I have a plastic shower tray to install on a floor that isn't as flat as
it might be. The tray has a slight tendency to flex and rock, which
apart from being annoying will create an issue at the junction to the
floor tiles that will be installed after it. It has been suggested that
there might be some compound that can be applied to the floor at the
points of contact, to fill any gaps. Can someone suggest what this
might be called?

On 01/06/2012 23:35, Gib Bogle wrote:
I have a plastic shower tray to install on a floor that isn't as flat as
it might be. The tray has a slight tendency to flex and rock, which
apart from being annoying will create an issue at the junction to the
floor tiles that will be installed after it. It has been suggested that
there might be some compound that can be applied to the floor at the
points of contact, to fill any gaps. Can someone suggest what this might
be called?

Car body filler? (or any fibreglass loaded paste)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 2/06/2012 10:58 a.m., John Rumm wrote:
On 01/06/2012 23:35, Gib Bogle wrote:
I have a plastic shower tray to install on a floor that isn't as flat as
it might be. The tray has a slight tendency to flex and rock, which
apart from being annoying will create an issue at the junction to the
floor tiles that will be installed after it. It has been suggested that
there might be some compound that can be applied to the floor at the
points of contact, to fill any gaps. Can someone suggest what this might
be called?

Car body filler? (or any fibreglass loaded paste)


That's a possibility. It's a bit tricky, though, because the edge of
the tray that sits on the floor is only about 5mm wide, and the gap in
places is about 1mm. Getting the filler in there without smearing it on
the sides is a slight problem. I could wrap the tray edges with
clingwrap, but it gets complicated. A shed bathroom guy has suggested
levelling compound, with a wall around the edge just outside the tray
footprint. I need a max thickness of about 1mm, and I'm not sure if the
levelling compound is OK that thin.

Gib Bogle wrote:
On 2/06/2012 10:58 a.m., John Rumm wrote:
On 01/06/2012 23:35, Gib Bogle wrote:
I have a plastic shower tray to install on a floor that isn't as
flat as it might be. The tray has a slight tendency to flex and
rock, which apart from being annoying will create an issue at the
junction to the floor tiles that will be installed after it. It has
been suggested that there might be some compound that can be
applied to the floor at the points of contact, to fill any gaps.
Can someone suggest what this might be called?

Car body filler? (or any fibreglass loaded paste)


That's a possibility. It's a bit tricky, though, because the edge of
the tray that sits on the floor is only about 5mm wide, and the gap in
places is about 1mm. Getting the filler in there without smearing it
on the sides is a slight problem. I could wrap the tray edges with
clingwrap, but it gets complicated. A shed bathroom guy has suggested
levelling compound, with a wall around the edge just outside the tray
footprint. I need a max thickness of about 1mm, and I'm not sure if
the levelling compound is OK that thin.

Timber or concrete floor and do you need to level under the whole tray or
just at the edges and do you need to move the tray any time after fitting to
gain access to traps etc for maintenance?

An initial suggestion if just the edges need sorting with only a 1mm
gap, could you bed the tray on a bead of silicone mastic using packing
pieces to maintain the correct height until the mastic has fully cured - you
can protect the sides of the tray using wide masking tape. Note, for that
small gap, packing pieces may not even be necessary.

When I did this job on a timber floor, I screwed a sheet of 20mm WBP
plywood to the floor and then applied a 12mm semi-dry sand and cement screed
on top and bedded the base onto this - if the floor had been made of
concrete, I would have just used the screed.

On 2/06/2012 12:30 p.m., Woodworm wrote:
....
That's a possibility. It's a bit tricky, though, because the edge of
the tray that sits on the floor is only about 5mm wide, and the gap in
places is about 1mm. Getting the filler in there without smearing it
on the sides is a slight problem. I could wrap the tray edges with
clingwrap, but it gets complicated. A shed bathroom guy has suggested
levelling compound, with a wall around the edge just outside the tray
footprint. I need a max thickness of about 1mm, and I'm not sure if
the levelling compound is OK that thin.

Timber or concrete floor and do you need to level under the whole tray or
just at the edges and do you need to move the tray any time after fitting to
gain access to traps etc for maintenance?

An initial suggestion if just the edges need sorting with only a 1mm
gap, could you bed the tray on a bead of silicone mastic using packing
pieces to maintain the correct height until the mastic has fully cured - you
can protect the sides of the tray using wide masking tape. Note, for that
small gap, packing pieces may not even be necessary.

When I did this job on a timber floor, I screwed a sheet of 20mm WBP
plywood to the floor and then applied a 12mm semi-dry sand and cement screed
on top and bedded the base onto this - if the floor had been made of
concrete, I would have just used the screed.

It's a timber floor. I will not need to move the tray to access the
trap. I didn't think of silicone. I guess you are right - when cured
the silicone bead will have enough stiffness to hold the tray pretty
steady. The great thing about silicone is that it gives you plenty of
time to make adjustments. More than once I've had car body filler start
to go off before I was ready for it. This is an attractively simple
solution.

