Debra Lynn Dadd

non or low toxic shower pan liner adhesive?

QUESTION:

hello. I am trying to install my new shower. My wife is 3 months pregnant and is deeply concerned with the life threatening warnings on the shower pan liner adhesives. Keeping her away for the day and airing the house out is not good enough so I am now looking for a low or non toxic shower pan liner adhesive. Does any such thing exist? Thanks!

Ian

POSTED BY IAN KENNEDY :: CA USA :: 11/27/2006 2:16 PM

DEBRA'S ANSWER:

I don't know of one. We couldn't find one when we installed our shower pan recently. My husband thinks that there isn't one because the shower pan liner is PVC and needs to be glued with a PVC glue.

For those of you who don't know what a shower pan liner is, it is a sheet of very think plastic that goes under the tiles to create a waterproof barrier. By the time it is surrounded with mortar and tile, no fumes escape.

If keeping her away for a day is not good enough, maybe she needs to stay away for two or three days.

I don't know of any alternative, but maybe someone else does. Readers?

Debra :-)

COMMENTS:

Ian,

We ran across this same problem two years ago. Our solution was to use a roofing membrane called EPDM or Ethylyne Propylene Diene Monomer. Sounds scary, but it is a rubber which is "mostly harmless", just don't burn it. It can be adhered with a water based latex adhesive which is similar to most latex paints, some fumes, but not as brain-melting as PVC. I've attached links for the relevant material safety sheets (for one typical EPDM product line):

EPDM MSDS
http://www.firestonebpe.com/roofing/rubbergard/tech_data/msds/_down/RG%20EPDM%20Series_eng.pdf

Latex adhesive MSDS
http://www.firestonebpe.com/roofing/rubbergard/tech_data/msds/_down/Water-Ba.Bo.Adh_eng.pdf

The biggest drawback is that this is a roofing material which is usually sold in huge quantities, so the trick is to find a commerical flat roofing company who will give or sell you an appropriate sized off-cut. The adhesive comes in gallon cans. It is durable, totally waterproof, flexible, and lasts 50yrs+ if not exposed to UV. One other potential issue is determining whether your tile adhesive is compatible with it, which it should be, otherwise you can just cover it with a layer of cement board. Good luck!

POSTED BY SAGEDADDY :: WHITING DESIGN :: WWW.WHITINGDESIGN.CA :: ONTARIO CANADA :: 11/30/2006 9:07 AM

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