Liquid membranes
Applied by brush or roller in two coats over primed backer board or screed, with reinforcing tape bedded into internal corners, junctions and around pipe penetrations.
Flexible, seamless and quick, which makes it the most common system for shower zones and full bathroom floors.
The coat thickness and the corner tape are where it succeeds or fails. Thin single coats applied in a hurry are a false economy.
Sheet membranes and boards
Bonded sheet membranes give a consistent, verifiable thickness and suit large wet room floors.
Tile backer boards with pre-sealed joints combine substrate and waterproofing in one and are what we prefer in shower zones over plasterboard, which softens once it gets wet.
Where the detailing decides everything
The drain flange to membrane bond in a wet room floor, the internal corner where two walls meet the tray, the pipe penetrations and the junction between wall and floor systems.
These four details account for most failures. They also happen to be the parts a rushed job skips because they are invisible once tiled.
Frequently asked questions
Does a standard bathroom need tanking?
The shower or bath splash zone should always be waterproofed. A full wet room needs the whole floor and lower walls treated as a wet zone.
Is a tanked shower more expensive?
It adds cost, but it is a small proportion of a refurbishment and it prevents by far the most expensive failure mode.
Can waterproofing be added to an existing bathroom?
Only by removing the tiles in that zone. It cannot be applied over a finished tiled surface.
Do you photograph the waterproofing before tiling?
We are happy to record the membrane stage for your records - ask us at the start and we will do it as we go.
Next step
Ask what waterproofing is included in any quote you receive. Ours is itemised.
Free quote • No pressure • Fast response