Hi, you could also use a Flexible floor tile adhesive, fit the ply first make sure it's well screwed down around every 5-6 inches apply dots of adhesive to the ply then bed and level the tray on the adhesive. The only thing I would say is to make sure that all your waste connections to the tray are water tight before bedding the tray, apply silicone to all the joints don't rely on the maufacturers joints, once the tray is down and the adhesive has gone off it's VERY difficult to get the tray back up.

On Jun 2, 2:34*am, Gib Bogle
wrote:
On 2/06/2012 12:30 p.m., Woodworm wrote:
...



That's a possibility. *It's a bit tricky, though, because the edge of
the tray that sits on the floor is only about 5mm wide, and the gap in
places is about 1mm. *Getting the filler in there without smearing it
on the sides is a slight problem. *I could wrap the tray edges with
clingwrap, but it gets complicated. *A shed bathroom guy has suggested
levelling compound, with a wall around the edge just outside the tray
footprint. *I need a max thickness of about 1mm, and I'm not sure if
the levelling compound is OK that thin.

Timber or concrete floor and do you need to level under the whole tray or
just at the edges and do you need to move the tray any time after fitting to
gain access to traps etc for maintenance?

* * *An initial suggestion if just the edges need sorting with only a 1mm
gap, could you bed the tray on a bead of silicone mastic using packing
pieces to maintain the correct height until the mastic has fully cured - you
can protect the sides of the tray using wide masking tape. Note, for that
small gap, packing pieces may not even be necessary.

* * *When I did this job on a timber floor, I screwed a sheet of 20mm WBP
plywood to the floor and then applied a 12mm semi-dry sand and cement screed
on top and bedded the base onto this - if the floor had been made of
concrete, I would have just used the screed.

It's a timber floor. *I will not need to move the tray to access the
trap. *I didn't think of silicone. *I guess you are right - when cured
the silicone bead will have enough stiffness to hold the tray pretty
steady. *The great thing about silicone is that it gives you plenty of
time to make adjustments. *More than once I've had car body filler start
to go off before I was ready for it. *This is an attractively simple
solution.

In 5 years you'll have a tray supported only by mould. Mount it on
suitable ply.


NT

On Sat, 02 Jun 2012 10:35:45 +1200, Gib Bogle wrote:

I have a plastic shower tray to install on a floor that isn't as flat as
it might be. The tray has a slight tendency to flex and rock,

What is supporting the bit of tray you are going to be standing on
when takinga shower? If the edges are raised to make it level and
stop it rocking is ther going to be anything supporting the central
areas

I'd fit and level a bit of WBP 18mm ply for the tray to sit evenly
and firmly on. You could use a compound of some sort over the area of
the base and bed the tray onto that. Flexible tile adhesive has been
mentioned but if you don't have release agent (cling film?) between
the compound and tray it will be pretty permenant.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 02/06/2012 02:34, Gib Bogle wrote:
On 2/06/2012 12:30 p.m., Woodworm wrote:
...
That's a possibility. It's a bit tricky, though, because the edge of
the tray that sits on the floor is only about 5mm wide, and the gap in
places is about 1mm. Getting the filler in there without smearing it
on the sides is a slight problem. I could wrap the tray edges with
clingwrap, but it gets complicated. A shed bathroom guy has suggested
levelling compound, with a wall around the edge just outside the tray
footprint. I need a max thickness of about 1mm, and I'm not sure if
the levelling compound is OK that thin.

Timber or concrete floor and do you need to level under the whole tray or
just at the edges and do you need to move the tray any time after
fitting to
gain access to traps etc for maintenance?

An initial suggestion if just the edges need sorting with only a 1mm
gap, could you bed the tray on a bead of silicone mastic using packing
pieces to maintain the correct height until the mastic has fully cured
- you
can protect the sides of the tray using wide masking tape. Note, for that
small gap, packing pieces may not even be necessary.

When I did this job on a timber floor, I screwed a sheet of 20mm WBP
plywood to the floor and then applied a 12mm semi-dry sand and cement
screed
on top and bedded the base onto this - if the floor had been made of
concrete, I would have just used the screed.

It's a timber floor. I will not need to move the tray to access the
trap. I didn't think of silicone. I guess you are right - when cured the
silicone bead will have enough stiffness to hold the tray pretty steady.
The great thing about silicone is that it gives you plenty of time to
make adjustments. More than once I've had car body filler start to go
off before I was ready for it. This is an attractively simple solution.

Sorry did not realise you meant the edges of the tray - I assumed you
meant the supporting brackets or feet. You silicone will be fine for a
small gap on the edges.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 3/06/2012 7:04 a.m., John Rumm wrote:
....
Sorry did not realise you meant the edges of the tray - I assumed you
meant the supporting brackets or feet. You silicone will be fine for a
small gap on the edges.


It's both, actually, but the edges are most important. It's done, and
seems pretty solid. Thanks to all!