Made mistake plastering bathroom. Backerboard?

[Joe Shmoe]

Guys,

Made an error. Recently got a bathroom plastered for complete house refurb. Now I realise that skim only holds 20kg/m tile weight.

In order to rectify, I'm looking into screwing on backerboard as I hear they will hold 50kg/m upwards.

Now, an additional problem is the bathroom is only 1600mm wide, which is the exact size of the bath. Therefore, I'm looking to install a 6mm thick product rather than 10mm/12mm because I'll be getting awfully close to the bath tap holes once board/adhesive/tiles are added! It's gonna be tight!

Anyway, does anyone have any experience with this type of product? There loads on the market so do I go for a cement based like hardiebacker-board, or those foam filled ones by STS in wickes etc? Also, will 6mm suffice over 10mm thick?

I'll want to screw these rather than use the adhesive, so that's another thing to consider.

Any words or warning would be great.

 

[Pedronicus]

Would it not be easier to pull the existing plasterboard off and start again with the backerboard in it's place (assuming you are planning to tile floor to ceiling)? Might help with the tight measurements involved as well.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Guys,

Made an error. Recently got a bathroom plastered for complete house refurb. Now I realise that skim only holds 20kg/m tile weight.

In order to rectify, I'm looking into screwing on backerboard as I hear they will hold 50kg/m upwards.

Now, an additional problem is the bathroom is only 1600mm wide, which is the exact size of the bath. Therefore, I'm looking to install a 6mm thick product rather than 10mm/12mm because I'll be getting awfully close to the bath tap holes once board/adhesive/tiles are added! It's gonna be tight!

Anyway, does anyone have any experience with this type of product? There loads on the market so do I go for a cement based like hardiebacker-board, or those foam filled ones by STS in wickes etc? Also, will 6mm suffice over 10mm thick?

I'll want to screw these rather than use the adhesive, so that's another thing to consider.

Any words or warning would be great.

How heavy are your tiles? 20kg per m is quite a lot.

 

[Kayen]

I could be well wrong here but aren't tiles, to a large degree, self- supporting? I've only tiled once or twice but surely the weight is stacked and not held entirely by the substrate they're fixed to.

Hopefully you're tiling from floor to ceiling, so each row will be supported by the previous row. If not I would use an Ali L section cut in and fixed as my initial support.

 

[Lard]

I could be well wrong here but aren't tiles, to a large degree, self- supporting? I've only tiled once or twice but surely the weight is stacked and not held entirely by the substrate they're fixed to.

Hopefully you're tiling from floor to ceiling, so each row will be supported by the previous row. If not I would use an Ali L section cut in and fixed as my initial support.

My thoughts entirely!

 

[eribaMotters]

Sorry, but I'd have to say I'd pull the plasterboard off where the bath is. Plasterboard is not really a good idea near showers or baths where a shower may be used above it. I's not worth the risk of your hard work being spoilt a few years down the line when a grout lines fails and water gets in.

Colin

 

[Spectric]

Made an error. Recently got a bathroom plastered for complete house refurb. Now I realise that skim only holds 20kg/m tile weight.

You made two big errors I am afraid, one you do not plaster where you are going to tile and two you should avoid plasterboard anywhere it might be wet. Behind shower enclosures I would always use STS board and a tanking kit for total peace of mind and again where baths are not free standing and against a stud wall I would use the STS board.

https://www.sts-uk.com/sts-construction-boards-collection/sts-construction-boards-6mm-9mm-amp-12mm

I'll want to screw these rather than use the adhesive, so that's another thing to consider.

Wth many of these cement based boards you need to use both adhesive and screws, being cement board you will have fun driving even the right screws in so a good bit and drill driver. I have recently had almost the opposite issue in that I needed an A1 rated wall for behind a woodburner and here no wood allowed so had to use cement board and metal studs along with fire rated adhesive and that was a complete and utter pita. I ended up having to use countersink screws and nuts for one side and then captive rivnuts fitted into the studs with countersink screws on the other.

 

[Jester129]

Have you thought about the sheet cladding for bathrooms in place of tiles? Just another option for you to look at, some of them are great, really quite robust. Alternatively, some of them are soft as sheite so get some samples to check for yourself if you go down that route, that's exactly what I did and they look really good. HTH.

 

[trvlr]

Look for browse online for "bathroom wall panels. They might be a better option; though not sure how they're installed - a bit of research on your part wil no doubt bring the answer(s).

They're used extensively in hotels/motels in Canada/USA. Some still resort to tiles of course (or at least use the panels around the bath/shower areas and tiles elsewhere.. They come in an assortment of designs and so on.

