Product category:
Drainage Services
News Release from: ACO Building Drainage | Subject: Simply water tight wetrooms
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 24 October 2007
Simply water tight wetrooms
Tanya Cox from ACO Building Drainage discusses how latest generation of waterproofing and drainage technology is making it simple to install a wetroom that offers long, low maintenance service life.
The wetroom concept can hardly be called new; however, in the UK in particular, the trend is evolving from a novel feature to a practical and viable option for many people when building or renovating their home One reason for this is that the wetroom meets the needs of many different markets, for example, offering the style and modern design needs of a London penthouse, the accessibility requirements of a pensioner who might otherwise struggle to bathe comfortably, and also the space saving qualities required by a suburban homeowner looking to refurbish their en-suite
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 16 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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However, for wetrooms to be installed that offer long, leak-free life, careful attention must be paid to the materials used in their construction.
With the wetroom removing the need for the conventional shower tray, a seamless, consistent floor surface is required of just one material if a safe and aesthetically pleasing floor is to be achieved.
Where tiles are used, the designer is presented with the problem of waterproofing the underlying structure, as grout alone is subject to fissures ranging from the visible to the microscopic; all of which can require expensive repair work.
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A range of solutions to this problem exist, including complete tanking products that incorporate the drainage gully or channel; however, for designers that want to choose from the best components offered by different manufacturers, the choice can be overwhelming.
So which aspects of these products are critical in achieving long, low maintenance service life? The primary objective is to make a specific area impenetrable to water by tanking.
That area doesn't have to be the whole room, but it should at least extend beyond the boundary of potential water flow to ensure security.
To achieve this, waterproofing products such as the weber.sys protec system from Weber are available, which are easy to use, extremely reliable and guaranteed by the manufacturer.
This particular solution can be supplied in a 5m shower sized kit with primer, reinforcing tape and membrane or as individual units, making it suitable for all types and sizes of project.
The properties of the tanking media itself are also important to the integrity of the floor or wall area in general.
It must be able to accommodate movement, natural flexure in timber floor structures and thermal movement, all of which can cause stress in the membrane.
For this reason, the latest soultions are specially designed to accept both thermal and flexural movement.
Regarding critical areas, special attention must be given to corners, wall to floor transitions and the integration with the drainage point as these areas are subject to the most stress.
These should be reinforced with purpose designed tape, which is now available and is able to be bedded into a layer of the membrane prior to the application of the main coats.
This flexible tape stops any build up of stress and thus prevents potential failure.
Other critical points to consider are the interface with the drain itself as this area is most prone to water saturation, and the need for dissimilar materials with different thermal and mechanical movement properties to mate together, requiring adequate bonding via a joint media of sufficient flexibility and resilience.
A range of point gullies and channels are available to complement these latest materials, such as those from leading manufacturer, ACO Building Drainage.
Many of these channel and gully systems have integrated flanges to make failsafe joining easy and efficient.
As thorough assessment and testing has been undertaken on these products, the problems commonly experienced with some conventional wetroom solutions, often occurring some time after installation, are virtually eliminated.
The stainless steel alloy used in the ACO products provides a durable solution that retains its integrity over time.
Tests have also been carried out that put the bonding medium in tension over a number of cycles, offering end users the reassurance that the materials will offer long life even under demanding conditions.
These latest products and materials make installing a leak-free and durable 'same surface' wetroom simple and fast.
The result is a wetroom that is able to combine accessibility with style and quality, the very factors that make the wetroom an increasingly popular option in contemporary bathroom design. Request a free brochure from ACO Building Drainage ...
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