Tiling and plastic shower tray

[Tim Decker]

I am going to be installing my plastic shower tray onto a plinth made of 18mm wpb ply. There are some advantages to me in tiling the wall first, right down to the level of the plinth. Then installing the tray and sealing the edges with silicone. How reliable is this method likley to be? The alternative would be to put the tray in, then tile down to it (within a cm or so), then silicone this gap. I would assume that any water running down the tiles is less likely to leak down the side, but I have read about this sealed gap failing in other posts, due to the continued weight and flexing on the tray. Interested to see the discussion on the merits of each method. Thanks Tim

[Rednadnerb]

I think that what you are considering is too fragile. Better to use loads of silicone to seal the gap between the wall and the tray and then tile down onto the tray with yet more silicone behind the bottom of the last tile. I'm not a plumber but I have seen lots of leaky shower cubicles.

[mail]

Tim Any (mis)concived (?) advantages of such tiling in option 1 above are far far outweighed by the simple need to keep the wall INSIDE theshowers as a default fail safe. That is not the tiles but the wall surfaces as well. I would cut the shower tray edges into the three surrounding walls if the are there or if you have to build them say of stud put the stud up to the tray itself THEN ply then tiles

forget silicon use polysulphide mastic and keep 10 mm channels around to fill (see DAS 68 and 69 from the BRE for the priniciple) only use silicon if you need something to set hard as a backing

Chris

[Tim Decker]

Thanks, This might not be possible, because of the size of the shower screen that I have bought, but I understand the principle, so will do this if possible. Can someone provide a link to DAS 68/ BRE, I am not familiar with either acronym, so excuse my ignorance.

[kent]

Tim, I hope you don't mind me muscling in on your thread, but I am also about to install a shower tray. I have to tile on two sides, one is a normal plastered wall, so I can attempt to cut into it at tray level. The other is a stud wall. I have already replaced the plaster board with aquapanel, but now I am wondering if I should line it with ply before tiling. Can anyone give me advice on this? Thanks.