I am waterproofing my shower walls. From all your experience which do you prefer and why? Quality? Cost?
Redgauard
Centura's Hydraflex
Lacticrete

Thanks
Will

I've only used Laticrete's 9235 out of that list.They make a better one now ...Hydroban I think it's called.
But I'm very happy with the performance of the 9235 and will keep using it.

Tilemaster in Aurora(and Barrie) sells a German one from Kiesel.It's a liquid waterproof membrane too.They also have a waterproofing cement mortar membrane that is applied with trowel.

Ron
Do you have the name of the waterproofing cement mortar.
Where in Toronto can I get Lacticrete?
Thanks
Will

Hey Will.....are you still doing the Kerdi shower pan?..or at least using the drain system and kerdi? Just wondering why you want the liquid waterproofing.

Brian,
Yes I am going to do the Kerdi shower pan. I cut out a small part of the floor and moved the drain over to center it so I can trim the Kerdi evenly from both side. I also put on anothe layer of plywood to cover the hole. I wanted to roll/paint the waterproofing onto the walls because it was cheaper and looked easier for my skills but am having second thoughts after reading all the other posts raving about the Kerdi membrane. I also did a practice trial of mixing thinset and hanging 2 tiles and a piece of kerdi. It was easier than I thought.
I appreciate the posts.
Will

Will...post some pictures for us will ya? We can help you out better if we can see what you are doing.

Will, the name of the waterproofing mortar is Kiesel DMS 1-K.
DalTile sells Laticrete products.

Hello again,
My shower studs and floor have finally dried out after ripping out my very leaky poorly built shower in my 7 year old house. I put in new walls using denshield and will use Kerdi membrane over this. I sealed the corners, ceiling and joints using Laticrete Hydraban. Ron mentioned the product above. Its excellent. Has fibers built in. No need for tape. I tested before I did this. I joined 2 pieces of Denshield together with it, I put on a tile with cheap HD non modified thinset. Its on solid. I also put on a piece of Kerdi to the Denshield using Hydraban. Its not coming off.
My questions.
I am installing a Kerdi shower pan over plywood floor. I cut it to fit . What is the name of the best nonmodified thinset I can buy to attach the Kerdi preformed slope to plywood floor? I will also use this to attach the membrane to the walls.
Also just food for thought. Why not attach the Kerdi membrane to the walls using liquid waterproofing Hydraban instead of thinset. Double protection?
Thanks Will

Will, are you building a steam shower?
Just wondering why you want to put Kerdi over DensSheild. It's already a water repellant surface. The only product that Dens recommends over the vinyl surface is Laticrete 9235, if you need the extra protection. If your buying Laticrete anyway you might as well just coat the Dens with that and forget about the Kerdi.

You will still need a pc of Kerdi for the shower tray.

BTW, you could have just used regular drywall or MR board under the Kerdi.

I was not clear. I am using Kerdi on the shower tray, curb and 6 inch strips around the shower base where the floor and walls meet. Not on the walls. I used the Hydraban on the Denshield joints, wall corners amd where ceiling meets the walls. I explained to
the Laticrete technical support in the U.S. what I was doing and was told Hydraban has the same application properties as 9235 except that it has fibers in it eliminating the need for using membrane or tape. I am using their thinset for the wall tiles.

I am using thinset to apply the Kerdi to the wall. I was just curious as to why Kerdi membrane is not applied using Hydraban or similar product which does not need air to set. It seems easier to me.
My question was all the thinset spec sheets I read say an additive is needed for maximum bonding to plywood. This makes the thinset modified. No? Which is not recommended by Kerdi. What
non modified thinset can you use on plywood.
Thanks Will

Use any high quality unmodified thinset to bond the shower tray to the plywood floor. It doesn't matter what the thinset manufacturers say, as your warranty comes from Schluter. So use what they recommend.

I personally use Mapei Kerabond for unmodified installations.

The only time a modified is used, is for installing Ditra over wood subfloors.

is anyone out there using mer-krete

I use Laticrete 9235 liquid and cloth and I go right over the curb as well and it is extra insurance and it keeps moisture from going through the mud to the pan and then to the weep holes and eventually into the drain.

