Many thanks for taking the time to reply, people like you are few and far between and make the world a better place.

I'm in the middle of building an ensuite and couldn't decide whether to tile or use the aqua panels. But after watching this I've decided to go with tiles and use a tanking kit. Great video.

Simply video and very informative no silly music or silly acting

Great video and very well explained. I will now carry out this method on my ensuite project , i wasnt going to tank the area as my understanding is Ceramic tiling with correct tiles when used on a sound substrate with E-poxy grout and adhesive is impervious to Hydrostatic pressure and totally waterproof. As im in the industry of below ground level waterproofing of basements and a CSSW surveyor i was little care free . Tanking methods are designed to withstand water under pressure (hydrostatic) against earth retaining walls to prevent physical water ingress. Water running down tiles within a shower enclosure should not require Tanking. However i can understand how weaknesses in corners and grout lines could lead to water penetration through to the substrate.

Really interesting to see how different things are done in the UK and United States. Tiling directly on plaster or dry wall is a big no no, membrane and all. We would either float a mortar wall or use a cement board with a membrane system. Thanks for the video

Apart from the squeakiness it was good to see someone calmly demonstrating what to do and not loudly talking rubbish non stop. Good stuff

Another excellent how-to, will recommend your site to my customers, easier for them to follow than explaining it all in the shop

Thanks UHM, Yes I've been to a local supplier and they look to be a great product. I think as an extra precaution I will use your method of tanking and then put a bead of sealant down the joins of the cladding just to make sure that no water gets behind the cladding or into the plaster board. Thanks for your help mate.

Got a price from my tiler €1,100 plus €200 for tanking kit after seeing this I’ll do it myself 😊 thanks for the your informative info

Brill and very easy to understand, thank you fellow northerner.

You rather did imply that, Spunkmeyer. Tile on cement board is a no no without a vapor barrier. I'm using greenboard in my shower. Doesn't matter though, as it will be covered with Kerdi cloth.

Hilarious stuff! @ 2.47 mins in, I thought he had put some banging music on the video to help us all watch paint drying. ..... turns out to be the creaking of his aluminium (aluminum for our US colleagues) hop up bench. Great laugh 😂

Excellent video. Detailed explanation and visuals. Thank you.

Great video. I'm going to have a go at my bathroom this summer so I'll let you know if it leaks!

Hi. I've just watched you video which I found very informative but I'll appreciate answers to a couple of questions. So in tanking the area behind/under the shower which is basically covering the area with plastic to stop water damaging wall and floor. What happens to the water that gets between the shower unit and the tanking. Is the purpose of thanking for leaks or condensation or both. The main reason I'm asking is because I want to fit a shower upstairs on a wooden floor.

08:00 “The water won’t get in there anyway” famous last words.

If you do get air bubbles in the tape, you can easily remove them. Use a hot air gun on the LOWEST setting use just enough heat to make the surface of the tape warm NOT HOT!! you will find the air bubbles will easily "roll out" towards the edge. The heat seems to defeat the adhesive temporarily but it becomes solidly bonded again as it cools.

I`m about to rip out my ensuite and put a new one in, your vids will be helping me achieve this...great channell

GOOD CALM VIDEO..WELL DONE THAT MAN!

The British Standards Institute (BSI) latest codes of practice for BS 5385-1 (wall and floor tiling in normal internal conditions), overseeing works in wet areas. Under new revisions, all substrates should be waterproofed before tiling, even in domestic locations.

hey handyman, i love your channel bro + you always make me look like a pro in front of the family. a few questions though, 1) would using marine ply make for a better job rather than moisture resistant plasterboard and would you tank this in the same way? 2) is a primer still required after tanking and before adhesive? i really want to say thank you for all the info you supply in your vids, its invaluable and really makes a difference to my life. your a great teacher, keep up the brilliant work. kas

one of the best videos I've come across. thanks so much for the advice. going to give it a spin now!

True.. it is more expensive. I bought a few sheets yesterday @ £10 each. The dust is harmful indeed but then again.. so is the dust from plaster board, especially so moisture resistant board. I guess at the end of the day it is a question of caveat emptor. Knowing the score definitely helps.

He loves his seam roller !

Great vid, thanks for the help

Heya, Will be tackling this next. Moisture Resistant Boards in 'wet' areas and ceiling that is close to shower and regular board else where + a tanking kit. ...hope that is right for a fully tiled small bathroom.

I think from what is said in the video that a type of cement board is being used, such as Hardibacker Board or similar rather than plain gypsum plaster board.

