Hi there –
We have a bench in our shower that goes from side to side. When we shower though the water does not run off the bench it goes toward the wall and just sits there and we have to use a squeegie to get the water off. We were told this is becuase the bench does not have the right slope to it. There is a piece of quartz that is the top for the bench. The quartz people said the contractor didnt build it to slope – and the contractor is balming it on the quartz people saying it was up to them to make it slope? I dont know who is at fault here…it seems like if someone lays tile they would just lay it on whatever was built, no? Or is it up to the tile or stone people to create a slope?
The contractor says not to worry that it is hot mopped underneath and that even if the water puddles it wont cause any damage? It still doesn’t seem right to me though…is this something to worry about and who should be responsible to fix this? Thanks for any insight or kind help.
Replies
Last Guy In
In my opinion, the ultimate responsibility lies with the last guy in who should've checked for slope if the job was spec'd for slope.
This is kind of like putty/caulking trim. You ask the trim guy whose responsibility it is, he'll say the paint guy. Ask the paint guy, he'll say the trim guy. But I'll tell you this. If the paint guy paints it without putty/caulk, it's his fault.
Same in this situation. You're going to get two opinions about sloping that bench. One opinion says, build the structure flat and build up the slope with the thinset mortor. The other opinion says that the slope has to be built into the sub-structure. I'm of the second opinion.
I'm not a tile expert but I know you don't want to build up thinset mortor too high. I don't know the width (front-to-back) of the seat in your shower. But if you take 1/4" per foot as a recommended slope to drain water, that tells you how high it needs to be. If it's 18" that would be 3/8" higher at the front than the back. If it's a solid piece of quartz the thinset at the front will likely be about 3/16" thick. That means at the back it would have to be 9/16" thick to get a proper slope for an 18" bench. For a 12" bench, it would be 7/16" thick at the back. I honestly don't know if that's too high for thinset mortor. I know the thinset for really large tiles is pretty darn thick. Maybe there's a tile guy in here who can tell us.
The bottom line is if the specs were for the seat to be sloped, then the seat should've been sloped.
You contactor is correct that if it was "hot mopped" (please tell me they didn't actually use hot tar to water proof a shower in this century) you don't have to worry about leaks. But leaks aren't the only reason for sloping tile. Standing water grows mold and mildew, and anything you can do to drain it to keep it from accumulating is best practice.
If the GC didn't communicate the need for a slope to his subs, it's his fault. If the guy who built out the shower knew it was supposed to slope, it's his fault. If the tile guy left the job without the seat being sloped, it's his fault. Everybody who's passing the buck is at fault. Every tradesman or contractor who doesn't take pride in his work and doesn't double-check these things is at fault.
Unfortunately that the world we now live in. Very few guys even know what the heck they're doing anymore, yet alone take pride in and responsibility for their work.
Fault and responsibility are no the same.
It doesn't matter whose fault it is, it is the contractor's responsibility to see that it is done right. Presuming that the quartz guy was a sub contractor for your GC then it needs to be fixed by someone other than you. If the quartz guy was working for you then he is responsible for installation on an improper base. Whether or not it is waterproof is not the issue. If it doesn't drain it will be imposible to keep clean. If the contactor doesn't see build up of scum or lime as damage then he is trying to pull one over on you.
It's the fault of the guy who didn't spec a slope there.
you should worry.
its done incorrectly, and it doesnt matter what water proofing system he used, over time it WILL be a problem.
If the "contractor" hired the quarts installers, then he is responsible for the installation.
if you paid for and hired the quartz installers its your responisbility to clear it up with the quartz installers.
there is responsibility that the contractor is more than likely shedding, but I would be calling the installer since it was his installation that is the problem.
The bench should be sloped to drain water. It doesn't take much to achieve that. It is the responsiblity of whomever you paid for the work to make it right. I wouldn't pay them unless it is installed correctly. If you already paid them for a faulty job, then you gave away most of your leverage and (IMO) made a mistake.
slope the membrane
Back to basics.
The waterproofing membrane itself should be sloped to drainage.
With that proper foundation for the bench in place, as the finish materials followed, eventually the stone seating surface itself would be sloped too.