 

[Bingy man]

I have to say that I must be missing something as I’ve tiled on both plaster and plasterboard and never had any issues . I use a plasticiser primer and then waterproof adhesive for the tiles once they are fully dry I then gout with waterproof grout . The tiles in
My bathroom have been up for over 20 years-( plaster ) I did a bathroom, and a en suite both on plasterboard for a good friend and these are around 12 years now and apart from the expected white grout turning grey they are fine .. think it comes down to the condition of the p/ board and how you go about it . Did another just before Xmas and the tiles were all coming off where water had leaked past the bath seal , the p/board behind the bath was soaking wet, and going black with mould - removed , replaced with plywood and left to completely dry for a couple of weeks. Went back Primed and re tiled/ grouted as above and re sealed the bath and it’s now as dry as a bone .. just my own experiences..

 

[Stevekane]

I think that plywood (esp primed with PVA) is frowned upon for showers now, cement backer board (there are cheaper alternatives to Hardibacker) are excellent and cheaper than iffy “marine ply” and many come preprimed, lots of info online. The SDS stuff that Wicks sell is super to work with, ultra easy to cut and trim, and offers an ultra grippy surface to tile on, but its a “system” and you should buy the screws and washers and adhisive as well as the panels, whilst the cement board is more basic, but just as good Im sure.
Its all down to that possibility that water might penitrate the tiles, on plaster or plasterboard it turns into a soggy mess, whilst the backer boards still hold up even if they do get damp I think.

 

[Spectric]

I have to say that I must be missing something as I’ve tiled on both plaster and plasterboard and never had any issues

Having seen the mess when a shower tray starts to leak and seep into the plasterboard and studs I would always use cement board, but yes once upon a time we had no options as there was no cement board and we had to use plasterboard and accept the longer term consequences. At least back then shower trays were sat on nice solid wooden frames and not perched on stick on plastic legs which are just horrible.

 

[Spectric]

whilst the backer boards still hold up even if they do get damp I think.

I have left a piece of SDS cement board outside in a bucket of water now for three months and it is still perfect, no swelling or going bendy but it will absorb moisture so needs priming before tiling .

 

[Stevekane]

I have left a piece of SDS cement board outside in a bucket of water now for three months and it is still perfect, no swelling or going bendy but it will absorb moisture so needs priming before tiling .

Thats reassuringly good to know Spectric, I dont know the brand my son is using at the moment, hes doing two showers and Im helping, but I recall him saying that they were one of the cheaper brands of cement boards and they have one side pre-primed, he has however slapped on primer anyway.

 

[Pedronicus]

This site may be of interest. I have used the wedi extruded foam board which was a joy to work with being both very strong, light weight and ready to take tiling without priming. Not the cheapest to be fair but I would have no hesitation in using again when I refurb our bathroom.

 

[Mikey]

I used a wedi type board for my recent bathroom renovation. It turned out to be a bigger job than I planned.... aren't they all! The pictures show the boards fitted, then tanked and finally finished.

Mike

 

[Bingy man]

I think that plywood (esp primed with PVA) is frowned upon for showers now, cement backer board (there are cheaper alternatives to Hardibacker) are excellent and cheaper than iffy “marine ply” and many come preprimed, lots of info online. The SDS stuff that Wicks sell is super to work with, ultra easy to cut and trim, and offers an ultra grippy surface to tile on, but its a “system” and you should buy the screws and washers and adhisive as well as the panels, whilst the cement board is more basic, but just as good Im sure.
It’s all down to that possibility that water might penitrate the tiles, on plaster or plasterboard it turns into a soggy mess, whilst the backer boards still hold up even if they do get damp I think.

I would never recommend pva for tiling , that’s where most tiling jobs go wrong . Like a lot of jobs it’s the preparation and use of the appropriate materials that make the difference. A bit like tiling onto a gloss or non absorbent surface and expecting the tile adhesive alone to do the job .

 

[MikeJhn]

After using Bushboard Nuance panels on my last shower re-build, I will never tile inside a shower enclosure again, they even make three sided enclosures in various size's, T & G joints and post formed edge's a real game changer.

 

[Jester129]

@MikeJhn - I'm with you on this. Did my walk-in shower and 3 walls in my bathroom with a similar product. It's just so easy: a thin bead of the silicone adhesive in the groove of a previously fixed board and slide the next board in! Simple! And the boards are easy to cut with a fine tooth hand saw. I'll never tile another bathroom! 100% recommend this system.

 

[trvlr]

how expensive is the type of panel - per single panel/sheet?