Bathroom wall/floor construction help?

bery_451

Hi,

we stripped the whole bathroom till there is just brick wall/concrete floor and copper pipes left.

I know the bathroom is the wettest/moisture/dampest part of the house so is the construction of bathroom walls different to other walls? what about bathroom floors?

We like the walls/floor to be moisture/damp/water resistant so what do we need?

thanks,

27col

As far as I know there is not the slightest difference in method of construction. Why should there be? I for one do not have a wet bathroom. No condensation and a towel and mat on the floor for when I get out of the bath. Hardly any more damp than any other room in the house. Obviously, it would be different if it were a wet room.

bery_451

27col wrote: »

As far as I know there is not the slightest difference in method of construction. Why should there be? I for one do not have a wet bathroom. No condensation and a towel and mat on the floor for when I get out of the bath. Hardly any more damp than any other room in the house. Obviously, it would be different if it were a wet room.

we got a large family with kids and the bathroom is in constant use. so thats why we are concerned.

Im sure the walls and floors of the bathroom must be different to other walls/floors of the house cause of the wetness.

keystone

bery_451 wrote: »

Im sure the walls and floors of the bathroom must be different to other walls/floors of the house cause of the wetness.

No not usually. Ceramic/porc/natural stone tiles would be your best bet as well as teaching them that the majority of the water really should remain within the bath/shower/WHB.

Cheers

phill99

Keystone is right.

The walls and floors are no different to other rooms in the house. What makes it different is the finishing treatment of the walls/floors eg ceramic/porcelain/etc tiles plus good workmanship & detailing and appropriate use of correct materials like adhesives and grout.

The idea is that the walls and floors don get wet - thats why you protect them.

Ask any builder and they will tell you there is no difference in construction for the bathroom as opposed to other parts of the house.

vaio

might have changed now but when we were doing studwork for bathroom walls we used to vb, eml, render & skim on the bathroom side rather than plasterboard & skim

bery_451

vaio wrote: »

might have changed now but when we were doing studwork for bathroom walls we used to vb, eml, render & skim on the bathroom side rather than plasterboard & skim

whats vd, eml, render, skim mean?

thanks,

themacster

vb = vapour barrier; eml = expanded metal lathing; render = first coat of plaster; skim = finishing coat of plaster

Often these days moisture resistant plasterboard is specified for 'wet' areas when there are stud walls. Otherwise usually no different construction than normal. Appropriate surface finishes and ventilation are the essential things.

bery_451

themacster wrote: »

vb = vapour barrier; eml = expanded metal lathing; render = first coat of plaster; skim = finishing coat of plaster

Often these days moisture resistant plasterboard is specified for 'wet' areas when there are stud walls. Otherwise usually no different construction than normal. Appropriate surface finishes and ventilation are the essential things.

sorry for being a newbie but what are stud walls?

what you mentioned above only apply to stud walls?

moisture resistant plasterboard is an alternative to vb, eml, render and skim?

thanks,

keystone

Stud walls are wooden frame non-load bearing construction normally faced with plasterboard screwed directly to it.

Mositure resistant plasterboard is not use if the finish (tiles as said above for example) still lets the water in and things gently rot away underneath. Its the finish thats the key as said several times further up the thread.

Cheers

bery_451

keystone wrote: »

Stud walls are wooden frame non-load bearing construction normally faced with plasterboard screwed directly to it.

Mositure resistant plasterboard is not use if the finish (tiles as said above for example) still lets the water in and things gently rot away underneath. Its the finish thats the key as said several times further up the thread.

Cheers

i just want to be safe than sorry just in case the sealant, grout around the bath fails and lets the water through.

so your recommendation is just normal wall reconstruction like any other wall in the house cause the tiles will protect it from water?

i could leave the window open for ventilation but the bathroom gets cold. Whats the best ventilation to use? What about dehumidifiers?