Streamline Rebated Bathroom and Shower Waterproofing Products

Rebated Showers are a Thing of the Past, Bathroom and Shower Waterproofing Products like Streamline are rapidly becoming the new industry standard

If you are a shower construction contractor, you are likely very familiar with rebated showers. If you have had to waterproof them, you probably hate them with a passion. Rebated or flow-through showers can look great when finished, but are fraught with problems both during installation and for the end user.

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When the rebate is formed in the slab during the concrete pour, often the recess is placed in the wrong position and requires costly re-work. Commonly, the recess ends up under the bottom plate. Even if the builder does manage to have the concreter or water-proofer alter the recess without being charged, the problem still creates construction time delays. The re-work is also often not completed correctly, this usually occurs when the contractor is not charging for the repair.

Often the corner angles are not accurate, recesses are not square to walls or the size of the recess is too small or too big. Also there are usually rough edges that require cleaning up before waterproofing can be successfully applied.

The cost of the recess not being itemised on the invoice does not mean that the concreter is installing it for free. Most concreters hate having to mark-out and box up the recess locations. There are also costs involved with repositioning, adjusting and cleaning up recesses that are usually worn by the water-proofer, but in the long run it does cost the builder.

There are also common issues with waterproofing around the wall to recess junction. Sometimes the wall sheeting stops at floor level leaving a large gap to the bottom of the recess. Very often this is bridged by the water-proofer using plastic angle, creating more and more seams and joins in the shower area and vastly increasing the risk of a future leak.

Numerous problems occur with the placement and use of thin standard angle waterstop. It is common to find no waterstop installed at all, which breaches the Australian Standard. Often the water-proofer has to install the angle 20mm or more from the edge of the recess to meet the required shower dimension. This creates serious problems for the Tiler trying to "fall" the tile towards the waste, over the top edge of the recess.

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Rebated Showers and Leaking

Even if the waterstop angle has been correctly installed and protrudes 5mm above finished tile height, this type of construction is almost never watertight. Typically the screen is installed with a "H" section glued over the waterstop angle with silicone. Close examination reveals that the screen is actually sealed to the tiles and not to the angle, allowing the transmission of water through grout lines and glue cavities and out of the shower enclosure. In addition, with constant expansion and contraction caused by hot and cold water, the cavity inside the "H" section also acts as a pump and draws water out of the enclosure. In order for any shower design to succeed, there must be a positive, waterproof connection between the shower screen and the water-proofing membrane.

What Type of Bathroom Waterproofing Products can Stop Leaks?

Waterstop Streamline is designed to take the hassle out of shower installation. It seals the screen directly to the waterproofing membrane, eliminating any wicking of water between grout lines and under screens.

A modern, one piece design available in a large range of finishes, shapes and sizes, the Streamline range addresses the problem of leaking showers before the shower is built. Designed by a team of water-proofers, tilers, screen installers and building supervisors, the product is quick and efficient for each trade to work with, maximising productivity and eliminating call backs due to leaking screens.

It incorporates a failsafe to guard against silicon failure and includes a built in tile gauge to ensure that the correct fall to waste is achieved.

Take the time today to learn about the many benefits the Streamline system can provide and how this product can be a huge asset to your bathroom construction company. You and your customers will love it!