in the middle of both pics. The hole is roughly the size of a tile.

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## dib

The manufacterers of the membrame say that they should not be used with others but I recently mixed 2 types and they appeared to adhere ok.
The problem will be getting a surrounding area clean with the membrane intact, if you can do that paint  membrane over the hole and the surrounding area. 
If it where mine I would start again, only with a tile underlay to reduce movement under the tiles, then re water proof and tile.  That will mean that you would also have to remove the bottom row of wall tiles to water proof up the walls also.

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## joedm

When you say start again, are you referring to the whole bathroom or just the shower area. I remember the whole bathroom having the membrane when the house was being built. 
If it's just the shower area then that's fine as I was prepared to do that alredy. But I don't have a step into the shower area to run the membrane up like you would do on the walls... What do you suggest I do there?

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## dib

The floor / wall join needs to be water proofed also, which means water proofing up the wall something like 50mm.  If your shower has a hob then you should be able to do just your shower.   
Otherwise I'ts a bit out of my depth.  I think what you are supposed to do is put down an aluminimun angle ( about the same height as the tiles) around the edge of the shower and water proof to that.

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## lbg

I had something similar recently. I did what you did, but also took the first row of tiles off the wall. Then re-waterproofed the whole base + 150mm up the wall. Taking off the wall can be tough if it's cement sheet - the removal destroyed mine so I had to re-skin that area first. 
From the first pic, looks like maybe you can get away with not having to re-do the whole base this way - but then again it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, do you have matching tiles to replace? If not, maybe best to take them all off to the same height and replace with something else that matches. My shower had white tiles, I replace the first row + floor with black - looks schmick & almost intentional.

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