Steam Shower. Kerdi vs AquaDefense advice needed
jdougjo
11 years ago
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Comments (7)
catbuilder
11 years agodjlandkpl
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Kerdi vs. Redguard
Comments (8)Yes these two are just two of many shower membranes. They all work. Redgard is great and always has been. You never heard of either until two months ago. If you research a lot on the internet, you might find out about a number of products. Some are written about with fulsome praise in tones of awe. Some are just used by guys in the industry who don't spend time writing things on web sites. If you web search a lot you you might ask why you are can read so much about Kerdi and see it praised or respected everywhere on the web. I'll guess, based on my observations. The company behind this orange sheet membrane and another one too, is good at guerilla marketing which means getting it into the hands of professionals and getting it to be "respected" too. A massive amount of marketing pressure is made to get the orange membrane to be talked about highly. There are many ways of creating buzz and pressure to make it appear to be the best thing to use. They give free courses, and free material. It is given away behind the scenes as free product to the oldtimers at one famous and friendly tilesetting advice forum, but only if the oldtimers behave just right. Then, there are many ways to make you the firsttime public fear "trying" any other way. Misinformation is one way. So the more you read the more it can appear that Kerdi is the one and only thing. The alternatives (liquid-applied membranes and foam boards faced with fiberglas mesh and gray concrete) are real amateurs in terms of modern guerilla warfare. Kerdi is successfully marketed; so successful that it seems to be a standard when actually it is the experimental product that hasn't even gotten to the stage of being permitted in certain places. So, I hope this helps in understanding that everyone will always write about Kerdi with tones of awe in their writings, except for someone like me. I got tons of free product already, from sources linked to the guerilla marketing channels. What I really wanted was clear information. What really wanted was for them not to spread misinformation, fear and doubt about the other alternatives. That is what I respect most. A little less bribing and A little more restraint and honesty. Redgard is good. It always has been. Where you live, it is the best thing to use because the installers probably already know whatever they need to know, to use it to install a shower membrane properly. Learning another method is just a lot of effort for no gain. Redgard works. The other one works too. To be thorough, read Redgard's instructions, call the manufacturer's technical support people, and post again if you have questions. hope this helps...See Morecan we please discuss kerdi vs. alternatives ...AGAIN?
Comments (13)kateskouros, I've seen some of your choices/plans for your new house in other forums, and they're very nice. Are you sure you want to consider fiberglass for your shower? Perhaps there's some other thing your contractor is talking about, but to me, fiberglass implies those moulded shower things. There's nothing wrong with them, but I had the impression that you were going for something else. My husband did our Kerdi himself, it's not that big a deal. We used it in our steam shower and in those showers that weren't steam. Don't you want tile in your shower? And even if you do do tile on the shower walls, I wouldn't do a fiberglass pan either. I've always thought that just looks like an afterthought to do that. The shower floor should be of the same caliber as the walls. Kerdi is great stuff. But it's not the be all end all. There are plenty of showers in the world that don't have kerdi in them and survive. But it IS terrific stuff, and if you can persuade him to use it, and use it properly, you will end up with a better shower, I think....See MoreKerdi Shower Part Deux
Comments (52)Kerdi Update: I've gotten a couple of emails regarding the newer "Kerdi-DS". First, emails. I often get emails sent to me through the G'web email system, and because of the sender's setting on his/her G'web account, those emails can not be replied to. So don;t think I'm rude for not replying to your question. More often than not, it's literally impossible for me to reply to your email due to your account settings. Kerdi-DS. What is it? It's simply a thicker version of plain ole Kerdi. Kerdi is 8-mil, Kerdi-DS comes in at 20-mils thickness. Why is -DS now getting attention here in North America? Because TCNA has changed their recommendations for membranes used in commercial or heavy use steam showers. Recommendations for residential use steam showers have not changed at all. What or who is TCNA? TCNA is the Tile Council of North America. You might see references to TCNA when it comes to installing tile. TCNA publishes "best practice" guidelines for tile installation. You have an organization like TCNA which is fairly nimble when it comes to changing recommendations for installing tile. Then you have "building code", which only gets updated every few years, and updates are subject to influence from various interest groups; be they trade groups (plumbers, electricians, etc) or large corporations that make building materials. TCNA will often make tile/shower/bath recommendations that improve building practices several years ahead of those changes being implemented into state or national building codes. Blah blah blah. So what is this about? We have water barriers, which limit the penetration of liquid water. Then we have vapor barriers, which limit moisture vapor penetration. At a minimum, a water barrier is needed in a shower or tub surround. A more robust barrier, or a vapor barrier, is needed in a steam shower. Protection from vapor penetration has been typically defined by a product's "perm rating". Previously, if a product had a perm rating of less than 1.0, it was considered a vapor barrier. Example, a topical membrane that I use often is Hydroban. Hydroban has a perm rating greater than 1.0, so it can be used as a waterproof membrane in a shower, but it won't suffice as a vapor barrier in a steam shower. A product like RedGard has a perm rating of less than 1.0, so it can be used as a waterproof barrier in a regular shower, or as a vapor barrier in a steam shower. Kerdi? "Regular" Kerdi, the "standard" 8-mil thick Kerdi, has a perm rating of around .90, so it can be used as a water barrier in a regular shower, or as a vapor barrier in a residential steam shower. TCNA has revised their recommendations for vapor barriers used in heavy use or commercial use steam showers. Health clubs, spas, etc. Whereas the old recommendation was to use a material that simply had a perm rating of less than 1.0, for commercial installations like listed above the recommendation has been......See MoreIs Schluter Kerdi & Shower Systems a No Brainer?
Comments (26)So many issues for a shower. It's really helpful to hear the thinking through others have done. I am revising my plans and spotted the Schulter 21" niche, which is a good size. Two tier. Partition wall is 29" wide. It's prefab so the draining angle should be built in. We don't use pumps as the nozzles dry out and they annoy me. But we both have different products so I agree -- the bigger the better. I also felt teak bench would work and not be fixed. Also not cold, slippery or uncomfortable when wet. I have some Turkish hammam towels which are not terry and really work well to throw over a bench if needed. Warmly Yours also can be used to heat a bench, however. Trying to keep this shower basic and adaptable. The niche placement idea is a big help although it would be on the left vs right and slightly behind. The footrest bar is terrific. Thank you @Avanti! Also needing to figure placement of grab bars. Will post photos of the elevations when I finish....See Moremillworkman
11 years agojdougjo
11 years agocatbuilder
11 years agoMongoCT
11 years ago
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