The Importance Of Tanking A Wet Room Correctly

What many people don’t realise when fitting a wet room, is that the entirety of the space needs to be tanked correctly and not just the key areas. Whilst it may seem unnecessary, water can get just about anywhere including where it can cause serious damage. Tanking can massively reduce the risk of this kind of damage.

What Is Tanking?

Often referred to as waterproofing, tanking is the process of adding an extra layer of protection between the walls and floor and the tiling or flooring you use in the wetroom. There are a number of ways to do this, some work better than others and each work best on different kinds of surface. So when it comes to choosing your tanking material, it’s vital you make the right decision in order to fully protect your clients home from leaks.

What Happens If You Don’t Tank Correctly?

Water has the potential to cause huge amounts of damage to a property, especially when if it is allowed to seep into areas where water shouldn’t be. No matter how well you tile or seal a wet room, there is still a chance for water to cause damage as not all tile types are water-resistant. You might not always spot where water is escaping, which is why tanking is so important. Without the correct tanking in place, water can escape, resulting in water damage, mould and damp growing or even tiles falling off of walls because they no longer have a surface to adhere to. This is a huge problem as it can render a wet room unusable meaning it needs to have potentially costly repairs. But if the wet room is tanked correctly, to begin with, this won’t be an issue to worry about. If you’re going to do a job, do it properly the first time because you will only have to do it again later.

How To Tank A Wet Room

Despite being one of the most important stages of installing a wet room, it is a surprisingly simple process. Thanks to our all in one tanking membrane, all of the necessary surfaces can be tanked in a flexible membrane that stretches and moves with the building. It can be applied with a roller or paintbrush. Once set, this membrane is fully waterproof, so you can then begin tiling your wetroom.

If you’re looking for the professional training to tank a wet room look no further…

Important update to the NHBS Specifications 2018

Backing surfaces for tiling should;

• Be moisture resistant, where frequent wetting occurs 

When Tiling; 

• Proprietary water-resistant grouting should be used in accordance with the manufacturer 

Grouting should be: 

• As specified in the design including mix and colour 
• Cement-based, epoxy resin or a proprietary product 
• ‘Waterproof in and around shower enclosures and where tiling can be saturated’. 

Gypsum plaster should not be used where; 

• ‘Repeated or persistent wetting may occur’