The 9235 can be used as a pan base instead of the Chloraloy as well, the inside corners fold flatter then the vinyl does too.

home depot has a product called blueseal you can find it in the tile section or the cement section they use it for foundations as well very sticky stuff !

Brainfrost, just curious, what is your usual method of waterproofing a shower? I've just been doing my first Kerdi shower this week. Interesting stuff.
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Anna Jennifer

[url="http:www.drivenwide.com"]discussion[/url]

I use Flextile WP980 with fabric - very similar product to Laticrete 9235 (also have used) and Flextile is Canadian eh.

Hi Everyone, first question here so I hope I'm putting it in the right place. I am building a shower with Densshield, pre inclined mudbed over concrete, 40 mil membrane, and mudbed.
1. Do I need to waterproof the final mudbed before tiling?
2. I thought the moisture was suppose to flow through this to the weep holes in the drain.
3. What should I use if waterproofing is needed?

I looked for this specific answer here and on other sites but couldn't get the difinitive answer I need to proceed.

Thanks!

Jim Kaiser in Minnesota and yes, I've lived in Canada!

Welcome Jim

You do not need to apply any surface liquid type waterproof membrane. It wont work with the style of mud bed you have built unless you modify the area around the drain. I really don't see any point in doing that.

Just carry on with what you have.

I just noticed you were using DensShield. Please make sure you follow the instructions for a shower pan install in the following link. DO NOT embed the DensShield in the mud pan!

http://www.gp.com/build/DocumentViewer.aspx?repository=BP&elementid=3112

Hi Jim,

Next time start your own thread.

Do as Randall says, especially the part about reading Dens-Shield instructions on how to build a shower. It's a good reason NOT to go with Dens-Shield.

Ask if you don't see the problem.

Jaz

Dens-Shield is a great product, but it does have some limitations. If you have not started yet, I would encourage you to get a Schluter Kerdi drain. install dens to the floor, Build your shower pan with that drain and either liquid water proofing or Kerdi. Run it about 4 inches up the dens. You will save yourself a lot of time and hassles with the kerdi drain.

Thanks guys! Densshield is mostly on. I work on wooden boats too. It's curious to me that no one mentions polysulfide calk or the 3M 5200 (one part polyurethane)in some of these threads. I plan on calking the bottom of the denshield (between denshild and mudbed) with 3M 5200 which is another under water calk for thru hull fittings. This is used on hull of the boats, and for all sorts of reasons. Sticks and stays. It's just not fast. Can come in some different colors. I do not like the performance of silicone calk in real wet envirements but maybe that was years ago. Has it changed?? I'll have about a 3/16 gap at the bottom of the denshield and between each sheet I calked with butly rubber and pushed it together. Now I will tape the seems per instruction...

I saw one of the examples Mr. Dunbar showed making a mud bed and he slatherd latacrete on the mudbed which made me think I have to. It looked like a similar set up as mine. Also in these threads, I saw a lot of references to waterproofing all of the fasteners. I really want to do this as right as I can. Perhaps should have gone with the cement board as kerdi isn't too available for me, joe amature, as far north as I am.

Thanks again, didn't expect an answer so quick!

JFK

Waterproofing the mortar bed is what you do with the Schluter system. Schluter of course prefers people use Kerdi with their drains, but many of us find the liquid membranes are much faster to install. I believe you have a clamping style drain, so the liner you put in should be the only water proofing in the pan.

Yes, all fasteners and other penetrations of the den's should be water proofed, at least to shower head height.

I used Dens Shield for several year before switching to Hydroban liquid water proofing. I believe it's a good product, just not available where I live.

Thanks! I love this stuff! Learning by leaps bounds and my mistakes. Almost ready for tile and then watch me slow down... Have a good week!
Jim

First of all it used to be that when using ditra, you could not use any modified thinset even when dealing with plywood, now of coarse this has been modified to, its okay to use modified thinset.I believe that you are okay to use modified thinset even though you are using kerdi, I recomend " laticrete 253", keep in your mind however that " by the book" kerdi can not be set over plywood, we do it, seems to be just fine. No guarentee.