Wet Rooms

A true wet room is a fully tiled room with an open shower area. It usually includes a loo and sink and often no bath. When you come to sell your house, a wet room can be an asset – estate agents report that buyers may pay a premium of up to £10,000 for a wet room in place of a standard bathroom. However, it's important that it's an en suite or second bathroom, as removing the bath from a family bathroom could make your home less saleable.

PCS Introduction

Polyfab Coatings & Systems Ltd is the UK’s premier manufacturer of reinforced construction boards, raised and level shower-trays and tile-able bath panels.
PCS thermal substrate board and profiles have been developed for use in Wet-Rooms, Walk-In-Showers, Spa’s and Swimming Pools where:
• A rigid, lightweight surface is required for the application of a final decorative surface treatment, such as floor/wall tiles, thin coat render systems or a plaster surface.
• The high moisture content in these areas prevents the use of conventional cladding products such as plaster-board.

Shower wet room systems & shower trays

PCS Shower Trays have been designed for use with walk in shower enclosures, providing a tileable shower base, avoiding the need for the traditional “step-in” white acrylic tray. It is a lightweight shower base with pre-made falls to the drain, and is coated with a cementitious layer to receive a tiled surface.
PCS thermal substrate boards will eliminate many of the problems associated with damp penetration, especially on suspended timber floors, whilst also providing insulation against heat loss. On solid concrete floors the benefit comes from preventing heat loss downward to the sub floor.
Floors in bathroom areas will get wet. On suspended timber floors this will eventually lead to tiles lifting as the grout and adhesive breaks down and water seeps through to the timber sub flor causing it to swell and warp. PCS will eliminate this problem.

The Products

The PCS Shower Tray is ideal for wet rooms and shower construction. The Shower Tray can easily cut to fit the shower area or to produce an irregular or circular shower base. unlike some other underlays, the PCS Shower tray is sufficiently robust to allow mosaic tiles to be laid on it without the risk of compression through point loading.

Weber Sys Protec is a ready mixed, under tile tanking system to protect water sensitive substrates from exposure to water. Plaster, Plasterboard and timber are sensitive to water. Weber Sys Protec is easy to apply and is available as a complete 5m2 shower kit or as separate components for larger installations. In the 5kg kit you get Primer for priming the walls, Protec Tanking Liquid and 7m length of BE14 Joint Tape. alternatively you can purchase a 7kg Protec Tanking Liquid and 10m length BE14 Joint Tape.

How to install level wet room kits Step 8

Level Wet room Shower Kits from PCS are designed to create a flat, un-stepped tiled waterproof shower area. This kit is ideally suited for installation on a timber floor where the drain and waste can be accommodated under the existing floorboards.

The installation begins by removing the existing floor boards in the area where the tray is to be fitted. The coated Shower Tray is pre-machined with falls to the drain position. It requires additional support which is achieved by installing timber battens and marine ply between the floor joists. Conventional floor boards are approximately 18mm thick so once installed on top of a bed of tile adhesive this 20mm thick tray will be 6mm proud of the surrounding floor area. This step is eliminated by covering the surrounding area with 6mm thick PCS Thermal Tilebacker Boards. The entire area will then be waterproof and thermally insulated making it an ideal construction for the incorporation of electrical underfloor heating.

