We can replace your existing tiled or polymarble/fibreglass shower base and install a new functional and stylish tiled shower base.
We can install a tiled shower base anywhere, whether it be on a timber floor on stumps, upstairs or on a concrete slab.
There are no limitations to size or applications for a tiled shower base.
Our in-house professional team of qualified tilers, registered, licensed plumbers, waterproofers, carpenters and shower screen installers can get your job done right the first time.
In order to replace a shower base, the wall tiling and wall lining must also be removed as the waterproofing membrane barrier must be applied to cover the shower base area, curving or lipping up the walls continuously in the shower recess to a minimum to the height 1800mm or the height of the shower head to comply with Australian waterproofing and building regulations. There cannot be a break or join in the waterproofing.
We install new wall linings to the shower recess (plaster/sheeting) and install a Hebel hob…
Before starting any work, your technician will complete a safe work method statement (SWMS) form to ensure the safety of
This is an OH&S requirement and allows us to keep our team and clients safe.
Our technicians install floor protection to your home and set up our dust extraction vacuums and tools.
We begin working on the shower by carefully removing the existing shower screen, taps and shower head. If the shower head and taps are in suitable condition, these can be re-installed once the re-tiling is complete. Unfortunately shower screen manufacturers do not design shower screens with the intention of removing and re-installing. Shower screens require a precision fit, removing and refitting a shower screen causes an ill fit and will be prone to functionality problems.
To allow us to have confidence in our service and to provide a full ten year warranty, we supply a brand new shower screen on every job included at no additional cost.
We retain tapware fittings for re-use, and also off the option of supply and installation new fittings should you opt to upgrade to a new shower head and tapware.
We install new wall linings to the shower recess (plaster/sheeting) and install a Hebel hob. Hebel is an aerated lightweight concrete block designed for the use in shower construction. Hebel is used to create the perimeter of the shower base where your shower screen will eventually sit once the Hebel has been waterproofed and tiled in the same tile as your shower base or bathroom floor.
The shower recess wall tiles and wall lining (plaster or sheeting behind the tiles) are carefully cut out using a precision tool to expose the wall framing.
The tool we use is connected to a dust extraction system to minimise dust. Our purpose designed tools allow us to provide a neat finish so that the areas outside the shower recess are not damaged.
Any rotten wall framing is replaced or reinforced and treated with a wood rot product if necessary.
Some timber cannot be removed due to some walls being load bearing, in these cases reinforcement is provided to the framing.
The shower base and any tiles are carefully removed to ensure the flooring outside the shower does not become damaged.
The Shower is Leaking, The Wall is Seeping? Call the shower man
The Shower is Leaking, The Wall is Seeping? Call the shower man
During the process we are constantly cleaning as we work to ensure that the substrates are clean and ready to work on. We also have the dust extraction vacuums running so that there is no mess and all areas are kept clean to ensure there is no mess caused by our work to the home. We appreciate that the client’s home is just that, a home, not a jobsite.
The existing shower base, whether it be polymarble or a tiled shower base is manually carefully removed to ensure the flooring outside the shower does not becomedamaged
All job waste is removed immediately from the home and taken away in our purpose built vehicles for safe and environmentally friendly disposal.
New wall linings are installed to the shower recess, using either wet area plasterboard or villaboard/cement sheeting; the product used is dependent on the product that has been used to the remainder of the bathroom to ensure consistency in wall finishes.
To provide a compliant waterproof membrane, puddle flanges must be installed flush onto the lowest point of the shower base and inserted into the shower trap (drainage pipe).
The waterproofing is applied to the entire shower recess, terminating inside the puddle flange so that if the shower ever experiences failure or if any moisture is absorbed through grout or silicone, any water that escapes through the tiles will drain through the screed bed and enter the puddle flange allowing the water to exit into the plumbing trap.
This eliminates the risk of water damage to the subfloor.
