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Complying to current and future legislation, making buildings future-proof and carbon-neutral is a key concern for architects and clients today. Innovative solutions that last the lifetime of the building and reduce the pressure on the planet are now taking centre stage. However, these are not always new technologies or products – while some solutions directly tackle specific challenges, others are more systemic, helping to create the conditions under which all other solutions can be adopted at a greater scale and pace. Implementing complementary innovations together can provide far more significant outcomes than implementing them in isolation.

Protecting the fabric of the building with reliable waterproofing has always been vital, but now, NHBC’s Technical Guidance 9.2/06 ‘Substrates for tiling bath and shower enclosures, wet rooms and bathroom pods’ reinforces this. In essence, any new home whose foundations begin on or after 1st January 2025 in the UK, must comply with this guidance if an NHBC warranty is to be provided.

In short, magnesium oxide boards must not be used, and in wet rooms or bathrooms with power shower, there are strict requirements; only tile backerboards that hold technical approvals acceptable by NHBC can be used.

Critically, whatever the subsurface, all tanking solutions must have appropriate 3^rd party certificates such as a European Technical Assessment (ETA) and the tile, adhesive and grout should be compatible with the selected waterproofing system.

Does your new build project have a bathroom or a wet room? wedi has you covered.

100% waterproof and directly tileable XPS boards and shower formers manufactured by wedi hold all required certificates to comply with NHBC’s new guidance; from Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and A⁺ VOC label, through the European Technical Approval (ETA), to CE, UKCA and UKNI markings. Furthermore they also comply with Building Regulations section M4(2) and M4(3).

Using renowned, waterproof XPS tilebacker boards to waterproof floor and wall surfaces in wet rooms and bathrooms, not only reduces installation steps and hence minimises the risk of failure, but together with clever accessories and interlocking XPS components such as floor-level shower elements, benches, niches and ready-to-use partition walls, also provides a floor-to-ceiling, systemised waterproofing solution. When installed correctly, they last the lifetime of the building in which they are installed.

Since September 2021, wedi has been part of the Ardex Group and therefore compatible grouts and adhesives can also be provided under one comprehensive, 10-year product warranty. One manufacturer, one responsibility – everything under the tiles, from a single source – so that architects can stay focused on the design.

Product characteristics such as 133kg/m² vertical weight-load capability make the wedi building board a universal solution for all types of tiles, natural stone and slab coverings. Regardless of the selected tile format/size, in conjunction with reinforcement plates, they hold larger items such as floating washbasins, doors and radiators, meaning that multifunctional partition walls can also be created quickly and easily, ready-to-tile the next day.

Another advantage is the low U-value of 0.036 W/mK, that contributes to the thermal insulation of the room from the inside, therefore contributing to the energy efficiency of the home. This makes them perfect to use beneath under-tile-heating (UTH) systems of all kinds.

In 2025, compliance with the Future Homes Standard will become mandatory; all new homes built from this year are to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency. Carbon emissions should be reduced to 75-80% less than previously accepted.

Whilst wedi XPS elements do not directly tackle such challenges, they create the conditions, under which other solutions can be adopted easier and faster. By cutting back on installation steps, such as tanking or priming for example, they reduce the required interfaces on site and hence accelerate the project progress. What’s more, used as a waterproof insulation beneath heating systems, they prevent heat-escape and hence improve heating systems’ response time by up to a staggering 70%!

At the forefront of innovation since 1983, wedi is doing everything possible to support energy-efficient, future-proof bathrooms. The current rise of heat pump operated water heating systems prompted the development of the wedi PreLine building board for example. The factory-cut precise grooves greatly reduce the risk of the pipe runs being accidentally damaged as well as ensure the even placement of pipes as close to the surface as possible. It is equally suited to floor or wall applications.

Furthermore, wedi also offers a multitude of floor-level shower elements in different formats -whether it be linear or point drainage, a standard, rectangular or a round, maybe a shell-shape with matching free-standing walls, the wedi Fundo range has the right product for your project. Why not check out the newest member of the range? The Fundo Flex provides an entirely new concept for shower design – it fully adapts to requirements, allowing for an exacting design without the drawbacks. Drain location as a prime concern in shower design? It is now a thing of the past.

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