	Step 1 Clear the working area. The floor area should be free from loose debris and grease.
	Step 2 Place the Shower Tray in the desired position. The tray can be easily trimmed with hand tools if necessary. Layout the rest of the floor area with the 6mm PCS Thermal Tilebacker boards and cut them to suit the final layout.
	Step 3 Remove the Tilebacker boards and mark out the floorboard in the area where the tray is to be positioned.
	Step 4 Remove the floor boards from the area where the tray is to be fixed. Ensure that the floor boards are removed back to the centre line of the nearest floor joist.
	Step 5 Identify the position of the drain and trap.
	Step 6 The drain will be held in place during assembly with a PCS Drain Fitting Aid supported by a timber platform.
	Step 7 Construct the timber platform by fastening 50 x 25mm battens to the adjacent floor joists and adding a plywood base. This base needs to be positioned 86mm below the top surface of the floor joists so that the top surface of the PCS Drain Fitting Aid finishes flush with the top of the floor joists. Locate the PCS Drain Fitting Aid on the newly installed platform and ensure that the centre of the drain is in the correct position for the desired routing of the waste pipe and aligns correctly with the drain position on the shower tray. The Drain Fitting Aid can be easily trimmed to accommodate any adjustments that may be required
	Step 8 Place the PCS Drain and Trap in the Drain Fitting Aid with the rubber seal in place. Connect up the waste water pipe and again check that the drain lines up with the drain position in the shower tray. You now need to construct a level platform over the rest of the shower tray area to support the tray. This platform must be flush with the top surface of the floor joists and should be constructed from 50 x 25mm timber battens fastened securely to the joists. With the battens securely fastened to the joists insert 18mm marine ply and fix to the battens. The top of the plywood boards should come flush with the top of the floor joists
	Step 9 If excess floorboards had to be removed to get back to the nearest floor joist then the additional void will need to be back filled with off cuts of the original floor boards or more marine ply.
	Step 10 The PCS Shower Tray should now fit snugly onto the newly constructed platform but will protrude approximately 6mm proud of the remaining floor area. Check the alignment of the drain with the drain position in the shower tray and adjust as necessary.
	Step 11 Mix approx 5kg of Weber SPF Tile Adhesive according to the instructions on the packaging. The Weber SPF Adhesive is a cement based, rapid set, flexible adhesive. Apply a bed of adhesive to the area were the Shower Tray is to be secured using a notched trowel. This adhesive bed should be a minimum of 3mm thick but could be thicker in local areas if there are any low spots.
	Step 12 Apply a bead of the Weber SL450 Silicone to the edges of the Shower Tray. Locate the Shower Tray in position and firm down onto the adhesive bed. Check that the four edges of the tray are level using a spirit-level.
	Step 13 Using the Securing Tool that is supplied with the Drain and Trap, screw the trap assembly into the drain body through the Shower Tray before the adhesive hardens
	Step 14 Mix the remainder of the Weber SPF Adhesive according to the instructions on the packaging. Apply a bed of adhesive to the area where the PCS Tilebacker boards are to be secured using a notched trowel. This adhesive bed should be a minimum of 3mm thick but could be thicker in local areas if there are any low spots.
	Step 15 Apply a bead of Weber SL450 silicone to edges of the PCS Tilebacker Baords. Locate the boards in position and firm down onto the adhesive bed. Using a spirit level, check that the boards are level. Allow the adhesives to set for at least 2 hours before proceeding with the next step in the process. It is recommended on wooden floors the boards can be secured with mechanical fixings.
	Step 16 PCS can supply galvanised screws and appropriate 35mm diameter galvanised washers. These mechanical fixings should be positioned at minimum centres of 300mm. All holes through the boards should be sealed with Weber.Sys Protec tanking liquid.
	Step 17 Apply the Weber BE14 tape to all joints and corners. All joints must be bridged with the tape. At corner positions where the base meet the walls, it is recommended that the tape is cut 50mm to centre allowing the tape to be folded promoting a neat 90° bend. If the mesh is cut short another piece can be added but must overlay the existing mesh by 50mm.
	Step 18 PCS would recommend that any plasterboard on the walls of your proposed wet area is replaced with PCS Thermal Tilebacker Boards to give a complete waterproof solution. If this is not possible then apply Weber BE14 reinforcing tape to any joins and vulnerable areas, such as corners.The walls around the shower area and the lower section of the other walls are then covered with Weber Sys Protec which is a thick waterproof membrane. Once it's set (which can take 12 hours), the area is tiled using a waterproof adhesive and grout. This kind of waterproofing is called 'tanking'
	Step 19 You can now complete the tiling of your new wet area. Plan the tiling of the tray area first. The Drain and Trap assembly comes complete with a extension frame that accommodates the thicker stone tiles. Apply tiles from the drain area to the edges of the tray by respecting the inbuilt falls in the tray working from the corners of the drain to the corners of the tray. In wet bare foot areas tiles no smaller than 20mm mosaics should be used.
	Step 20 Complete the tiling of the room and add any shower screens as required. Its is advised that you fill in any holes that have been drilled for any shower screens with Weber SL450 Silicone.

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