DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi there,

I’m brand new to this forum and a very inexperienced DIYer. Some tips would be hugely appreciated.

Long story short, I discovered a burst pipe under my shower. The plumber came, dug up the floor and fixed the pipe. See the pic for the current situation.

I want to try and retile myself but need some advice. Here are my questions below:

1) my plan is to remove the surrounding tiles (marked yellow in pic), remove the concrete screed, fix the DPM (Somehow..?) re-screed, apply tile adhesive, then retile and grout.

2) first question is do I need to remove the surrounding tiles in order to properly repair the DPM?

3) how do I repair the DPM? Presumably I lap over some more plastic sheeting and joint with some kind of tape? Please advise on products etc.

4) I have an oscillating multi tool, a circular saw and some hand tools. I am confident on removing the tiles but any tips to remove the screed without an impact drill? Please note there is UFH pipes so I’ll need to be careful not to damage those.

5) I think (but not sure) that there is a layer of insulation down there as well… does that make sense? Any tips on this or should I just be replacing like for like? I assume most insulation can be cut with a hand saw.

6) presumably I need to wait for new screed to properly dry before applying tile adhesive and tile? Any good screed products / mixes that will dry quickly and be appropriate for this.

Thanks so much for and advice here! Very grateful and sorry for any silly questions assumptions.

Hi edted2022,
Best to remove a strip of adjacent tiles, roughly smash out the concrete screed using a hammer - just enough to exposed a 50mm strip of existing DPM. Use DPM joining tape to join covering piece to the existing.
Cut insulation to fit, lay DPM and cover with screed, any fine sharp sand and cement will do but you could use self levelling compound for thicker layers. Do wet the old cement edge to give a good bond.
Regards S

Thanks very much, that all makes sense and I’ll give it a go! Cheers

Hi,

So quick update - removed some tiles and screed pretty easily. A few questions about insulation?

1) should I be insulating the copper pipes themselves - ie with flexible foam piping or that “hairy stuff” (no idea what it’s called)

2) re the overall insulation which will cover the whole space beneath the DPM - does this insulation mean that step 1) above isn’t needed? In any case can I use spray / flexible foam for this? It seems like that will be much easier than having to buy a big board and then cut out all the channels for the pipes? If using spray foam I assume once dry I can cut it flat before applying DPM.

3) should I be worried about the discolouration of the copper pipes? Do I need to scrub them before insulating (probs being stupid here haha)

4) is there any test I can / should do to make sure there are no other leaks before I fill this all back in? (Is it a case of just noting water meter and make sure it’s not moving?)

Thanks v much