We install a new trap and puddle flange to your shower base and backfill the cavity
Our Hobs are measured and cut to size onsite We install our water stop which is constructed of aerated concrete to the perimeter of the shower base. The water stop is designed to stop any water exiting the shower base in the event of grout or silicone failure. The waterstop gets waterproofed and tiled.
If any water penetrates through the silicone or grout on the shower base, the water will be trapped within the shower base on top of the waterproofing and forced to exit through the puddle flange.
The installation of the waterstop or hob allows us to waterproof the shower in accordance with AS-3740-2010 Waterproofing of Domestic Wet Areas.
The hob allows us to achieve the height required to pour a screed (sand and cement) mixture onto the shower base which allows us to screed to create fall to the shower waste outlet to provide adequate drainage when the shower is used to prevent pooling. Without the hob, we would have nothing to contain the screed.
The hob or waterstop, once tiled provides us with a neat finish to separate between the existing bathroom floor tiles and the shower base, especially important when a tile match cannot be found to match the existing tiles if the remainder of the bathroom is not being re-tiled.
We use masking tape to tape up the areas for waterproofing to minimise any disturbance to the areas outside the shower so that the client can avoid having to touch up or repaint the bathroom once the shower works are complete.
Once the new wall lining has been installed, we prime the shower recess to ensure that the waterproofing products adhere to the substrates. The primer is an important part of the process to ensure a bond between the waterproofing and the substrates.
A fast cure polyurethane is applied to the junctions and penetrations as a bond breaker to ensure that the waterproof membrane does not crack or fail in any joins or penetrations. If this step is not carried out, waterproofing is prone to failure.
The Bathroom needs re-tiling? Call the shower man
The Bathroom needs re-tiling? Call the shower man
We apply two layers or coats of waterproof membrane (also known as waterproofing).
To ensure compliance with AS-3740-2010 Waterproofing of Domestic Wet Areas, the waterproofing is applied to the entire shower recess, shower base and hob creating a seamless barrier, extending 25mm outside the shower screen position and over the shower hob (also known as the waterstop), terminating inside the puddle flange on the shower base.
This will ensure your shower never leaks in the future.
We complete the waterproofing process by applying a second application (coat) of waterproof membrane once the first application has cured. The protection tape is removed and a neat waterproofing barrier is revealed.
Our water stop (hob) assists in stopping any water exiting the shower base in the event of grout or silicone failure.
If any water penetrates through the silicone or grout on the shower base, the water will be trapped within the shower base on top of the waterproofing and forced to exit through the puddle flange.
We mix a screed outside in a wheelbarrow so that there is no mess left in the client’s driveway or lawn.
Each screed is a custom mix of sand and cement and installed to every shower base to ensure perfect consistency and fall.
A screed bed is used to create adequate fall to the shower waste outlet to ensure water runs into the shower drain without pooling.
The screed also provides a solid bed for the tiles.
If any water was to ever leak through a failure in the grout or silicone, the water would drain through the screed bed into the puddle flange, ensuring that water could not sit under the tiles causing tiles to lift. The faulty grout or silicone could simply be repaired, with no damage to the shower base or waterproofing.
You will notice that the hob allows us to achieve the depth needed to create the fall to the drain- without the hob we would not have anything to contain the screed.The screed bed provides a solid bedding for the tiles. Tiles laid directly onto timber flooring or concrete slabs for shower bases will crack without a supportive screed bed in place
Once the screed is dry, we tile the shower base and hob using a tile of your choice.
We install the shower base tiles ensuring the correct fall is maintained to the shower waste.
The tiles need to be split to facilitate the fall to the shower waste outlet. The splits are cut using a grinder and sanded so that there are no sharp tile edges
It is important that the tile splits are not too narrow, the splits must be at least 1.5mm wide to hold enough grout to allow the grout to adhere inside the gap.
If the splits are too narrow, grout will simply fall out and water will enter the tile gap.
The waste cannot be too close to either of the shower walls as there must be the fall or gradient from each wall into the shower grate.
