It is essential to tile onto an already water resistant background. Sand/cement render, dense concrete or water resistant tilebacker board are ideal backgrounds. Plaster, plasterboard, timber and timberbased products such as MDF or plywood are absorbent and should be made waterproof by the use of a waterproofing or tanking system.

Waterproofing systems can be painted on to the background. Most tile adhesive producers have a range of waterproofing systems that coordinate with the tile adhesives and grouts in their product ranges.

The tile adhesive should be a water resistant polymer enhanced adhesive meeting the requirements of BS EN 12004 for a D2 dispersion adhesive or C1 or C2 for a cementitious adhesives and the tile grout should be water resistant, meeting the requirements of BS EN 13888.

Tiles in showers should be fixed using the solid bed method, i.e., ensuring that there are no voids beneath the tiles. The joints between the tiles should be filled using a water resistant grout.

Special attention should be paid to sealing the gaps between the base of the tiling and where the tiling joins the base of shower units or bath and penetrations in the tiling (e.g., shower fittings), using a good quality antifungicidal silicon sealant or a proprietary manufactured sealing strip specially designed for the purpose.

The shower should not be put into use until it has cured and is adequately dry.

The Tile Association website at www.tiles.org.uk has a help section where you can search the FAQs or e-mail your own question. This facility is available to members and non members. Alternatively you can phone 020 8663 0946 or e-mail info@tiles.org.uk

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