'Tank' a shower

Maisie72

After a long time trying to find where our shower was leaking [around the tray, under the tray etc] we have discovered that it was leaking through the grout on the tiling. Water dripped downstairs every time the shower was used!. Putting a plastic shower curtain up INSIDE the shower cubicle, over the tiles, has eliminated the problem but looks a sight. We are now going to replace the whole thing. I am told that we need to 'TANK' the area before we put in a new shower. I will use a very good handyman we know but I just want to be sure I know what 'tanking' is to make sure its done properly. Also , does it need to be done under the shower tray?

Davy

Not under the tray no. Tray goes in, and the tanking comes down on to it, so when the water gets in behind the grout, it will come back out onto the tray at the bottom. Its a great job, and i wouldn't let handyman do it! Leave it to right people, you replacing the shower, so spend the extra bit and get it done right. You wont regret it. The diy kits you can get now are not good imo

Joey the lips

You dont need to tank a shower but it helps. Carry out routine inspections of groutlines in water areas will also help.

Tanking is quite easy but I dont want to dispute. It gets difficult when you are making wet areas. but for showers its quite simple.

Davy

Joey the lips wrote: »

You dont need to tank a shower but it helps.

For a pumped shower i would always say its worth doing it, just personal choice

Joey the lips wrote: »

Tanking is quite easy but I dont want to dispute.

Your allowed dispute :pac:

Joey the lips wrote: »

It gets difficult when you are making wet areas. but for showers its quite simple.

I meant really that a self kit its that much of a saving than getting a company to do it, and i would want a handyman to have done it before. Least you have come back with the company and dont have to go Jackie chan on your mate is all

Joey the lips

Evo do a brillinat kit. However as you say you dont really know if its been done right unless you do it yourself.

BIMP

I work in the trade and have tanked many bathrooms. The tray should be removed and the area tanked. The extra hassle is worth it cos there be no leaks. Tanking is simple process but should be done by a professional I think so its done correctly.

Joey the lips

BIMP wrote: »

I work in the trade and have tanked many bathrooms. The tray should be removed and the area tanked. The extra hassle is worth it cos there be no leaks. Tanking is simple process but should be done by a professional I think so its done correctly.

With due respect to remove the tray is pointless. Most tray are positioned in 2 ways. 1 slightly nipping the plaster in the case of an upstand or 2 slapped up against the plaster. There is also to many possibilities of water escapeing under the tray in a normal situation

The simple remedy here would be to buy a tray with an upstand. No removing necessary. Also. Most plumbers do not lay a tray on a bed of sand cement and if they did the sand and cenent would be very water absorbent and most likely burn through the barrier formed by the tanking.

The correct solution is to insure the tray is sealed correctly.

Believe it or not the tray is actually decided by the tiles.....


If you buy a thin ceramic tile an upstand tray will work fine. If you buy a thick marble or porc tile a standard non upstand tray must be used. This is especially true if the tray is a quadrant and the quadrant doors have very poor adjustment.


The BEST procedure all around would be to buy a standard tray and a roll of classi seal. As anyone knows that used classi seal it is a bitumen seal and very effective. Water does not run up hill ( Do not cut classi seal run it from corner to corner on the tray. A broken seal is a compramised seal)

Then when the tray is installed tape the corners of the wall and tank the whole area. The purpose of the tape is to protect expansion on 2 different surfaces. The expansion of the shower tray is protected by the classi seal.

Believe it or not. Simple effective and easy solution and easy to do by a competitent DIY person.

items

From my experience tanking is only used in wet rooms. From a meter or so high tanking starts, then runs down wall, along floor and into shower trap, tanking is almost a shower tray in its self.

A shower tray cant really be tanked in a way tanking is designed, it just protects the walls, the run onto the tray is minimal, when tile and tray meet a trim still has to be fitted, its just over kill to tank a shower tray.

A tray fitted level before plasterboard, tiled properly with a properly sealed trim wont leak.

Best tray has a factory built in up stand, available on 2, even 3 sides, if fitted correctly (before slab) any water that happens to travel behind tile still wont make it out of shower, with the up stand no real need to use a trim.