Shower waterproofing with window

[craigoss_]

Hi Guys,

Any waterproofers on here able to provide some advice on meeting the regulations of waterproofing a shower area with a window 1800 sill height.

See below an image I found which would be close to our new shower area design.

537824

Certifier will need a certificate to comply with ABCB Housing Provisions 2022 which states 1800mm high waterproofing and anything within 1500mm of the shower rose to be waterproofed. However AS3740 - 2021 states you need to waterproof up to 100mm above the shower rose, which in my case you would require floor to ceiling waterproofing and therefore making any window in the shower area not comply. My certifier was not able to tell me how to handle this situation and referred me to a water proofer to provide certification.

The shower head would be somewhere between 2000-2400 from floor. I'm a bit early in the process to get the actual waterproofer involved, but need to know the details as to what shower tapware we end up going with.

Thanks guys.

[droog]

Not a waterproofer so hope there is someone with first hand experience but reading the NCC regulations (section 10.2.2 b in first link) it is only required up to 1800 above floor substrate


https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/10-health-and-amenity/part-102-wet-area-waterproofing
https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/f-health-and-amenity/26-waterproofing-and-water-resistance-requirements-building-elements-wet-areas
https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/sites/default/files/resources/2023/UTNCC%20Water%20proofing-residential-buildings-NCC%202022.pdf

[rambunctious]

Over the years I have done a couple like this, and I was called to exactly this in a unit some years ago and the window was a slider which meant when the tenant used the flex shower to wash down the walls they would also spray the window which in turn meant water dropped into the window track then ran out the track weep holes then ran down outside the building, and because the outer wall was gyprock sheeted (actually an internal wall to the building) then the gyprock fell apart.

On that basis I would hope your window is fixed glass which should not be a problem if the jam area is sheeted with hardiflex or similar rather than pine jam, then waterproofed and tiled, otherwise you may have water running down the external wall if you are a bit carried away with cleaning/rinsing the shower area.
Another way which was accepted in one of the builds was stainless steel jam which was completely sealed in place, but again it was a fixed glass panel.
But it was expensive to be made and installed

Time to talk to the waterproofer unless of course you are going to be the waterproofer.

Either way, this is one of those times where common sense must prevail, and sadly common sense is not very common, usually because most of the rules and regs in the building industry have been figured out by educated public servants.:doh: