Technical Information

Data Sheet

Material: Exclusive aluminium extrusion grade 6463-T5 (trim grade) with an average thickness of 3mm.

Design: Streamline’s patented shape boasts many innovative design features.

• Bull nose creates a modern, stylish appearance and provides a safe radius for toes.
• 40mm serrated foot provides appropriate surface area to securely glue the extrusion to the substrate.
• Pronounced Tile-Gauge on inside face dictates the correct bedding (screed) height to provide the required fall for even the largest showers.
• Membrane anchoring keys on the Tile-Gauge and inside the upper vertical surface allow the membrane to adhere securely to the extrusion, providing enhanced water-proofing over "standard" angles.
• Cavity above Tile-Gauge provides for adequate amounts of sealant when installing the screen. An inadequate cavity results in sealant being "squeezed out" as screen is installed. This cavity also encases the silicon sealant, meaning it is not exposed to cleaners or general wear and tear, dramatically extending its life span.
• Screen face at top contains and hides the sealant to provide a neat, stylish and "streamlined" look to the installation.
• Waterstop Streamline provides a positive connection between the shower screen and the water-proofing membrane to eliminate water wicking through grout lines and glue cavities. If your current method glues the screen to the tiles with silicone, it simply cannot be completely waterproof!

Can your "standard" angle or tiled hob provide all of this?

Production: Fabricated from one-piece extrusion, each product is notched, bent, corner gusseted, linished, polished, then powder coated or anodized, taped and boxed. All manufacturing processes use jigs and precision tooling to ensure quality, consistency and accuracy.

Finishes: Powder coated or bright silver anodized and protected by a thick removable tape that includes product installation instructions. Surface finish exceeds architectural standards.

Packaging: Each item is packed in sturdy, corrugated cardboard measuring 50mm wide by 70mm high that extends 30mm past each end of the product. Product is identified using codes for size and colour and is printed on the packaging (refer to the product fact file for code details). More information on Waterstop Streamline is available by downloading our brochure.

Streamline Care Instructions  

SPACING ONLY. CLEAR FORMATTING TO MAKE TEXT.

Installation Instructions

Installation is simple and can be completed by the builder or contractor. Waterstop Streamline can be applied directly to all floor substrates or inserted into recesses to greatly improve waterproofing and construction time.

Basic instructions are provided on the protective tape; however, more detailed instructions are available in the following Installation Instructions .

Before installing the Streamline hob, please take a minute to check that the hob hasn’t been knocked out of square during the shipping process. Sometimes the hobs are placed in the back of a van or ute with heavy drums of membrane sliding around, or in the back of courier vans with other heavy objects. This can result in the hob being subjected to excessive force, knocking the angle out of square. The internal gusset is designed to hold the legs to the correct angle, but will release pressure to protect the hob if the forces placed on it are excessive. If the angle has been “adjusted” during transit, applying gentle pressure to the legs will enable it to be tweaked back to the correct angle. If the hob is bent excessively (more than 50mm at the end of the leg), then please contact us for a replacement.

Years ago, we used much heavier rivets with a high clamping pressure, however we found that if the hobs were subjected to trauma during shipping or handling, if the bend didn’t “give”, the leg of the hob would twist. This is because the foot of the hob offers much greater resistance to bending than the top, and so a twist would be introduced along the leg.

This twist was very difficult to see during the installation process, so the risk of being installed undetected was high. Also, any twist was almost impossible to rectify on site, so led to delays as a replacement product was shipped. We then changed to a lower clamping force rivet to provide a “fuse” to protect the hob. If the hob is knocked out of square, it was immediately noticeable during the pre installation check and can easily be tweaked back to square on site.

Please note that installation instructions given by Gleda are specific to the use of this product. Associated waterproofing techniques and products used to form the complete shower system are entirely left for the installer to ensure compliance with building authorities. Waterstop Streamline is fabricated from aluminium extrusion and the responsibility for compatibility of waterproofing products used in conjunction with this product remains with the installer.

When installing Waterstop Streamline it is important to ensure that the shower screen will be able to connect with the wall after tiling. In cases such as where there is a corner or a nib return wall, this may mean setting the product in from the wall edge. If in doubt please consult your screen supplier.

Gleda can provide referrals to experienced contractors who are able to supply and install Waterstop Streamline if required.

If you have any questions about installation please contact [email protected] or phone 07 5426 3700.

Diagram of Hob Section

Aerated cement/brick and tile hobs:

• Pieced together - relies on mitre joins and it is difficult to get the entire perimeter level. There are usually inaccurate 90 degree or 135 degree angles. The shape is often out of square leaving problems for tilers.
• Aerated cement requires sealing - it is common to find these installed unsealed especially if they are formed or altered on site.
• Does not isolate wet tray area from bathroom floor or walls.
• Inconsistent size and shape - Tilers frequently pack low points in hobs with thick layers of mortar outside of the membrane. This increases the likelihood of water 'wicking' up into hob through the mortar and often pops tiles in short time. (We know of one major builder who converted to mosaic tiles because they are easier to remove "when" the hob fails).
• Dangerous sharp corners and tripping hazards.
• Loss of valuable floor space due to thickness of the hob.
• Time consuming and costly to build and tile the hob.
• Cost - while hebel may be low cost ($20-$25) tilers charge by lineal meter and commonly take between 1-1.5 hours to tile a standard hob (approximately $50-$80 per hob). Add to this the cost of investigating why so many showers constructed this way leak - regardless of who or what is at fault, significant amounts of money are wasted by the builder and contractors just identifying problems, not to mention the risk to a builders reputation.
• Screen is glued directly to tiles and not to the water-proofing membrane - Tile grout is porous and is not waterproof. "Sealing" the screen to the tiles allows water to wick through the grout and under the tiles where it travels through the glue cavity to escape the shower enclosure. We repeat, in order for any shower design to succeed, there must be a positive, waterproof connection between the shower screen and the water-proofing membrane, NOT between the screen and the tiles.
• Screen is often positioned incorrectly and does not comply with Australian Standards.
• Final inspection issues - it is impossible for building inspectors to know if the construction method was followed correctly because all major waterproofing components are covered by tiles.