Hi thanks for this very useful. I will be putting ina shower tray not a bath. Should I be concerned about water getting through?

Hi mate.. I can't tell you how much the bathroom episodes have been a God send so thank you mate... one question about the tanking, how long is ok to leave the walls after they have been tanked before tilling? I'm hopefully going to be tanking the walls this weekend and tiling next. Cheers

Just doing our bathroom now and we went with Jackoboards instead- it’s added about £200 to the cost of the fit but if we think it’s worth it

Ultimate Handyman. What's the process of tanking walls which have been bonded?

Great video...If your wall was a brick wall with no plaster board which had been plastered would you recommend doing this.... I'm guessing yes right?

A) once tanking has been applied and dried, do you need to apply tile primer on top of the tanking before tiling? 2) when tanking on top of plaster that is very porous, could you apply tile primer first, let the plaster suck all that in, then apply the tanking primer and membrane?

Great video(s), thank you. I have a query about the screw fixings. If joins and other breaks in the plasterboard (outlet pipes) require jointing tape, how come the fixings don't get a circle of tape or cap over them? I get the need to cover joins with tape in case of movement. But the board can't move where it's held in place around the outlet pipes surely? I'm not knocking doing that either. I just thought going to so much trouble, doing such a good job, why not tape over the screw head too?

Great video. Thanks

I have a bathroom / bedroom wall with an issue, from the bedroom side , on the bottom the wall was damp and skim had become soft to the extent that i could pull it out (bath on the other side by the way) , the plaster was also crumbling and soft and the skirt had dry rot too , iv removed the skim and got rid of all the skim and soft plaster, its a house i have just bought, do u think i have a slow leak under the bath, or just needs waterproofing with this tanking once plasterer plasters before the skim? Please advise steps clearly and what i need, i will truly appreciate all your advice, learnt alot from your video by the way thanku.

Excellent tutorial thanks. I assume the tanking procedure is an alternative to the cement-based waterproof panels (e.g. aquaboard or hardiboard) attached to a timber stud frame without needing plasterboard. Perhaps you could tank these panels as well? (Belt and braces!).

I have enjoyed your videos, thank you. Just wish I'd watched them before having a bunch of jokers bodge our bathroom!

A few simple dust exposure control strategies can be implemented to deal with that. The idea is long term durability of the project and structure. Have you had projects completed with non water resistant products that have lasted longer than 30 years? It would seem that the industry standards are based on such concepts and long term case study.

What about the screws your supposed to tape them too

Need tank around the bottom of the wall to the floor

Does it have to be primed over before tiling after brushing on membrane

Hi Ultimate Handyman, excellent video thanks. We have just applied the primer and we’re going to tape/tank next few days. Question, we haven’t yet plastered the ceiling - should we plaster before tanking? I’m worried there will be a problem where the ceiling and wall meet? Please can you advise? Thanks

Very thorough and useful video, thanks.

@sam020885 Yes you can use a roller to apply it, the tile pros at the construction company I work at are always using a roller and they apply 3 coats

The steps squeaky from the weight no from necessity of lubrication!!! Nice job mate!!!!!!!!!

Hi mate, very informative as usual. I'll be tiling my bathroom in a 4 weeks time. Is it OK to put gyproc MR plasterboard up now on a wall opposite the bath and shower, and continue to use the bathroom in the meantime, and do the tanking and tiling later? Or is it better to put the plasterboard up just before tiling begins? Many thanks in advance.

Hello UHM, long time follower here. Many thanks for all your help over the years. I am going to be refitting a standalone shower and put in a new tray as well as new fixtures etc. The tray will need to stand proud of the floor by about 10cm much the same as the original as I do not want to start drilling the joists and to make the job as easy as possible. Should I tank all the way to the floorboards from the ceiling or should I fit the new tray (do the plumbing) and then tank from the ceiling to the new tray prior to tiling?

Thanks for this video. Very useful. Can I wait a few days after I put the primer, before I move to the following steps? Or do I have to move quickly as soon as the primer has set?

I've recently applied tanking to some moisture plasterboard in my bathroom, which are now ready to tiled with some large size tiles. Only thing is I forgot to prime the plasterboard with pva before tanking. Do you think i should reboard, because potentially this could cause my tiles to fall off in the future? The tanking paint seems pretty well stuck to the board and isn't peeling off easily. Also could you advise if I should prime over the tanking with pva before tiling?

