Planning a Steam Shower

I'm looking into the Kohler DTV II custom shower with a kohler steam generator.

They often show this new DTV II demonstration with the integrated steam, using kohler watertiles, but looking at the assembly of the watertile heads, they dont appear to be vapor proof? CAn anyone tell me if they are?

ThX!

Christopher

Do you mean, if the steam shower is on, but the shower tiles are not spraying water, then something will or might happen ?

Or, do you mean, the material used to make them may not be vapor proof?

Here is one instance where I'd give Kohler the benefit of the doubt.

-david

There are lots of ways to make a mess of a steam shower. Many so-called pros don't follow the 'rules'. Are you going to do this yourself, or have it done? If you want some guidance, check out www.johnbridge.com.

All surfaces need a proper vapor barrier, including the ceiling, which should be tiled as well as the walls. A surface membrane is a good thing to utilize. Schluter, Noble, Custom, Latticrete (basically any of the big names) make suitable membranes. Personally, I like Schluter, but the others work well, too. Do your homework as steam will put moisture places you never thought of, and managing it properly is very important for the structure and proper operation.

Thank you for your quick responses..

Trusting any mfr that doesn't respond to product inquiries isn't on the top of my list. Since they don't respond, and their online documentation on their DTV II products are seriously lacking, I'm trying to reach out to those that may have already worked with this specific product for a steam shower.

Yes, I'm familiar Johnbridge.com and with steam shower requirements of waterproofing. This will be a Kerdi waterproofed steam shower -- I'm comfortable with the large amount of skill, experience, and help available on the John Bridge forums to get me through that aspect of the build. That's an excellent reference and I'm over there often

Maybe I need to describe this better... most showerhead products have a chrome pipe come out of the wall and a showerhead is attached. Waterproofing that fixture is the equivalent to kerdi-fixing around the pipe and caulking between the tile and the chrome pipe.

Kohler watertiles are a different animal -- they are inset and are installed within a housing within the wall space.

Installation guide:
http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/1043851_2.pdf

From what I see there is a plaster guard, a leak guard, and an escutcheon. All of these appear like they will prevent water from getting back into the wallspace with normal shower type uses.

So it gave me a comfy feeling that maybe it would also be vapor proof, but then reading the homeowners guide:

http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/1043851_5.pdf

"IMPORTANT: Do not spray pressurized water directly into the
sprayface. Water damage may occur behind the finished wall."

WHAT? I mean.. forget steam... They are saying that when my wife is using the handshower to clean, the watertiles can't take direct spray for cleaning or risk leaking into the wall??? I'm guessing they are not vapor proof, since they have leak risks when cleaning...

BUT...

Every commercial that Kohler has out for the DTV II system (that can include steam) shows it with their watertiles....

Anyone?

sounds bad. I take back what I said. This is just more proof of what people have been saying here for years, about Kohler going downhill. Kohler must have been taken over by marketeers. Or a nephew or a niece.

david