Hey guys, I’m taking back one of my rental property and putting down some ideas for renovation.

I’m thinking of renovating 2 bathroom, mainly to change tiles, putting in a rain shower and replacing the sink and toilet seat.

My two biggest concern is

1. The hacking part and water sealing part - don’t want to deal with water leaking to the unit below. I’ve seen videos of bathroom renovation in western countries where they use membrane sheets. Is it something that is commonly practiced here as well?

2. The uneven surface, water not draining down and creating a small puddle.

Any thoughts and things that I should also look out for?

1. Got use membrane here but different with western ones coz theirs are for drywall.
Its not very common for bathroom more for roof. It will be expensive for one.

2. This one really depend the sifu tiler skill.

Mind sharing what is the typical approach for local contractors to water proof bathrooms?

Membranes are typically NOT used in M'sia bathrooms/wet rooms. Typically a waterproof cementitious layer is applied as a waterproof barrier. Please see the following links for an idea of what is done here

Sika bathroom products:
https://mys.sika.com/en/home-improvement/ba...m.html#wet-room
Item 2 is the waterproof layer, and item 3 is the tape that goes around the edges and corners to make the wet room completely waterproof

Mapei bathroom products:
https://www.mapei.com/my/en/products-and-so...mp-environments
Item 4 is the waterproof layer, and item 9 is the tape that goes around the edges and corners to make the wet room completely waterproof

My experience with the work method in M'sia is the statement "orang belakang akan repair". Meaning something like the electrician will hack the wall, but he expects the plasterer or painter after him to smoothen the wall. Or the general worker will flatten the floor, but he expects the next worker after him to screed the floor with the slope, or the tiler to do it.

This is wrong. Everyone lepas tangan to the next person.

As an example, in US, the framer must make sure the frame is flat (generally ¹/₈" deviation over 1 yard maximum), or the sheetrock guy will refuse to do his job. The waterproof guy must do their waterproofing, and then do a ponding test for 72 hours, and it must drain completely, before the wet room is screeded flat.

Every step is important. If you are doing a major renovation, I suggest you hire a Clerk-of-works (locally "Kerani") to monitor the renovation is done properly.

Hey man great input. I’ll definitely park this with my interior designer and get them to include these materials when renovating the bathroom. Thanks.

I just happened to stop by at a hardware shop, and saw this display for Sika products

Hey! I renovated my bathroom last year, and it was a pretty challenging experience. I thought it would be easier and more interesting, but it turned out to be quite hard without professional help. For the water sealing part, using membrane sheets is a good idea and is commonly practiced here too. It helps prevent leaks effectively. Make sure to hire a good contractor to handle the water sealing to avoid any issues with the unit below.

When it comes to ensuring proper drainage, make sure the flooring is sloped correctly towards the drain. I always dreamed of having a beautiful bathroom but never knew how to make it a reality until a friend recommended a great company. They handle everything from concept to design, bringing your dream bathroom to life. To find out more information on Brisbane bathroom renovations , check out their services.

This post has been edited by mfe7: Jun 10 2024, 10:15 PM

This is not a local company?