No, you got me wrong, I have a PLASTERED masonry (brick) wall, so I'm wondering is this procedure necessary in my case since I don't have a plaster board which could get messed up by water penetrating through grout? Tnx.

Hi Handyman, greatest video and I’ve done exactly as you have demonstrated in this video. However after tiling the adhesive seems to be taking a long time to dry. Is that normal and how long should I wait before grouting or is there a way of telling when the adhesive is fully dry. I’m using shower proof adhesive that I bought from screwfix

I'm replacing the plasterboard in my bath/shower area as the old stuff wasn't tanked and was covered in black mould. Does the new plasterboard need to go all the way to the floor (under the bath level) or just down to the rim of the bath? If it does need to go all the way to the floor, does the area under the bath need tanked too? Thanks.

Hi, "Great videos" great help. I'm in the process of installing a wetroom soon. My question is should i use normal platerboards or moisture ressistant plasterboards if i use tanking to seal the plasterboards? Both walls are new stud walls, should i be concerned the moisture reaching the plasterboards over time. Thanks.

Hi Ultimate Handyman, Clear and well explained video - thank you. One question if I may, please. The boss (my wife) and I are creating a new shower room and we're having a 'bit of a domestic' over the need to do what you've advised here! I've built the stud wall and will shortly board it out using Knauf Aquapanel - as opposed to regular plasterboard. My wife thinks that to tank on top of this is overkill and all that's necessary is to fill the joints with a quality flexible waterproof sanitary sealant, after which we're good to tile. Obviously, doing what you advise is a 'belt 'n braces' approach - but is my wife's approach not perfectly adequate in your view? Her main objection to tanking is the additional expense (we're on a bit of a budget) - given that we've already forked out a small fortune for the Aquapanels.

good video, I take it if one has plastered walls then joining tape is not needed? Also can one just use the membrane liquid? thanks

Thank you very much for the quick reply, I understand what you'er saying and agree. What do you think to using the plastic wall panel covering instead of tiling in showers as its quicker and waterproof.

Great vid. What about the the screwheads in the plasterboard. How are they sealed??

That ladder sounds like a taser. 😀

Hi, great video, this will be me at the weekend. In my tanking kit instructions it say 'fill any voids or holes with sealant' Most of my screw holes have been sunk (probably should have) am I best to fill every hole with sealant? If so would you recommend a certain type? Thanks!

can the tanking strips be brought onto the tray and then tiled over/ seal strip over ? I have a few mm of a gap between tray/wall that needs to be bridged and the strip wont bridge it properly ,,,thanks

Quick bit of info: I called the Aquaseal manufacturers about what surface types needed to be primed before tanking and they gave me a couple of shocks: 1) If you have sealed new plaster with PVA, you cannot then use their primer on top - you have to remove the PVA mechanically (probably by sanding it all off!) 2) You cannot tank over previously painted wall: you have to remove the paint, again probably by sanding. 3) You cannot prime over recent plaster (even if fully dry). Apparently they want you to wait a month or something before priming and tanking. They are killing me!

What’s the minimum time to wait between the first and the second coat, can they both be applied within the same day

For concrete tiling boards, before tanking, do you need to tape and apply a thin layer of mortar to joins? You have gone straight to tanking? Please advise.

Excellent, so helpful.

Great video. I’m installing a shower tray and the shower screen needs to be secured by drilling in the the tanked area. How do I keep this waterproof? I was thinking silicone in the holes but is there a ‘proper’ way? Cheers

Hi is it ok to apply tanking to a newly plastered shower wall , enjoyed the video

Great video, thank you. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer for me: I didn't think plasterboard was supposed to be used in this situation? Would waterproof grout onto a cement board like aquapanel, be good enough to stop the water getting through?

Thanks for the very good video....Can you fix the creaking steps!? Maybe some WD40...

Great video, have you ever tried peeling or picking this stuff off? Curiosity got to me after it had dried, and I was surprised how easy it was to peel off. Apparently the manufacturers say this is normal, however, I can't help but question the adhesive qualities.

I was told that you should use nonails then screw plaster board on I think you need more screw in your plasterboard ?

Very well explained and demonstrated. You were using moisture board. Would you do the same with Aquapanel cement based backing board... I guess yes as there are still joints. I'm just wondering if I'm going to apply the same tanking, why bother using Aquapanel if you can use Moisture panel? Thoughts?

Great video! - I will have to re-board a stud wall in my bathroom so there would be x2 kinds of plasterboard, one for the shower area and then regular for the rest of the wall. So if I skimmed both can I tank over the plaster? Also you don't have to tank the floor do you?

