Concerns about en-suite refurb - waterproofing

RainbowLaura

Hi everyone,

We are currently having our en-suite shower room re-fitted and I have stopped work today because I'm worried.

Yesterday the contractor ripped out our old shower cubicle and re-plasterboarded the walls. I was a bit worried at how papery the surface looked, so did a bit of research and it seems that the standard grey plasterboard is not what you are supposed to use in wet areas? I then asked him how he would make it waterproof - would he be tanking it - and he said that good tiling should be sufficient.

I am not happy with this at all so have asked that at the very least he change the plasterboard to a water resistant variety. He said he is going to change it to green ones.

If he does this, will it then be okay to tile onto or are further steps required? He did not appear at all keen on tanking it, and indeed I have read online that tanking is only really necessary for wet rooms (this is just a standard cubicle with tray).

I am just worried now and want to make sure this gets finished properly

Any advice greatly appreciated!

firefox1956

If you have to be telling your contractor how to do the job I think perhaps I would be getting rid of him sooner rather than later.
Personally I would not use any sort of plasterboard in a shower cubicle.
I would use marine grade ply then the jobs done properly forever.
HTH

TheCyclingProgrammer

Guy sounds like a bodger to me.

RainbowLaura

We paid half up front (he actually came highly recommended by people we know!) so just hoping to get as good a job done as we can now. What a stress!

RainbowLaura

He was going to charge us £50 for the supply and fit of the bog standard plasterboard he has used. Roughly how much more is it likely to be if we insist that he uses Hardie backer, which I understand would definitely be okay to use?

ryder72

There isnt one right way to do this.

You can use Hardieboard, moisture resistant plasterboard, marine ply or even normal plasterboard with a tanking membrane above it, wedi board etc.

Personally I prefer the tanking membrane over wedi or Hardie board approach. Its bulletproof.

Doozergirl

firefox1956 wrote: »

If you have to be telling your contractor how to do the job I think perhaps I would be getting rid of him sooner rather than later.
Personally I would not use any sort of plasterboard in a shower cubicle.
I would use marine grade ply then the jobs done properly forever.
HTH

Marine ply?! Oh my.

Davesnave

If someone has inherited a plasterboard wall and doesn't want to remove it, then a tanking kit will probably work fine, but if the wall's being done from scratch, then something water resistant, like Hardiebacker, would be better.

I've tanked at the head of a bath where the shower will get very occasional use and I'm sure it will do. That was after a tradesperson quoted me for the job, and he didn't even consider tanking.

His casual approach + the price was why i finally decided to DIY.

RainbowLaura

ryder72 wrote: »

There isnt one right way to do this.

You can use Hardieboard, moisture resistant plasterboard, marine ply or even normal plasterboard with a tanking membrane above it, wedi board etc.

Personally I prefer the tanking membrane over wedi or Hardie board approach. Its bulletproof.

Thanks Ryder, would moisture resistant plasterboard need tanking do you think? All of this extra cost has come as a bit of a shock to us to be honest, we weren't quoted for any work to the walls at all (very naive I know, you live and learn )

TheCyclingProgrammer

ryder72 wrote: »

There isnt one right way to do this.

You can use Hardieboard, moisture resistant plasterboard, marine ply or even normal plasterboard with a tanking membrane above it, wedi board etc.

Personally I prefer the tanking membrane over wedi or Hardie board approach. Its bulletproof.

There are wrong ways though and normal plasterboard untanked is one of them!

andyhop

Use a liquid ranking kit from Mapei or sheet membrane from dura or homelux

Green plasterboard isn't great , ply on walls where marine out not still isn't great

Standard PB with tanking is how we do it , 500+ installs going strong