What backing board to use on shower?
 

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

TIA.
Rob


Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

"Kalico" wrote in message
...
Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?
There is either Aqua panel from Knauf - special offer in our local Wickes at
the moment, don't know if it's nationwide, 3 for 2. Normal price £11.99 a
sheet 900 x 1200.

http://www.knaufdrywall.co.uk/theman...gi?range_id=r8

The other is Hardibacker board

http://www.mid-sussex-timber.co.uk/s...ardibacker.htm

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.



TIA.
Rob


Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 21:29:02 +0100, Kalico wrote:

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

TIA.
Rob

reply

hi rob,
aquaboard is the 'bees knees' no plastering tile straight on it. look
on wickes web site for more info think it was £12 a sheet 1200 X900,
they had an offer 2 for 1 a few months ago
regards
bob

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 21:29:02 +0100, Kalico wrote:

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

TIA.
Rob
hi this is it hard to find
http://media.venda.com/wickes/ebiz/w...ges/gil/54.pdf

regards
bob

"Kalico" wrote in message
...
Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Wedi board
http://www.wedi.co.uk/flash.htm
It's lighter and easier to cut and fix than Aquapanel. Might also be
cheaper.

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

No.

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first?

Yes/No

Peter Taylor wrote:

"Kalico" wrote in message
...

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Wedi board
http://www.wedi.co.uk/flash.htm
It's lighter and easier to cut and fix than Aquapanel. Might also be
cheaper.

Or similar, hardibacker, and several other trade names for
fibre-reinforced cement-faced foam board. Most useful property is that
it is waterproof, being made of plastic, rather than just
water-resistant. So with a tanking kit you can ensure that the shower
is waterproof irrespective of the integrity of the grout and tile
cement. Aquapanel will let the water through, it just won't
disintegrate like plasterboard.

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 21:29:02 +0100, Kalico wrote:

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

One of the deliberately made waterproof cement-and fibre-based boards
for use in showers. Wickes sell "Aquapanel", I use "Versapanel" from
Avon Plywood and there are others. Plywood is very expensive for a
grade that's remotely likely to survive and plasterboard is terrible
with this degree of water exposure.

PVA glue will also soften and creep with long moisture exposure.

"Kalico" wrote in message
...
Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

Unless you specifically want tiles in the shower take a look at Mermaid
shower panels. I used them for my shower, very easy to seal and they stay
sealed, they look good and the whole shower can be built in a couple of
hours.

Rgds

Andy R

On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 09:00:07 +0100, "Andy R"
wrote:


"Kalico" wrote in message
.. .
Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

Unless you specifically want tiles in the shower take a look at Mermaid
shower panels. I used them for my shower, very easy to seal and they stay
sealed, they look good and the whole shower can be built in a couple of
hours.

Rgds

Andy R

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I have used a product similar to the Mermaid panels before and they
are great. Really was a case of getting the shower in within one day.
However, that was just a corner shower where I was able to butt two
panels together. This time I need to tile the whole bathroom in the
same tiles. Lots of those panels together tend to look messy where
they join unless done by 'the experts'.

I will try to get hold of some of this plastic panel stuff. Does
anyone know how thick it is?

I ask because if applying tiles directly to it and the rest of the
wall (ie not where the shower is) is regular foil backed plasterboard
that has been skimmed, there could be a 'step' where the two board
types meet.

Also, thinking of the rest of the bathroom, is it ok to apply tiles
direct to foil backed plasterboard? What should I seal it with?

Thank again to all.
Rob


Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 21:29:02 +0100, Kalico wrote:

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Obviously, regular plasterboard is cheapest, but useless if it gets
wet. Can it be coated with PVA to help?

Also, can the tiles be fixed straight to the board or is it essential
to plaster first? Obviously, I am wanting to do as much as I can
myself and whilst the plumbing etc is not a problem for me, a lot of
plastering will be.

TIA.
Rob

Thanks for all the replies.

One thing I forgot to ask - how is this Aquapanel and similar fixed to
the wall?

Can it be dot and dabbed like plasterboard? Or must it be screwed to
batons?

TIA.
Rob


Replace 'spam' with 'org' to reply

Bolted wrote:

Or similar, hardibacker, and several other trade names for
fibre-reinforced cement-faced foam board. Most useful property is that
it is waterproof, being made of plastic, rather than just
water-resistant. So with a tanking kit you can ensure that the shower
is waterproof irrespective of the integrity of the grout and tile
cement. Aquapanel will let the water through, it just won't
disintegrate like plasterboard.

Interesting - could you clarify the bit about a 'tanking kit'?

Thanks
David

Kalico wrote:
One thing I forgot to ask - how is this Aquapanel and similar fixed to
the wall?

Can it be dot and dabbed like plasterboard? Or must it be screwed to
batons?

Somebody else asked this very question a few days ago - check the
archives. IIRC I think the upshot was that the mfr said it must be
screwed to battens (not batons - that was yet another thread!!) because
it's too brittle and might crack otherwise.

BTW there are special ceramic-coated Aquapanel screws for this job -
I've always used them myself but don't know whether it's an absolute must.

David

"Bolted" wrote in message
...
Peter Taylor wrote:

"Kalico" wrote in message
...

Please can anyone tell me what they think the best board to use behind
the tiles of a shower?

Wedi board
http://www.wedi.co.uk/flash.htm
It's lighter and easier to cut and fix than Aquapanel. Might also be
cheaper.

Or similar, hardibacker, and several other trade names for
fibre-reinforced cement-faced foam board. Most useful property is that it
is waterproof, being made of plastic, rather than just water-resistant.
So with a tanking kit you can ensure that the shower is waterproof
irrespective of the integrity of the grout and tile cement. Aquapanel
will let the water through, it just won't disintegrate like plasterboard.

Hardibacker isn't foam based. It's fibre-reinforced cement, similar to
Aquapanel. It comes in 6 and 12mm thickness and sheet size is 900x1500mm.
Sheet weights are 12.5kg and 19kg, even heavier than Aquapanel.
http://www.jameshardieeu.com/assets/HB_BBACert.pdf

wedi board is foam based with cement faces and comes in various thickness
and sizes:
6, 10, 12.5, 20, 30, 40 & 50mm, A 2500 x 900 sheet of 12.5mm weighs only
7.65kg
http://www.wedi.co.uk/flash.htm

Sorry to jump in, the link for the tanking kit is :

http://www.aquatecnic.co.uk/3040/frames.php

Kit costs £99 +vat and supplies enough for an area 12m². It comes complete
with tape to go round the floor/wall & ceiling/floor joins and waterproofs
all surfaces by applying a silicone covering.

Can be used on plasterboard removing the need to use backing board and can
be tiled onto. I have just ordered some for my en suite.