Nice neat job. One sure thing, that ain't gona leak! In your next video could you show us how to stop squeaky steps? Lol

Hello, I'm thinking on putting tile my bathroom too but my bathtub wall has an acrylic wall do I have to do the same procedure you did here and do I have to remove my tub please need help

great video,very informative, but please get yourself a new ladder asap!! squeaking done my head in.....lol. Cheers

Is this procedure necessary in showers without plasterboard structure, I have a classical plastered brick wall on which I plan to tile on directly?

incase? Water always gets behind the tiles in a shower or tub enclosure. Why use sheet rock behind tile? What about wonderboard? There are a couple styles available.

Do you use plasterboard and what type or cement board covered in paper that you can cut, or cement board which you cut with a saw. Thanks for any help.

Good job mate.

Do plastered walls need tanking and should water resistant plaster board be used even when plastering before tiling around a shower bath?

I wonder if they do this in the timber frame throw ups that spring up in days.

hi , I'm fitting a shower , one wall is already tilled ,two walls are new plasterboard , it would be a lot of work to take off the old tilles . can I tank over the existing tiles?, i want to tank all three sides the same

Im looking to complete a walk in shower area and have come across Hardiebacker instead of using moisture board. Have you ever used these? or is it best to stick with tanking moisture board as i want to dot and dab the walls then use fixings and Hardiebacker cant be dot and dabbed. Great channel btw and congrats on 50 miliion views!! cheers mate

I don't understand. How do you make the holes where the pipes in the wall go through water tight?

Just noticed this video is years old after watching!! Have you moved onto using foam board now?

Really good video. Well done.

Hi mate ! love the channel. would you still recommend using this method of waterproofing a bathroom today or would you change some things .

Great video, very informative and may have just saved me some money in the form of an unforeseen disaster. In a situation where there is already a bath fitted and walls painted, would you still advise this method before tiling. Also, when it comes to taping, i currently can't see where the plasterboard are joined. What would you advise in such a situation? Cheers.

Hi UHM, Great video! I'm thinking of using your method, but instead of using tiles, I would use plastic cladding panels to form a waterproof surround for a corner shower cubical. Have you any thoughts or advice on using cladding panels on a tanked dry wall surface. Many thanks, always very glad of your advice mate.

Having done the job badly, tiling throughout without doing this, I am getting leaks in kitchen below bathroom. I have a power shower into the bath tub where I stand. Not sure what to do as I am reluctant to destroy the tiling. I am worried about silicone and grouting because eventually they give and I get leaks. Is there something you can recommend?

Good video - how would you recommend the best seal if needing to sink the bath lip into the plasterboard?

Would you use this with plastered walls? I've got to hack off existing tiles and retile my bathroom soon. I assume the tiles have were just adhered to the wall.

If you're using Epoxy Grout which is waterproof do you still need to tank the walls ?

Hopefully this hasn't been covered already. I have heard conflicting responses to this question so hope you can settle this. I have put a new bath in my bathroom where a shower cubicle was and I'm keeping a shower on the wall over the bath. The bath and shower area have been boarded with gyproc (I think) moisture resistant plaster board. Now do I need to tank this board before tiling or not? I have read that PVA based solutions will just turn back into liquid form if in contact with water or moisture and therefore the tile adhesive will lose grip and the tiles will fall off the plasterboard? Is this true or can I just tile straight onto the moisture resistant plasterboard?

I'm about to start hanging drywall in my home, I'm thinking about using cementboard instead of greenboard in the shower area. Do you have anything for or against it? I'm using metal studs, and I want to have 4 niches in it (everything tiled). I think cutting and making holes for fixtures would be a pain in cement board, so I don't know if it is worth all that trouble if the greenboard with a good tanking works.

We have had to strip back to brick on one side of the shower area. So do we plaster the uneven wall then put on waterproof plasterboard then tank or can we plaster and tank after skimming plaster?

Hi just watched this video and it's helped me a lot so thanks. But one question are you going to Tile the shower area then plaster up to and around the edge of the tiles? Cheers

Have you ever used ardex wpc ? just got some for my bathroom , wondering if its any good before i start with it , cheers in advance.

I recently had a new bathroom fitted and all I have now to do is wire the shower myself. A square hole was left in the tiling to expose the plasterboard leaving a hole for the water pipe and another hole for the cable. I can't use tanking tape so what is the best way to fill/seal the pipe and cable were the square was left in the tile? I guess the tilers should have put tanking tape of the holes. Cheers