JohnfrWhipple
BATHROOM DESIGN & BUILD
I was looking at a fellow's post this morning from Winnipeg. This builder build a shower using a Kerdi Shower Kit and some added Hydro Ban. I do not know if the shower was flood tested or not but here are some pictures and a link to the original discussion.
So right of the top. Lets see what we have. We have a fellow who does not trust the seams when building with Kerdi. I never did either all the years I used it. Even after dumping Schluter as a supplier I still like to reinforce my seams - to me it makes sense.
For Schluter - they are lucky. This fellow did not follow instructions so clearly the fault is his. Or is it? How can the added waterproofing affect this preformace.....
This poor draining shower is something that has been under my radar for a couple years. I'm convinced it is changes in the cement and that is affecting our setting materials. But that is neither here nor there and only speculation on my part.
Lets remember that I have no lab. No controlled work space. Just my shop. My wives laundry room and of course all the bathrooms I build every year.
Case Study Number One:
Lets look at the photo's this fellow posted and see what comes to light.
This picture shows the finished product. No doubt for the builders web page and to show the boys online the latest Kerdi Masterpiece. The first thing I see is 2"x2" tiles. I wonder if a soak test was done.
Here are some pictures now that the shower has been used for a while.
Image and Source : Natural Stone Tile Not Drying
Studying these pictures I see a nice clean install. No lips around the Kerdi Drain. Silicone at the change of plane between the wall and the floor. No obvious signs of poor workmanship.
The first thing I would want to do is soak test the floor tile. My hunch is that the floor tile mesh is failing and the glue is acting as a food source for mold.
My second guess is that a modified thin-set was used for the floor and this is slowing down the drying time of the shower floor.
I see no evidence of spot setting but perhaps the lower tile was set with less than 80% coverage behind it.
Right now the pack of John Bridge "Experts" are being brainwashed, whoops did I say brainwashed? I meant to say trained at Mapei. I would guess there will be much debate as to why it failed. It of course could not be the fault of the thin-set. Nor the grout. Nor the Kerdi. Must be the tile's fault or the tile installers fault.
Is it not always that way?
Look again at this shower. Ask yourself if you want t o risk your shower build with these materials. Or maybe - just maybe you might find a way of improving your shower's drainage. I have been showing pictures here and there online.
Glimpses of my newest approach.
RED NECK of Course.
Garage Style of Course.
But I bet if I had built this shower with one one my ACO drains and my custom drainage system this shower would look ten times better. I would have never used the mesh backer. Nor would I have used Kerdi with Hydro Ban.
This utterly sucks for the installer - who like I said has done everything right but is the victim in my opinion of a changing tile world. Our products get cheaper. Get greener. Get faster. But are they better? Food for thought.
So right of the top. Lets see what we have. We have a fellow who does not trust the seams when building with Kerdi. I never did either all the years I used it. Even after dumping Schluter as a supplier I still like to reinforce my seams - to me it makes sense.
For Schluter - they are lucky. This fellow did not follow instructions so clearly the fault is his. Or is it? How can the added waterproofing affect this preformace.....
This poor draining shower is something that has been under my radar for a couple years. I'm convinced it is changes in the cement and that is affecting our setting materials. But that is neither here nor there and only speculation on my part.
Lets remember that I have no lab. No controlled work space. Just my shop. My wives laundry room and of course all the bathrooms I build every year.
Case Study Number One:
Lets look at the photo's this fellow posted and see what comes to light.
This picture shows the finished product. No doubt for the builders web page and to show the boys online the latest Kerdi Masterpiece. The first thing I see is 2"x2" tiles. I wonder if a soak test was done.
Here are some pictures now that the shower has been used for a while.
Image and Source : Natural Stone Tile Not Drying
Studying these pictures I see a nice clean install. No lips around the Kerdi Drain. Silicone at the change of plane between the wall and the floor. No obvious signs of poor workmanship.
The first thing I would want to do is soak test the floor tile. My hunch is that the floor tile mesh is failing and the glue is acting as a food source for mold.
My second guess is that a modified thin-set was used for the floor and this is slowing down the drying time of the shower floor.
I see no evidence of spot setting but perhaps the lower tile was set with less than 80% coverage behind it.
Right now the pack of John Bridge "Experts" are being brainwashed, whoops did I say brainwashed? I meant to say trained at Mapei. I would guess there will be much debate as to why it failed. It of course could not be the fault of the thin-set. Nor the grout. Nor the Kerdi. Must be the tile's fault or the tile installers fault.
Is it not always that way?
Look again at this shower. Ask yourself if you want t o risk your shower build with these materials. Or maybe - just maybe you might find a way of improving your shower's drainage. I have been showing pictures here and there online.
Glimpses of my newest approach.
RED NECK of Course.
Garage Style of Course.
But I bet if I had built this shower with one one my ACO drains and my custom drainage system this shower would look ten times better. I would have never used the mesh backer. Nor would I have used Kerdi with Hydro Ban.
This utterly sucks for the installer - who like I said has done everything right but is the victim in my opinion of a changing tile world. Our products get cheaper. Get greener. Get faster. But are they better? Food for thought.
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