Thread: Bathroom reno questions

Originally Posted by Hybrid

Since starting renovations of my bathroom a few questions have been raised. I am hoping the collective knowledge of this forum might be able to shed some light on some of my queries. I have done a bit of a search for the questions listed below without much success. My apoligies if these questions have been asked in this forum before.


1. In my old bath there appears to be a small pipe protruding through the tiles at floor level. Is this some type of drain for any water that gets in under the bath?

2. The bath has 2 vent tiles in the side of it. Are these vents critical or can they be eliminated? I find the look of vents in the side of the bath very unappealing.

3. I presume that a frameless shower screen has to be mounted to wall studs to take the weight of the glass. What can be done to be able to mount the screen exactly where you want it? Do extra studs have to be put in the wall at the appropriate location?

4. Is it normally the job of a tiler to get the slope right on the bathroom and shower floor? Do I need to call in some other type of tradesman?

5. Also, does the waterproofing have to be completed before or after the floor is built up to the correct shape?

6. Is there any downside to having a hobless shower?

Hopefully the experienced members here can enlighten a naive amateur

1) don't know
2) ditto
3) A frameless screen doesn't need to be mounted to a stud. It is attached to the tiles by silicone primarily. Screws right through the tiles and sheeting into wall plugs provide support until the silicone is set. The weight of the glass rests on the floor. You must ensure that there is a barrier directly under the shower screen to isolate the floor of the shower from the surrounding floor preventing moisture escape. Usually an aluminium angle, waterproofed in, is used in a hobless floor.
4) It is the job of the tiler to slope the floor. Don't let the tiler w/p unless they are a qualified w/p, I payed the cost in one of my bathrooms for that mistake.
5)The waterproofing is completed prior to the floor buildup. However it does not hurt to level up any hollows in the shower floor and even build in a slight preslope into the shower drain prior to waterproofing. This will ensure that any moisture that may get through the tile grout and mortar bed is directed to the drain weepholes. you can search for some info under my user name on this forum and also at ontariotile.com
6) If waterproofed correctly, there is no downside to a hobless shower. The frameless shower can allow some water out of the cubicle but this can be mitigated by installing a mohair strip on the bottom of the door and a small plastic bead on the floor across the door. The company that installed one for me did this at no extra cost.
Cheers
Michael

Thanks mic-d.

Q3 is now resolved. It didn't occur to me that the weight of the screen would be supported on the bottom side.

Q4: I thought it must be the job of the tiler. I had no intention of the asking a tiler to do the water proofing work anyway. What started this reno going in the first place was a leaky shower due to inadequate water proofing. Last thing I want is more water proofing dramas

Q5: Good point. I have just come across ontariotile and it seems like a wealth of useful information.

Q6: I went to a Stegbar showroom today to enquire about frameless screens and the one they had on display had exactly this setup. It seems like an effective solution. Where abouts did you buy your screen from? (I have no idea really who sells good screens other than Stegbar)

1) sounds odd...

2) you never see vent tiles used in new bathrooms these days, no need to use them when you re-tile.

1) got a photo of this pipe? ...sounds like a handyman fix for water problems in the past

Maybe the pipe is the conduit for the power to your new spa bath motor.


Just a suggestion...

I think I stuffed up calling it a pipe. I think it is just some kind of drain hole.

Here is the best photo I have of it at the moment. I will get some better shots tomorrow.

Hybrid,
I reckon the bit of pipe might be a "failsafe" in case of leaks. It looks to be just above the height of the bottom plate of the hob. Perhaps they've filled the hob up to the level of the bottom plate and fitted the pipe so that any water that makes its way under there won't collect but will drain out onto the floor - conveniently near the floor waste. The vents in the hob tend to back this up. They were expecting the possibility of some leakage and this was the way around it. Our old house in Sydney had a bathroom redone in the late 50's early 60's (judging from the materials and colours) and it had vents in the bath hob also. Not neccesary nowadays ( if everything is done properly)

Mick

Probably my imagination but is that a shadow line extending from the hole to the rim of the bath. Is there any possibility that something was fixed to the side of the bath like a handle or step for an elderly resident.

G'day Hybrid. Im in Adelaide and in days gone by we had the pipe you are asking about.

It was about 150mm long and called a 'weep pipe' and was laid on the concrete slab under the bath. The slab was graded to this so any condensation under the bath was supposed to drain out through this pipe onto the floor. They are no longer used and I have never seen one work anyways.
Jack