Blog What is tanking
What Is Tanking? Is it really necessary?
Tanking is compulsory in a wet room! You only need to tank a wet room if it has a tiled floor. There is no need to tank a wet room the uses a vinyl sheet flooring as the vinyl acts as the tanking membrane as well as being the decorative finish. The vinyl flooring should be installed by a specialist-flooring contractor. When the vinyl installation is complete, the installer then seals all seams and joints by hot seam welding creating a seal, which is completely watertight.
For a tiled floor, tanking creates a membrane underneath the tiles that prevents water leaking down into the ceiling or plasterboard below the wet room. If water comes into contact with plasterboard, joists or concrete over time you will experience problems that you will not appreciate, costing you a lot of money in damage and repairs. Tanking therefore is essential.Tanking is a protective layer – a waterproof membrane, which is installed over the complete shower and bathroom floor area before tiling. According to some manufacturers tanking should also be applied 1200mm - 1500mm up the wall in the shower area to guard against water splashing up to this height. For a belt and braces job it is always best to tank the complete wet room / bathroom floor.
For a tiled floor, tanking creates a membrane underneath the tiles that prevents water leaking down into the ceiling or plasterboard below the wet room. If water comes into contact with plasterboard, joists or concrete over time you will experience problems that you will not appreciate, costing you a lot of money in damage and repairs. Tanking therefore is essential.Tanking is a protective layer – a waterproof membrane, which is installed over the complete shower and bathroom floor area before tiling. According to some manufacturers tanking should also be applied 1200mm - 1500mm up the wall in the shower area to guard against water splashing up to this height. For a belt and braces job it is always best to tank the complete wet room / bathroom floor.
What Tanking system is best?
There are two types of tanking systems available on the market. A liquid rubber and a bitumen sheet. Some manufacturers offer cheaper tanking packages but these provide less SQM coverage and less components, for example fewer pipe sleeves and fewer or no corners, so it is important to research and find out exactly what you are getting for your money.
When buying tanking and other wet room products ie: former, drainage etc. it is best to purchase all goods from the same manufacturer. Not only does this give you reassurance because all products are compatible with each other, but also if there are any installation queries you can contact the supplier and they will be able to answer all your questions with confidence. Using different products from other suppliers will make it difficult to determine if their particular product is compatible with another.
A liquid rubber system is only up to 1.5mm in thickness once installed compared to other tanking systems available, which can be up to 4mm. Thicker tanking systems can cause a problem as they do not provide a flat surface to tile. This makes it more difficult to create an even surface without lumps or bumps where the tanking starts.
A liquid rubber system is flexible because it is water based. This prevents the solution once installed going brittle over time and causing the membrane to crack, which can be the case with other tanking systems.
When buying tanking and other wet room products ie: former, drainage etc. it is best to purchase all goods from the same manufacturer. Not only does this give you reassurance because all products are compatible with each other, but also if there are any installation queries you can contact the supplier and they will be able to answer all your questions with confidence. Using different products from other suppliers will make it difficult to determine if their particular product is compatible with another.
A liquid rubber system is only up to 1.5mm in thickness once installed compared to other tanking systems available, which can be up to 4mm. Thicker tanking systems can cause a problem as they do not provide a flat surface to tile. This makes it more difficult to create an even surface without lumps or bumps where the tanking starts.
A liquid rubber system is flexible because it is water based. This prevents the solution once installed going brittle over time and causing the membrane to crack, which can be the case with other tanking systems.
What about using under floor heating?
Under floor heating is now becoming more popular in bathrooms and wet rooms. Be aware when choosing your underfloor heating, that only a liquid rubber water based system is compatible with any electric under floor heating system.
Some tanking systems are not compatible with any under floor heating systems. They simply cannot hope with the intense heat which exceeds their permissible temperatures and affects the tanking system’s integrity. This can be disastrous as the tanking membrane then starts to fail.
Liquid rubber tanking has to be allowed up to 24 hours to dry before you can start tiling, whereas with other sheet tanking systems you can tile immediately. Given the overall time it takes to create a professional wetroom, with former, tanking, drainage etc, this is a small price to pay given the compatibility described. Warmup is renowned as the world’s best selling under floor heating products, with a success rate of over 1 million installations in 40 different countries.
Some tanking systems are not compatible with any under floor heating systems. They simply cannot hope with the intense heat which exceeds their permissible temperatures and affects the tanking system’s integrity. This can be disastrous as the tanking membrane then starts to fail.
Liquid rubber tanking has to be allowed up to 24 hours to dry before you can start tiling, whereas with other sheet tanking systems you can tile immediately. Given the overall time it takes to create a professional wetroom, with former, tanking, drainage etc, this is a small price to pay given the compatibility described. Warmup is renowned as the world’s best selling under floor heating products, with a success rate of over 1 million installations in 40 different countries.