Standard angle:

• Pieced together - relies on mitre joins and it is difficult to get the entire perimeter level. There are usually inaccurate 90 degree or 135 degree angles. The shape is often out of square leaving problems for tilers.
• Most angle used is too low - this makes it difficult for tilers to get fall to correct shower waste.
• Thin material used - often damaged by other contractors.
• Shortcuts - many reports of tilers flattening these thin angles and tiling over them to save time.
• Cost - while this system seems cheap to install, when the true costs are assessed including high rates of re-work during construction and rectification work required when problems occur, the cost in time and effort alone becomes excessive.
• Tile level inside to outside shower is critical to allow successful capping of the waterstop when left protruding above tile line. This is difficult for tilers to do and they frequently find the angle is installed out of level)
• Capping extrusion - Many shower screen suppliers either do not have or refuse to fit a 'capping' extrusion to fit over the protruding waterstop. Screen suppliers commonly request waterproofers to fit plastic angles as waterstops because they find plastic easier to cut off at tile height, meaning the screen is placed directly on the tiles over the waterstop. This effectively hides the fact the waterstop has been cut off and creates the above mentioned issue of the screen being "sealed" directly to the tiles and not the membrane. "Sealing" the screen to the tiles allows water to wick through the grout and under the tiles where it travels through the glue cavity to escape the shower enclosure. One more time..., in order for any shower design to succeed, there must be a positive, waterproof connection between the shower screen and the water-proofing membrane, NOT between the screen and the tiles.
• Sealing a 'capping' extrusion over the thin angle waterstop forms a pressure difference between the inside of the cavity and the outside air which creates a pressure pump that breaks down the silicon and fills the cavity with water. This "pump" can easily push enough water to seep across the 5mm waterstop and into the grout lines on the other side. Also, the continual expansion and contraction of the aluminium capping extrusion with every shower use eventually breaks down the silicon seal on the outside of the cap and provides a constant supply of water to dry floor substrates or timber frames.
• AS3740-2010 proposed that the capping only be sealed on the outside of the waterstop angle. The theory behind this is to allow any water trapped in the cavity to drain back into the shower enclosure. In reality, water is pushed by thermal expansion over the waterstop and into the grout lines on the other side where it is free to wick its' way through the notched channels in the glue under the tiles, to a destination potentially many metres from the shower.
• Impossible for certifiers to know if the correct construction method was followed correctly because all major waterproofing components are covered by tiles.

Waterstop Streamling is modern, looks great and is effective.

Many of the theories associated with waterproofing a shower enclosure can appear quite sound when viewed on paper. It is not until extensive testing is undertaken that  the causes of so many problems in this area are uncovered. It is not our intention to upset people, but many builders remain tight-lipped about problems they are experiencing and are honestly at a complete loss as to their cause. Some will try to "band-aid" the problem to get through the warranty period when the problem will be passed on to the hapless owner. Others end up cycling through contractors believing the problems are caused by faulty workmanship.

Testing these issues is extremely complex, time consuming and therefore expensive. Leak testing of suspect showers by water-proofing contractors usually involves plugging the waste with an inflatable bladder and filling the shower recess using a bucket of water obtained from another source (to rule out shower plumbing). Very often, a problem shower will hold water when tested in this manner. The water-proofer rightly informs the builder that the membrane is sound and heads off to  the next job.

The builder then calls the plumber who proceeds to pressure test the pipework and finds no leaks. Becoming increasingly frustrated, the builder calls out the only contractor left, the screen installer, who checks the installation, finds all of the silicon sealant intact and correctly applied and tells the builder all is well. Mr builder then heads for the scotch cabinet...

As we say in our advertising, no matter how good your contractors are, most shower designs cause the problems.

After trying many, our preferred method involves using water of different temperatures dyed in different colours to identify the origin, and repeating the test again and again to completely rule out the effects of chance and other anomalies. Few builders or water-proofers have the time or resources to instigate these sorts of tests, but it was necessary to find the causes once and for all. Time and again, the "leaks" proved to be emanating from grout lines and glue cavities. Careful disassembly of the shower area showed water consistently wicking through the grout lines in the shower and down to the gap between the membrane and the tiles. The effects of hot and cold water create a pressure pump which pushes the water along in this gap and eventually out of the shower area. Once this was known, it was easy to see that any construction method where the screen is "sealed" to the tiles is simply not going to work.

Waterstop Streamline is the only modern, aesthetically pleasing way to positively connect the shower screen to the membrane in a tiled shower.