Adhesives question: Swanstone, Kerdi band, Kerdi aluminum edge profiles

[keithwwalker]

Hello everyone! This is my first post, I hope to describe my little project (they all start out small, don't they?), and ask some simple questions.

I am replacing an old bath wall (thin laminate), with a Swanstone wall system.

Since there are only three pieces to the Swanstone, I put up some Kerdi Band where the joints will meet in the corners and also at the bottom (photos later). It went on well with un-modified thinset (my first time working with kerdi, so glad the pro's on this forum love it!).

Here are my questions:

First, I wish to apply waterproofing to the remaining exposed areas of the existing drywall where the kerdi band isn't. Swanstone says to use a water or oil based primer in preparation for bonding the Swanstone to a wall with silicone adhesive, but wouldn't waterproofing be a little more protection?

I was planning to use Laticrete WaterTight, but I have my doubts that I can use an adhesive can bond to it. The WaterTight is listed on the MSDS as a "Styrene Copolymer Latex":
laticrete.com/Portals/0/msds/WaterTight Floor N Wall Waterproofing Crack Isolation.pdf
and the installation instructions state that "Do not use
solvent-based adhesives directly on LATICRETE WaterTight"
laticrete.com/Portals/0/datasheets/lds6600.pdf

Does anyone have advise for waterproofing the wall? Will a urethane adhesive bond to the latex water proofing?

Second, instead of using Silicone adhesive to bond the Swanstone to the existing walls, I am planning to use Sika Bond Universal to bond the Swanstone to the walls. It is a polyurethane adhesive. Swanstone recommends a Silicone adhesive, but I think the Sika will work. Will the sikabond also bond to the kerdi band? I think so, since the kerdi fix is also a urethane formulation.

us01.webdms.sika.com/fileshow.do?documentID=214

Has anyone had experience of bonding Swanstone with either Kerdi Fix of an equivalent Urethane?

Thirdly, there is an aluminum framed window in the shower. I have some Kerdi band that I was hoping to glue to the Kerdi band directly to the anodized aluminum widow frame with the Sikabond. Will sikabond or kerdi fix bond sufficiently?

I also have some aluminum kerdi profiles that I wish to glue to the Swanstone. Usually thinset mortar is used, but again, I don't think thin set will adhere to the Swanstone, it definitely isn't in their instructions:

swanstone.com/images/link_installation/Form_193-Kits_Panels-10-08.pdf

Has anyone used a continuous bead of urethane adhesive to seal the wall to the aluminum profile and then to the Swanstone? It all has to be continuous and waterproof, it has me worried as to how it will turn out!!!

Any help is appreciated. I will also be tiling the floor with some nice Italian tile from DA Tile, so I hope to continue the thread and post photos of my progress.

Thanks
Keith Walker

[Todd Stull]

Keith,
I'll offer you a lil help here since I install a LARGE bulk of Swan and Corian showers...
The instructions are referring to priming your walls and that is actually meant for when you are installing over existing materials that may be rough, dirty, etc... I wouldn't worry too much about that.
If you back caulk EVERYTHING with silicone, you should not need any kind of waterproofing, however, I spoke with my Laticrete rep in the past and he seemed to think that HydroBan would be ok. WaterTight is a sister product so I personally do not see a big deal here.
As for glue, I use a combination of 3 sealants to install wall panels: 100% silicone, Power Grab and and PL Premium construction adhesive and nothing else... I hang Swan ceiling panels this way as well and they stay

I think that your wasting time with the Schluter profile around your window. The Swan window trim kits are pretty lowsy too... Best Option: find your local Corian Fabricating shop and make a ply box template after walls are installed which will wrap the inside jambs and the outside face and pick out some scrap Corian that will match pretty good and they can make you a 1 piece solid surface insert that you caulk, and slide into place and caulk around the edges. That's how I do it and it works GREAT and my customers love the window inserts so I'll try to find a few pics to upload on this thread for you to look at.
I think my website is in my signature so there is a video of your's truly doing a Swan shower with ceiling, trim and recessed shelf... that may help you out

[Todd Stull]

This one here is a white Swan beadboard wall surround with a Corian window insert...
I'm still searching for a pic from another job

[Todd Stull]

This one is a white Veritek Tub with a Tahiti Desert wall clad and a white Hanex window insert... sorry for the light

[keithwwalker]

Thanks for the advice Todd, your installations look clean and the second bathroom looks similar to what I started with.

The Loctite PL adhesive is also a polyurethane type, so that tells me that I can use similar for my application. The urethanes release xylene during a cure (refer to my pdf's linked above), so I returned the Laticrete WaterTight and will just use an oil based primer for preparing the drywall. As you can see in the photo, the wall is in really rough shape. If I was tiling, I would of pulled it all down and put up some new material. I am counting on a good seal at the joints so that water intrusion isn't a problem.

I already have the Swanstone window insert kit (expensive!), so I will just fabricate that up. There is plenty of excess material to make a curb at the window.

How liberal are you with the adhesives Todd?

[keithwwalker]

I think that your wasting time with the Schluter profile around your window.

Just to clarify, the edge profiles will only be used on the top edge and side edges of the shower wall and not around the window trim.

[Todd Stull]

Gotcha, that'll look good and a HECK ofa lot cheaper than a Swan trim kit...
I would just run a bead of silicone round the backside of the wall and clip em on the wall while your setting it, then run all your finish beads

[keithwwalker]

Thanks Todd. Will be priming the existing walls tonight. As you can see, there was a green moisture barrier that is mostly gone.

[Todd Stull]

Keith,
I hope your Swan install turned out good! I'm interested to see how it turned out around your window. Here's a neat install that I just finished up last week for a very nice elderly customer where I installed a flip down shower seat and some LED grab bars.