Tanking provides a waterproof barrier between the walls, floor and the floor covering. On The Level recommend their specifically developed liquid membrane tanking system to eliminate the problem of leakages. The OTL Tanking system can be applied to a range of surfaces, and once applied can cope with natural movement in the floor and does not become brittle with age. The liquid membrane tanking system is also compatible with all types of underfloor heating.
Do wet rooms need tanking?
It is essential to use tanking on a wet room when tiles are chosen as the final floor covering. Not all tiles are water-resistant, and even if they are, if in future any tiles crack or gaps in the grouting or silicone sealant appear, the tanking will stop water escaping the room and stop it from causing damage. Although not necessary with other types of floor covering such as vinyl, resin or microcement, it is recommended for an extra layer of protection and security.
On The Level provide tanking kits which can be purchased together with the former, which includes everything you need to ensure your wet room is fully waterproofed. There are three wet room floor tanking kits available, the INFINITY I-Line tanking kit, the Linear tanking kit which is suitable for the Linear or SuperSlim Tile-In products, and the Square tanking kit.
How do you tank a wet room?
The process of tanking a wet room is straight forward, and using our liquid tanking membrane can be applied using a roller. We do however recommend tanking a wet room to be carried out by a professional.
The complete floor area of the wet room must be tanked. The bottom of the walls must be tanked all the way around the room, turning up from the floor by a minimum of 100mm. All walls within the showering area and the splash zone must also be tanked from floor to ceiling. Tanking tape and tanking corners are used to create a strong barrier between any joins between the former and the floor and the former and the wall. Tanking sleeves are used to form a seal between the drain outlet on the wet room floor and any water pipes where they penetrate through the wet room wall or floor.
Our useful video also helps to explain all the details.
Common tanking mistakes
The key to a successful long lasting wet room is correctly installing and tanking the space. Here are a few top tips to ensure you avoid costly tanking mistakes:
- Ensure the existing floor outside the former is level with the 24mm former. .
- Ensure all screws are flush to the floor and filled before applying the tanking.
- Do not cut the tanking sleeves.
- Remove any air bubbles underneath the tanking sleeves and tape.
- Bed the meshed perimeter edge of the tanking sleeves and tape into the tanking compound.
- Allow the tanking to completely dry before fitting the clamping ring to the gully and adding any floor covering.
Find out more
To find out OTL tanking, or if you have any questions about the tanking process complete the contact form or give our technical team a call.