Is 6mm 'backer sufficient for a Bath Panel?

[VeeFourTee]

An excellent forum with great advice, and I'm in need of some of the latter please.

I've built myself a bath surround using 2x2 for the frame and 12mm ply for the panels (x2), but my tiles are too thick, when attached to the ply, to sit flush under the edge of the bath. I'm tight for room and don't want to build a frame which incorporates a horizontal tiled 'shelf' around the bath. Therefore, I need to reduce the thickness of the panel onto which I'll tile.

Is a 6mm Hardi/Wedi-backer board strong enough to replace the 12mm ply used previously? I don't particularly want to use 6mm ply. My tiles are 315 x 451 x 10 ceramic, and the largest panel will need 6.5 tiles in total. I plan to tile onto the panel flat and then fit to the 2 x 2 frame.

Any assurance/advice much appreciated.

 

[Matt]

The 6mm is desgined for use on floors. The 12.5mm is designed for walls.

I don't think the 6mm would be strong enough. But I am open to being proven wrong

 

[Alan.P]

If I have the picture right in my head, I would have thought you would need some vertical legs to fix to as well as the frame, the thing you need to watch out for is flex in the panel, you can use a flexi grout but this will only stand so much, any more and you will risk cracking in the grout and possible the tile, is rebuilding the frame and using a thicker board an option ?

 

[TheWrightTiler]

for me mate id remove the 2x2 frame and make it out of 40x40 with a few studs to increase rigidity then you can use the boards u have

cheers andy

ps agree that 6mm is too flexi and might cause cracking etc

a previous client of mine wanted same done but didnt want to pay for it so this was his solution

mdf bath board

plain white 150x150 tiles

hot glue gun

let it set

grouted it and screwed to studs

wouldnt condone it but looked ok

 

[peckers]

I presume you have put the 2x2 as far back under the bath as you can? and you have no room for the board you have and the thickness of your tiles?
you could either take the frame back out and reduce timber size by 6mm and reinstall or you could recess the ply into the frame by 6mm by and add a few extra horizontal/virtical noggings behind to keep it rigid..

 

[DHTiling]

If the frame is made with noggins around 300mm apart then it will be good enough for a bath panel...sometimes anything thicker than around 6mm will leave the tiles proud of the bath edge because some baths have short profiles and not thick enough to use 12 mm etc.


Matt ....hardi 250 can be used on walls...i have a pdf on the installation if anybodys wants it.

HardieBacker EN installation 200810 masonry walls.pdf

 

[Matt]

Matt ....hardi 250 can be used on walls...i have a pdf on the installation if anybodys wants it.

HardieBacker EN installation 200810 masonry walls.pdf

Thanks Dave. The AquaPanel 6mm can't