Schluter Tray Waterproofing

[Erobinson1]

I’m finalizing all of my dimensions for my new walk in shower measurements and have run into a slight problem. I’m planning to end the Schluter shower pan at 33 inches on the measuring tape, and have the shower curb extend out to about 39 inches. I will install the tile threshold along the wall and will end the tile at 39 inches as well. The hinge for the shower door I am planning to install at 34 1/4 inch and will end at 35 inches (.75 inches wide).

As you can see, the register is interfering with the hypothetical tile, but it is trapped between 2 studs on either side. I’m planning to make a notch in the tile around the register, but it will look bad for the tile to be thicker than the register in my opinion. The tile with the mortar behind it will probably be about 3/4 inch. The duct opening measurements are 10x6.5, although the inside of the ductwork has a slot that all of the air is coming out of that’s smaller (picture below) at 7.5 x 3 inches. A couple of questions..

1. Can this register be reduced in size or does it need to stay 10x6?

2. The best option I’ve come up with to make this area look decent is using a thick baseboard register since it will be the same depth or deeper than the tile. Are there any better options for making this area look good? Basically I don’t want the tile that I notch out for the register to be thicker than the register itself (same idea as with baseboards). Also I don’t really know if I can move the register since it’s trapped between the 2 studs.

I am ripping out this drywall BTW.

[cx]

Welcome, Emily.

At least one of us would like a photo from further away to give some perspective to what we're looking at.

1. You may be able to find a register smaller than that, but if your HVAC system was designed for that size opening, you really want to keep that size opening.

2. Can't tell if you could move the register without a lot more information about the structure around it and the duct serving it.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Erobinson1]

There’s an electrical wire the bay over so I don’t think I’ll be able to move the duct anywhere else.

[ss3964spd]

Can you move the resister to a higher location on the wall, Emily, up near the ceiling?

I have a very similar situation and that's what I need to do. You just need to find a longer section of oval duct and maybe a new 10X6 boot.

[Carbidetooth]

In many cases, moving register would not be all that difficult. But need to know more about the structure. Tiling around things almost always looks like a oops to my eye, FWIW.

Is this a concrete slab? Wood joists and subfloor? Access from below? Crawl space? Second story?

This will help us advise you. Electrical is also not hard to move, depending on above.

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

You can try two things:

• Skinny up the curb (maybe Schluter has a curb similar to this lean curb?)
• Buy an Aria drywall vent
  

But, even with those two things, I still think you are going to have to turn the vent vertically.

This involves a bunch of standing and staring at different parts in the HVAC section of your local home improvement store and buying the wrong product no less than two times.

Here's what I did in a similar situation:

Before:


During:




After:

[Erobinson1]

Your before and after is amazing. I can’t find anything online about turning a register vertical. Are there any issues with doing this, or specific registers I would need to buy?

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Oval to oval reverse boot duct?

[Erobinson1]

I am installing a Schluter tray with the All Set mortar on top and I’d really like to use a herringbone Carrara Marble tile for the shower pan tile.

I saw a video recently explaining that the Kerdi membrane was designed with the assumption that the shower would dry out in between uses, and that it can start leaking if water just sits on it over time. I know that water soaks through grout, and also soaks through marble more than porcelain. I was wondering if this ever causes waterproofing issues even the grout alone sitting on the Kerdi membrane for too long and not drying up? Are there additional issues with possible standing water on the Kerdi using marble instead of porcelain? Also, will the impregnator sealer have any negative effect on the Kerdi membrane that’s on the tray?

[cx]

Emily, please keep all your project questions on one thread so folks can see what you're working on and what's been previously asked and answered. Matters not how divergent your individual questions might be, if they remain in this bathroom, ask them here. A moderator can give it a more generic title any time you'd like to suggest one.

I have personal knowledge of more than one cardboard box with an interior covered in Kerdi membrane that have been used for years as a container for ice and cold drinks and used as a test container filled with water and had various soaps and other personal care products and, again, was kept full and constantly observed for a year or more. Didn't leak.

This video was on youtube, perhaps?

The biggest potential problem I see with your shower is the use of the marble for the shower floor (or anywhere else, for that matter). If you type marble shower, just those two words, into our Advanced Search feature you'll find a good bit of reading, much of it very negative. You may want to re-think your choice of tile for that application.

I know of no reports of any sort of tile/grout sealer being harmful to the Kerdi membrane. That said, I would still recommend you not seal your shower floor regardless the tile you elect to use.

If you're concerned with standing water I recommend you divest yourself of that foam tray and construct a sloped shower floor using mortar so you'll actually have the minimum slope of 1/4" per foot required by building code and the ceramic tile industry.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Erobinson1]

Here are the after pictures of the register. I now have an 8x6 register instead of 10x6.


CX - thanks for you quick reply. I want to use marble so badly, but I do agree that it’s probably the worst option feasibility wise. Do you recommend still sealing the grout, or literally none of the shower floor at all?

[cx]

None at all for me, Emily. It won't really do anything positive in that application and it can be a net negative with the reduction of ability for water vapor to pass through.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Another vote to not use marble on your shower pan. We know it looks beautiful. We’re not trying to keep that from you. But it’s an unpredictable gamble with high stakes. If the marble absorbs moisture and darkens, it’s gonna look like doodie...permanently. And the only fix is replacement. And doing so over Kerdi means everything is torn out; not just the pan.

Sorry for the buzz-kill.

[Erobinson1]

Hello,

I just completed my Schluter leak test and am confused/concerned about the results. My last picture shows a black mark where the water line started. As you can see, there was no significant leakage issue (maybe 1/16 inch was lost over 24 hours) but there is a TON of wicking even above the Kerdi band. Does that mean moisture wicked all the way from the bottom of the pan up along the walls? Also, I cannot tell is the whole drain collar has water wicked underneath. It’s very hard to tell. Can someone with knowledge about the schluter leak test please help me understand these results?

I used the schluter all set thin set and made sure to have 2 inch overlaps everywhere. I used the 3/16 inch trowel for all corners and Kerdi band, and flattened it with a drywall putty knife.