I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

I'm adding a sliding shower rail to a bath with an existing mixer tap.
Trouble is, the walls are old woodchip paper with several layers of vinyl
emulsion paint over it. Of course the right thing to do would be to remove
same and tile all the surfaces. This is a pain, because there are are
already two rows of ceramic tiles above the bath which would be difficult to
match

However....if I didn't do that, what's the best way of protecting the walls
from effects of daily shower use?

I am thinking:
- good bathroom silicone sealant along joint between paper and existing
tiles (2 rows above bath)
- "paint" the wallpaper with Thomson Water Seal, or similar, paying
particular attention to joints in wallpaper
- ensure that the walls get decent ventilation after use of shower

Then, if paper starts to peel, I could just remove paper local to the shower
and repaint the plaster wood with satin vinyl emulsion.

I wonder how long this will last - weeks, months, years...? Anyone got any
experience or suggestions along these lines?

Thanks
Steve

"Steve W" wrote in message
...
I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

I'm adding a sliding shower rail to a bath with an existing mixer tap.
Trouble is, the walls are old woodchip paper with several layers of vinyl
emulsion paint over it. Of course the right thing to do would be to
remove same and tile all the surfaces. This is a pain, because there are
are already two rows of ceramic tiles above the bath which would be
difficult to match

However....if I didn't do that, what's the best way of protecting the
walls from effects of daily shower use?

I am thinking:
- good bathroom silicone sealant along joint between paper and existing
tiles (2 rows above bath)
- "paint" the wallpaper with Thomson Water Seal, or similar, paying
particular attention to joints in wallpaper
- ensure that the walls get decent ventilation after use of shower

Then, if paper starts to peel, I could just remove paper local to the
shower and repaint the plaster wood with satin vinyl emulsion.

I wonder how long this will last - weeks, months, years...? Anyone got any
experience or suggestions along these lines?

Any and all of the above will be very short lived- weeks if not days. A
shower curtain between the wall and shower will be the "best bodge"- fix a
rail on the wall side and hang a curtain from it, long enough to hang in the
bath. Make sure you draw it back to "air" the wall after use. Don't expect
it to last that long.

A proper job needs with a re-tile or using some of those plastic finished
panels designed for this job- you often see these in hotels etc. They are
marine ply, faced in something like "Formica".

If the wall is plaster board (you type plaster wood), then a proper job is
essential. Plaster board is easily ruined by moisture and nigh on impossible
to repair. I'd not even trust it in a shower area if it was tiled over. You
can get various suitable waterproof alternatives "aquapanel" is on, I used
an unbranded one that is cement based.

Brian

Steve W wrote:
I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

I'm adding a sliding shower rail to a bath with an existing mixer tap.
Trouble is, the walls are old woodchip paper with several layers of vinyl
emulsion paint over it. Of course the right thing to do would be to remove
same and tile all the surfaces. This is a pain, because there are are
already two rows of ceramic tiles above the bath which would be difficult to
match

However....if I didn't do that, what's the best way of protecting the walls
from effects of daily shower use?

Fix large sheets of perspex - either clear or coloured - to the wall
using domed mirror screws, using silcone to seal the edges of the sheets
to each other and the top of the tiles.

I know someoone who swears by the this method for fitting out shower
cubicles - reckins it's far easier and more leakproof than tiling.

David

"Steve W" wrote in message
...
I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

I'm adding a sliding shower rail to a bath with an existing mixer tap.
Trouble is, the walls are old woodchip paper with several layers of vinyl
emulsion paint over it. Of course the right thing to do would be to
remove same and tile all the surfaces. This is a pain, because there are
are already two rows of ceramic tiles above the bath which would be
difficult to match

However....if I didn't do that, what's the best way of protecting the
walls from effects of daily shower use?

I am thinking:
- good bathroom silicone sealant along joint between paper and existing
tiles (2 rows above bath)
- "paint" the wallpaper with Thomson Water Seal, or similar, paying
particular attention to joints in wallpaper
- ensure that the walls get decent ventilation after use of shower

Then, if paper starts to peel, I could just remove paper local to the
shower and repaint the plaster wood with satin vinyl emulsion.

I wonder how long this will last - weeks, months, years...? Anyone got any
experience or suggestions along these lines?

Thanks
Steve

Thanks David & Brian. Yes, you are confirming what my guts were telling me
anyway, if I'm honest. Beneath the paper it is plaster on brick, so
removing the paper and painting the wall would be an OK bodge, I guess. I
had that in a previous house and it did well for years, with an annual
re-lick of paint.

I'll look into plastic sheets (sorry bout that). I suppose polycarbonate
might be cheaper than acrylic. I assume either would do. Mmm.

Thanks
Steve

"Steve W" wrote in message
...
I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

I'm adding a sliding shower rail to a bath with an existing mixer tap.
Trouble is, the walls are old woodchip paper with several layers of vinyl
emulsion paint over it. Of course the right thing to do would be to
remove same and tile all the surfaces. This is a pain, because there are
are already two rows of ceramic tiles above the bath which would be
difficult to match

However....if I didn't do that, what's the best way of protecting the
walls from effects of daily shower use?

In the early 1980s we painted the embossed paper in our half tiled bathroom
with a good quality paint - 'for the time being'. The shower plays onto the
wall and there were seven of us (five teenagers and two adults). We only
removed the (lower part of the) paper in January this year, to put in more
tiles. It took some shifting. There was no evidence of any kind of problem
so we repainted the remaining wallpaper only in a different colour.
Ventilation is important and we did insist on the paper being wiped down
after use - but not made 100% dry.

The original 'temporary' work had no sealant between the tiles and the paper
but this time we've splashed out at ran clear vinyl (or silicone, I can't
remember) along the top of the new tiles because they're not rounded.

I suspect that if you put sheeting of any kind over the woodchip moisture
could be trapped behind it and that mould will grow.

Mary

Steve W wrote:

I'm in work minimisation mode, so I hope you can help.

Tile the damned thing. It'll take you a weekend and if you stick with
plain white tiles it's cheap too.