How to: Waterproof shower walls??

vikramrkin

Hi All,

I have a bathtub, with out a shower. I am planning for a DIY job and install a shower and make the walls waterproof. Right now, I only have around 2 feet of tiles on the walls adjacent to the bath tub. This does not cover the entire height of walls (which is around 7 feet).

I want to know what options I have to make these walls waterproof. I don’t want to install tiles as I think I am not skilled enough to do this. I found shower wall panelling. Would this solve my problem? Is there a waterproof wall paper that I can use?

Thanks
Vikram

ormus

aquapanel is very good for wet areas like bathrooms. but its normally tiled over the top.
vinyl wallpaper is certainly splashproof, but not really what you call 100% "waterproof".

djheath

I know you said you're not skilled enough to tile, but you really are! Tiling is very easy and the hardest part is knowing where to start in a room. As you already have a layer of tiles laid already, you know where to start and can just extend the tiles up. Give it a go! Go on! :d

keystone

DJH is right - its not difficult but it takes a lot of practice to get it perfect if working to a short timeline. If tiling first you need to tank the area around the shower. That means taking off the existing tiles and starting again. Tanking involves a waterproof membrane/compound to protect the walls that you subsequently tile over. Even then it won';t be totaly waterprof because grout isn't waterproof (despite what some manufacturers claim) unless you use epoxy and thats not easy to use for a DIYer.

If you are going to use the wall panels then these are fine but you must ensure that you get a good seal - particularly around the bath. Once again you should remove the existing tiles first.

Make sure that you bath is well secured at the edges. If its flopping about or flexing overly no matter how much sealant you use it will still leak.

There is no such thing as waterproof wallpaper.

HTH

Cheers

vikramrkin

keystone wrote: »

DJH is right - its not difficult but it takes a lot of practice to get it perfect if working to a short timeline. If tiling first you need to tank the area around the shower. That means taking off the existing tiles and starting again. Tanking involves a waterproof membrane/compound to protect the walls that you subsequently tile over. Even then it won';t be totaly waterprof because grout isn't waterproof (despite what some manufacturers claim) unless you use epoxy and thats not easy to use for a DIYer.

If you are going to use the wall panels then these are fine but you must ensure that you get a good seal - particularly around the bath. Once again you should remove the existing tiles first.

Make sure that you bath is well secured at the edges. If its flopping about or flexing overly no matter how much sealant you use it will still leak.

There is no such thing as waterproof wallpaper.

HTH

Cheers

Thanks for the reply. This is a rented property on which I want to take up this DIY job, so want to keep the changes to a minimum (so that I can convince my landlady easily ). Thats another reason for thinking of going with a wall panel. Let me do more googling on the tiles as well.

With wall panels, why do I need to remove the tiles? Can I not just start from where the tiles end?

Thanks
Vikram

keystone

Because it will look carp if you don't and getting decent neat seal will be a serious challenge.

Cheers

Fire_Fox

vikramrkin wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. This is a rented property on which I want to take up this DIY job, so want to keep the changes to a minimum (so that I can convince my landlady easily ). Thats another reason for thinking of going with a wall panel. Let me do more googling on the tiles as well.

With wall panels, why do I need to remove the tiles? Can I not just start from where the tiles end?

Thanks
Vikram

Because the existing tiling and the wall behind it is probably water resistant (splash) but not waterproof (soak). No sensible landlady would let a novice waterproof a shower area, it may be several years before the wall gets wet enough for the tiles to fall off the wall. Your landlady is also responsible for your and future tenants safety: you may well need to pay a professional or give up the idea completely. How are you going to fit a shower if you are new to DIY? It may not even be legal to install the electrics, the legislation is fairly strict now.

iveco_man

Wall paneling is great if you want a nice easy and quick job .we have done quite a few wet room walls with it and it is great. you must use all the starter trims and corner trims to minimize any chance of water penetration.

keystone

Fire_Fox wrote: »

It may not even be legal to install the electrics, the legislation is fairly strict now.

What leads you to make the assumption that he will need electrics?

Cheers

vikramrkin

Sorry guys, I think I may have confused you as to what I am trying to do. Here is the picture of my existing bath tub, for whose walls I want to make water proof (or splash proof??):



the other end of the bath tub -



Right now, the walls surrounding the bath tub are wooden (they are certainly not brick walls as they make hollow sound when knocked.). If this tub is used for a shower, I may well be damaging these surrounding walls and I want to somehow prevent it. So the idea I have is to cover it with something (I thought wall panel is hte easiest option for me) so that I dont damage the walls.

I dont need any electrical systems to be installed. I will just replace the existing tap with the one which has a shower pipe on the top. Wall is the one which I dont know what to do.

Thanks
Vikram

keystone

Well genuinely I'd be seeing how easy it is to remove the tiles along the short edge and about 1.5 metres down the long edge, tanking the area, putting these tiles back and sourcing matching ones to take you up to around 1½ m above the level of the deck of the bath.

The fact that the wall sounds hollow doesn't mean its wood. It's prolly plasterboard on a timber stud frame.

Cheers