Bodging a "walk-in" shower floor...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

OK, here's the scenario:

My ol' man had a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair about 10 years ago. One of the consequences was a need to strip out the bathroom and retile it as a "roll-in" shower. It's over a very old timber floor in an area that used to be a verandah which, although not an ideal base, I didn't particularly expect to be a problem at the time. (Dad was only given a maximum two year life expectancy and I'd planned on restoring the bathroom to it's orig. cfg. afterwards... we like our baths. )

Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it - Dad has hung in there and will probably last another 10 years.

Although the bathroom floor was tiled up to specs, it's beginning to fail under the stress/weight of the wheelchair in the same spot all the time. A problem which has been compounded by carers dropping the shower handpiece and cracking tiles. If I'd realised the current installation wasn't going to be temporary I'd have ripped up the floorboards and installed a floating slab instead, but... well, it's easy to say "I shoulda" with the benefit of hindsight, isn't it?

I noticed a spongy spot t'other week and lifted some tiles today, only to have the underlay and membrane lift with them. There is one board underneath that is thoroughly waterlogged, rotting and needs replacing. Unfortunately, as I said, this is right where the wheelchair tracks. It definitely ain't gonna last another year.

OK, I hear you thinking: it's a case of ripping up the floor, replacing the rotten bits and retiling. Do it properly. That'd be my preference, but... the house is up for sale. Several developers have shown interest, no private buyers, and all have said they'll doze the house to install units. (The current trend in this area. ) We expect to be out of here within 12 months and can't really any point to spending the dollars on a bathroom reno that'll be 'dozed a year from now. However we need the shower back online ASAP... sponge baths are only fun if you're sharing 'em with that special someone.

So... I guess what I'm asking is can anyone think of a cheap'n'nasty repair that'll last for at least a year and will support the weight of a big, heavy bloke in a wheelchair?

(I'm even considering just laying another membrane over the top and pouring a 1" slab over the top... )

[Dirty Doogie]

HI Skew,

I think I'd fix the joist /bearer then lay 15 mm compressed sheet over existing floor and make a shower area by mounding up/ ramping with bag mortar and a bit of bondcrete . Over the top Apply a tough waterproof membrane such as Gripset 2p . This stuff is mega tough and has a nice antislip surface.

I think that under the weight ,compressed sheet is much stronger than 25mm concrete.

[Dirty Doogie]

Maybe even laminate some 6 mm fibre cement sheets with waterproofing membrane - this would be cheaper than compressed sheet .

[echnidna]

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Thanks fellas. The layered fibro/membrane sounds like the way to go.

Not only will it fit my budget (cheep! cheep! ) but it'll get the bathroom back before we all start to pong too much.

[bricks]

Maybe too late but what about an epoxy type compound poured over new water proofing, it'd look like concrete, it'd be non slip , and it could definately hole the weight of your old man.

The thing im thinking of is a water profing to the floor and then an epoxy lelf level poured on top.