Jaz

I know this thread is old but there's so much conflicting info that I had to comment.

I believe the best method of waterproofing, especially when building a shower, is with the Kerdi Membrane and Drain system. Dens will work in some applications, but their shower stall installation instructions do not work. There's many ways to install tiles properly, so no point in going into that now.

Another error I noticed above is the suggestion to use pressure treated lumber or plywood. PT should not be used indoors.

Jaz

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Tile 4 You LLC
Troy, Michigan
www.tile4you.com

I've NEVER made a mistake....I thought I did once....but I was WRONG!

JohnFRWhipple

Hey Jaz. I believe the thread is referencing building a tub surround not a shower.

Building a tub surround is an easy process made more difficult with the use of Kerdi in my opinion except for us tile men. Here in Vancouver I waterproof showers, tub surrounds and stand alone baths every week.

Denshield is fine for a tub surround but you need to insure the screw heads, seams and most importantly the bottom connection get covered with something waterproof.

Liquid membranes like those made from Mapei, Custom, Wedi and Laticrete work very well and are far easier to instal than Kerdi.

An average pail of liquid membrane will give you 60 square feet of coverage with two coats. An average tub surround measure 55 square feet of coverage needed.

We purchase our liquid membrane for about $70.00 and this little investment (plus a paint brush) can make an ordinary build stand the test of time.

Jaz Man is a huge Kerdi fan and Kerdi can do an exceptional job at waterproofing a tub but it limits your choice in setting material to non-modified thin-sets. These preform poorly compared to modified thin-sets but if your looking for "Cheap" setting materials your good to go.

We find that most tile companies require modified thin-sets. If you like the idea of a sheet membrane then working with a product like Noble Seal TS is the way to go. With Noble Seal TS you get sheet membrane science and the full spectrum of thin-sets to work with.


In Vancouver we like to board with Cement Board, Hardie Board or Green E-Board. I never hang Denshield, regular moisture resistant drywall or drywall in any shower project or tub surround setting. That said many builders still love it.

joecaption

I've been in the building business over 30 years and have yet to see anyone use treated plywood inside of a home. In fact it's againt building code in the US.
Just screw up 1/4 tile board on the walls, tape the seams with fiber tape and set it with thin set, seal it with Red guard then tile set in thin set. Seal the grout when you done. Now your water proof.
The only time I've seen a 2 X 6 wall in a bathroom is in the "water wall" the one with all the plumbng run inside of it. To allow room for the 3 or 4" vent pipe.
I've never seen plywood used behind any tile board in a tub or shower area. It would make the tile stick out over the sealing lip to far on the tub.