Shower Installation Guide

WATERPROOF BATHROOM — Security and utility 19
Bathrooms are a primary focus of today’s building and remodeling projects and are
becoming more and more luxurious, complete with steam showers, oversized bathtubs,
and the latest in fixtures and lighting. As such, tiled showers, bathtub surrounds,
floors, walls, and vanities are in high demand. Tile and stone are beautiful, durable,
and available in a wide range of formats, colors, and textures, allowing limitless design
options. Tile and stone offer unmatched utility and high-end appeal, making them the
ideal surface coverings for bathrooms. Given the substantial investments made in these
projects and nature of use, long-term durability is a high priority.
THE WATERPROOF BATHROOM
Security and utility
Waterproofing is the foundation of successful tiled bathrooms. Moisture-sensitive
construction materials (e.g., wood framing, plywood and OSB sheathing, gypsum
wallboard, etc.) are common in the North American building environment and must be
protected in wet areas. Wet areas also bring the potential for mold growth if effective
moisture management is not provided. The key to mold control is moisture control.
KERDI
DITRA
In addition to showers and tub surrounds,
bathroom floors surrounding these fixtures
are routinely subjected to water exposure
during use. Bathroom floors may also,
through unexpected circumstances,
become exposed to significant amounts
of water; for example, an overflowed
toilet or ruptured sink supply, which can
result in flooding. Waterproofing these
floors can save an owner from replacing
the tile assembly and substructure in the
event of a leak.
Schluter
®
-Systems offers simple and
effective solutions to protect moisture-
sensitive substrates, prevent mold
growth, and preserve the integrity of the
tiled surface throughout the bathroom.
The Schluter
®
-Shower System is
an integrated family of products that
together form a fully bonded, watertight
assembly for tiled showers and bathtub
surrounds. Schluter
®
-DITRA is an
uncoupling membrane that protects the
tiled floors from damage by neutralizing
differential movement stresses between
the substrate and tile and provides
reliable waterproofing. Since both of
these systems are based on topically-
applied, bonded waterproof membranes,
they can be combined simply and easily
to provide waterproofing throughout the
bathroom.