Ensiut shower.

[Forest Fitter]

Hi all,
Please help! I have won a job that was started by others 5 yrs ago but was never finished. They had fitted a 1200 x 800 raised tray with a tile lip on 4 sides into a 3 sided alcove. Uncovered stud work on one of the short sides which has plumbing and electrics for a shower already done. I have put 12mm Aqua panel onto this. The 1200 wall is half new plasterboard and half old skimmed board which tiles have been removed and have damaged the board and taken the skim of in patches to the paper. (600mmx2.2m new) (600mmx 2.2m old) Other short wall has new plasterboard. They have boarded down to the tile lip and left a small gap all round.
The customer is concerned about price, so I dont know whether to remove the damaged board or all the board including new and put cement board on all round and tank with BAL WP1 or mapai.
I have already had to stop him make me tile onto 2 layers of tiles on a stud wall elseware in the room. I managed to remove the tiles and leave the plasterboard intact.
The tiles are 446x316 x8.

 

[cam_low]

You are obviously wanting to do it the right way. Do it right, do it once. Explain to him that cutting corners is only going to lead to issues further down the line, costing him more in the end.

He wouldnt ask an electrician or plumber to cut corners would he !

 

[AliGage]

Is all walls stud? And are the tiles just ceramic? It's not a huge tray so if you re-boarded in baseboard (about 7 boards at around £5 each) and a BAL WP1 kit would be the cheapest way i'd say. Under a ton, and you have a new, flat surface ready to go and at least done properly. Might have to put a few more noggins in the walls, and use 12.5mm board.

This is all presuming the tiles aren't too heavy.

 

[Forest Fitter]

Hi AliGage,
Yes is the answer to your question about the walls they are all stud. The tiles are ceramic and I believe they are about 2.5 kg each and 7 to 1m sq = 17.5 kg+ 4 kg for the adhesve, so this takes over the recomended weight for skimmed walls.
Thanks for answering.

 

[AliGage]

Re-board and don't skim. You then have 32Kg, i believe, to play with.

 

[Forest Fitter]

Do I tank the Aqua panel that I have put on the shower side?

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I'd have replaced all the walls with aqua panel or similar and just sealed the joints and corners, then no further tanking would be required!
Although you 'won' the job sometimes you have to walk if the customer cannot afford to do it properly.
This job is a pleasure when you are working for the customer who appreciates your input.

 

[bugs183]

Well said there TJ, it's great when your customers appreciate the effort you make, and usually the you a professional recommends is not always the most expensive.

 

[Forest Fitter]

I have got a good deal on the Aquapanel so I think I am going to make a suggestion tomorrow. 3 questions, 1, what to seal corners with? 2, Do i need a membrane behind the Aquapanel in shower area? 3, What do you do about the small gap between the tile lip on the tray and the board which is at on top of it. silicone?

 

[Forest Fitter]

Thanks everyone for all your advice and recomandations. I have to say my faith in customers has gone up, after all the information yesterday I told him my recomendation and he went with it with no fuss at all. Just to let you all know I took all the plasterboard off and added loads of noggins and have replaced plasterboard wth Aquapanel (900mm x 2.4m x 12mm ) £15 each inc vat, Bargain I thought..
Thanks again, maybe I will sleep tonight.