The shower grate should not be installed directly against any of the shower walls as the fall cannot be achieved to the grate and the waterproofing can’t be installed beneath the grate
The next visit we return to install the wall tiles to the shower.
The shower walls and base cannot be laid in a single visit as the shower base can’t be stood on until the adhesive has cured.
The wall tiles must not be laid on the same day as the shower base tiles, as this will cause the wall tiles to put too much weight on the uncured adhesive beneath the shower base tiles, causing them to lift Some builders will cut corners by tiling the shower recess walls and then the base in a single visit to reduce site visits and time spent onsite, however this is noncompliant as the wall tiles must be laid so that they come down to finish on top of the base.
If the wall tiles are laid before the shower base, a cavity will be created between the wall tile and the shower base tile, and water can become trapped in this space if silicone or grout fails.
Need to Renovate Your Bathroom? Call the shower man
Need to Renovate Your Bathroom? Call the shower man
Once the tile adhesives have cured, we grout the shower recess.
It is important that grout is mixed using the correct ratio of water and grout to ensure the correct consistency, if too much or too little water is used, grout will crack or deteriorate prematurely.
The next visit, we install the caulking to the shower, using a sanitary grade silicone.
The caulking is applied to the vertical junctions of the shower where the corners meet, the internal and external perimeters of the shower base hob, and the internal vertical junctions of the hob
We re-install the existing tapware and shower head, or any new fitting if you have upgraded to new fittings.
To finish, we install a new shower screen.
The shower screen used in this shower is the Pivotech Optima. This is included in most of our shower packages at no extra cost.
The shower screen is installed so that it overhangs the inside of the shower base hob, so that any water that runs down the shower screen drains onto the shower base.
The Shower screen is caulked vertically along the vertical channels onto the tiles inside and out, however only across the bottom of the outside of the shower screen is caulked to avoid water getting trapped underneath the shower frame and collecting.
By having the shower screen frame overhang the hob, and only caulking the outside, any water that runs down the glass and into the shower frame can freely drain onto the shower base and into the waste outlet.
Once your shower screen has been installed the shower is ready for use the following morning.
Once your shower screen has been installed the shower is ready for use the We supply a care guide so that maintaining the shower will be a breeze and the shower will remain in optimal condition for years to come.
From commencement to completion, this process usually takes 10 working days depending on the application.
Unfortunately the process cannot be completed any faster as it is paramount that curing times for waterproofing, tile adhesives, grouts and caulking are adhered to ensure your shower remains leak free for years to come. We provide a full 10 year warranty on this servicefollowing morning.
Important tip: Never allow any contractor, tiler or bathroom renovator replace only the bottom row of tiles or a section of tiling in a shower recess or when replacing a polymarble or a tiled shower base.
Not only will the shower not comply with waterproofing regulations and building code requirements- insurance companies could refuse future claims if noncompliant repairs are carried out on your bathroom.
When only replacing the bottom rows of tiling there will be a break and join in the waterproofing membrane barrier.
This will cause the shower to leak as soon as your house experiences the slightest building movement.
The grout between the old and new tiles will crack, and once the grout has cracked water will leak through the join, penetrating directly through the plaster or sheeting. The join in the waterproofing will allow a path for the water to travel.
A shower is never properly waterproofed unless the entire shower recess has been waterproofed in a continuous application and lipping or curving
up the walls to a minimum of 1800mm height. It is simply impossible to join waterproofing to another section of waterproofing if there are tiles still intact- anybody claiming to be able to do this will be doing a shoddy job.
We regularly come across many handyman and DIY jobs where only the bottom row of wall tiling (instead of the whole shower) has been replaced with a shower base replacement, and instead of getting the job done properly the first time, home-owners are having to pay a lot more to fix the structural damage that the leak has caused from shoddy noncompliant work rather than having it done properly in the first instance
About Us
The Shower Man is a family-owned businessbased in Melbourne, with many yearsexperience in the plumbing and tilingindustries.
