Image3 Feb 2016

Refurbishment of bathrooms, kitchens and toilets – procedure and advice

Author: Budimir Spirovski, B

The refurbishment of bathrooms, kitchens and toilets is an undertaking which requires consideration of the choice of supplies and method of application of various materials, including water supply system, ceramic tiles, tile adhesives, sanitaryware, etc. Another factor for successful refurbishment is the right choice and proper installation of waterproofing system in these premises.

For this purpose, the product range of ADING offers the high-quality cement-based waterproofing system Hidromal Flex which is easy and fast to apply, it bridges cracks and is suitable for application on substrates made of concrete, mortar, stone, bricks and plasterboard sheets and enables fixing of the ceramic tiles directly on the substrate.

The procedure for preparation of the substrate and installation of the waterproofing system is the following:

- Any unstable positions and dirt (old adhesive, old insulation system) should be removed from the floor and wall surfaces;

- For efficient drainage-evacuation of the water that might potentially penetrate to the waterproofing system, it is necessary that the waterproofing system be applied on a screed with slopes channelled towards the drain;

- Any uneven surfaces (halls) and cracks in the cement substrate should be filled and levelled by using the repair mortar Reparatur Malter – F;

- The treatment of cracks (if present in the substrate) should be done as follows:

• opening of a crack by applying mechanical force at length, thus forming a recess measuring 0.7 to 1.0 cm in width and 1.5 cm in depth;
• cleaning the recess from dust and soaking it in water;
• filling the recess with Reparatur Malter – F.


Service penetrations through floors and the traps (U-bends) should be treated by complying with the following procedure:

• creation of a recess (measuring 0.7 to 1.0 cm in width and 1.0 cm in depth) around the trap and pipes;
• cleaning the recess from dust;
• filling the recess with the acrylate sealant Adingakril.
The waterproofing system with application of Hidromal Fleks in these areas is installed as follows:

• the material is prepared by mixing A component and B component in the appropriate ratio (A:B = 1:1) by using an electric mixer (at small number of revolutions) until obtaining a completely uniform mixture;
• the first layer of the waterproofing system should be applied by using a brush or a woollen roller over the entire floor surface and on the walls up to a certain height in order to form a sort of a “tub” inside the room (on the wall surface by the shower cubicle or bath, the waterproofing system is applied up to a height of 2 m);
• a self-adhesive sealing tape measuring ≈ 10 cm in width should be placed in the freshly placed waterproofing coating at the joints between the walls and floor and at the joints of the walls by the shower cubicle and bath in order to strengthen, i.e. reinforce the joints.

After the first layer of Hidromal Fleks has cured completely, a second layer of the same waterproofing system should be applied in a direction normal to the fist layer. After the second layer has cured completely, a third layer of the waterproofing system should be applied.

Then, ceramic tiles are applied on the cured waterproofing system by using a waterproof adhesive and fixing the tiles directly on the waterproofing system.

Making the right choice of waterproof tile adhesive and waterproof grouting compound eliminates the possibility for penetration of moisture under the tiles, the presence of which creates conditions for the development of fungi and release of unpleasant odour of stale moisture-laden air in the premises.

In order to eliminate this, it is recommended to use the waterproof cement-based adhesives from the product range of ADING – Hidrokol-S and Hidrokol-SP as well as the waterproof tile grouting compound Fugofil.

24 hours after the installation of the tiles, the joints between the tiles should be filled with the waterproof, bacteria-resistant and eco-friendly grouting compound Fugofil which is available in several colours and shades.