the true hero of the bathroom
Not all heroes wear capes, or so the saying goes. When it comes to bathrooms there are many heroes that come to mind. THAT feature tile, the perfect timber vanity or even the ideal freestanding bath. Any one of these could be considered the hero of the room, and rightly so. But alas, none are the true hero. The often-forgotten piece of the bathroom, that without it, would make the space near unusable, and the true hero is…waterproofing. Probably not what you were expecting, but as you will see, correctly deserves its title.
By envy bathrooms
We have seen far too many bathrooms that have had little-to no waterproofing, resulting in major damage. Admittedly, a lot of these bathrooms are from a time when waterproofing standards were not what they are today but many of them have been. Even recently renovated bathrooms where waterproofing has been compromised or rushed have large knock-on effects. The escape of water from shower recess due to poor waterproofing causes damage to your timber stud frames and subfloor and is not something that will be covered by your insurance company.
As the waterproofing layer is applied prior to any tiles, it is crucial that it applied correctly, given appropriate time to dry, and looked after until the tiles can protect it. The last thing you want is to have a much deserved shower after a long, hard day of work, only to walk out of the bathroom and find all the water running down the hallway. Once it gets to this stage, the only way to resolve the issue correctly is to remove all the tiles within the shower recess and start again. Costly!
At envy bathrooms we take the waterproofing stage very seriously and will not rush through this phase. Depending on the time of year, this layer may need extra time to cure correctly. As such, our schedule will reflect this. We only use trades qualified in waterproofing who provide certificates warranting their work, so you can be rest assured that the water from your shower will stay in your shower.
So, as much as all the tiles and tapware often get the praise for bringing your bathroom together and make your space look wonderful, it would all count for nothing if not for the often-unsung true hero…waterproofing.