How to fill large shower step ?

[Adriano250RS]

Hi All

Waterproofer did not put a angle at the shower step, and now i am left with quite a large gap to fill, but not sure with what ?
Or should i sikaflex a aluminium angle cut to size, on top of the shower tiles?

[JacobZ]

Hi @Adriano250RS,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.

That's a tricky situation to deal with in retrospect, but I can think of three options.

If you have any leftover tiles, the option I think will look best is to cut tiles to the shape and stick them in place with tile adhesive leaving a slight gap above and below to prevent cracking. You can then silicone the top and bottom of them to finish it off and allow a little bit of movement. This would be tricky, but with some care, it should be achievable, and I think would look better than anything else.

The second option is to cut a piece of aluminium flat bar to shape and then stick it in place with silicone. This would be easier to achieve than the tile, but I don't think it would look as nice.

The third option, which I'd only consider as a last resort, is to just fill the gap with coloured silicone. This would be the easiest option, but it wouldn't look great.

Allow me to tag @Nailbag, @Dave-1 and @JoeAzza for their thoughts.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Adriano250RS 

Welcome to the community as well  

I like your suggestion, its probarly how I would step forward to fix the issue. I do note that the doorway dosnt seem to have a lip and also that corner near the door frame. I am not sure how I would do the corner tho.

I presume you dont want to deal with the original water proofer or its a headache and a half. My first step would be to try the original person if at all possible for a resolution.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @Adriano250RS 

On the surface of the photos supplied, I can't see how this issue has been caused by the waterproofer, but the tiler not to have finished the edge properly. However if there an issue with waterproofing along that exposed edge, then covering it up is not the correct of course of action. Doing so will in effect cause long term water damage to the substrate, which typically will extend further. To fix this would require an epoxy waterproofing sealant prior to covering it up with the suggestions by @JacobZ or @Dave-1 .

So, I guess my question is who really is at fault here to address who does the repair?

Out of interest is this edge an entrance to the shower, or is this a side that will have a glass panel installed on it? If it's an entrance, then I would be also concerned about the trip hazard on exit and how can this be addressed.

Nailbag

[Adriano250RS]

Hi guys, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice, @Nailbag, @Dave-1 @JacobZ. 
The waterprrofer installed a angle at the doorway you see on the left, but not one at the shower step, which would have been ideal to prevent any water seeping under tiles i am thinking. And yes it probably should have been tilers job to correct, maybe i walked into it myself as i told him i will do the tile grouting myself. 
I went ahead and very carefully and methodically cut tile to fit in, only to discover its not deep enough for a tile to sit in let alone enough for adhesive, so i grouted it soon after i posted as i had free time. I used a wide joint grout, Dunlop 15kg Mid Grey Wide Joint Grout, thinking it will have better water repelling properties than tile adhesive, and im not too fussed on the look, can barely see this edge. Only thing cant avoid is the grout cracking, in which case it will be easy enough to regrout, which leads me to the next question, should i install the shower screen in a aluminum channel on the "inside" lower area, to minimize the amount of water that can get to this edge but in event of grout cracking cant regrout, or install it on the "outside" and let water run over the grouting? Should i also apply some silicon over the grout ?

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Adriano250RS 

Nice work btw, looks tidy and clean.

As to your question, its a hard call. Both ways have their positives. What were yor plans before you ran into the issue?

If I ha dto make a call Id make the screen inside on the lower section to protect the grout but not sure how the sliding door would work/carry the water away so maybe its a mute point?

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @Adriano250RS 

Without doubt the glass has to sit on the top edge. At the least it will be the most aesthetically positioned but most importantly structurally the most sound. Placing the glass on an angled floor will require considerible packing as you won't be able to get the glass cut to match the fall. 

If you're installing the glass yourself, then definitely use an aluminium channel along the bottom and wall edge. It will be the most forgiving installation and still be an appealing finish.

For that front edge you have grouted I would ONLY apply a clear waterproofing sealant like this one.

Nailbag

   

[Nailbag]

Just a side note @Adriano250RS I just noticed this a floor drain point as it doesn't appear to have any fall in the tiles to direct any overflow water. If this is a requirement in your state and hasn't been installed correctly it will impact any insurance claim.

Nailbag