Refurbishing en-suite with new shower cubical & retiling honeycomb plasterboard wall

[Waluigi]

That was a bloody good year 😉

Anyway, yes your best bet would be some 6mm Hardiebacker onto your boards if you don’t want them removed or if you remove them, some thicker tile backer board or to be perfectly honest, standard 18mm ply wood be fine.

Virtually all manufacturers recommend S&C, a weak mix 6/7 parts sand to 1 part cement. Some recommend a plasticiser. I probably prefer a rapidsettingAdhesive over S&C personally. I’ve trialed both methods many times and Rapidflex tips it.

 

[DIY Worker]

That was a bloody good year 😉

Anyway, yes your best bet would be some 6mm Hardiebacker onto your boards if you don’t want them removed or if you remove them, some thicker tile backer board or to be perfectly honest, standard 18mm ply wood be fine.

Virtually all manufacturers recommend S&C, a weak mix 6/7 parts sand to 1 part cement. Some recommend a plasticiser. I probably prefer a rapidsettingAdhesive over S&C personally. I’ve trialed both methods many times and Rapidflex tips it.

Thanks, Waluigi, I saw Hardiebacker made by JamesHardie at top tiles and they do both 6 mm and 12 mm, but it says it only used for wall or floor tiles and it is very brittle. If I use this product, i assume i have to seal the gaps of T & G of the floorboard and make sure the floor is flat as the Hardiebacker is very brittle. Do I then just screw Hardiebacker to the floor without adhesive in-between. What if the floor is not flat? If the floor is nearly flat, say with a tolerance of 2 to 3 mm, can I screw a thin plywood to the floor and then screw Hardiebacker and then apply Rapidflex adhesive (what thickness??) and lay the tray. I know the tray will be slightly high, but I can run the water resistance vinyl click flooring under the tray and seal. If the floor is totally out then I might use the standard 18mm plywood as you recommend by removing the portion of floorboards.
Thanks for your advice on using rapidflex over S&C, what thickness should I use and which make to you recommend? What are the best slow setting (as I am a beginner) grey waterproof adhesive and grout I should use? Thanks for your time.

 

[DIY Worker]

I have now started my en-suite refurbishment project.
Shower cubical out and old tray still in position.
Tiles removed and am lucky the damage to paramount plasterboard is to a minimum. Slight depression from 1 to 2 mm skim plaster coming off.
Going to remove the old adhesive by wetting with water.
Paint removed from one wall (brick and plaster).
I will use old tiles to check how good I am at cutting tiles. I have an electric tile cutter machine and manual kit.
Question:
What filler should I use to fill small damage to plasterboard? can I use the tile adhesive I am going to use for tilling? The plan is to use slow setting adhesive from Wicks or Weber make, any good suggestion.
Thank the shower walls only with Aquaseal kit and remaining walls (plasterboard and brick/plaster wall with acrylic primer. Which is the best make primer?
I will start to tile once the walls are prepared. Still, need to decide on the best slow setting advisive and grout.
As i am using 400 x 250 x 7 mm ceramic tiles from B&Q with 3 to 4 mm spacer. Are the use of leveling spacer good to use for beginner DIYer?
For plumbing, I am going to use compression isolating valves in the system for ease for future maintenance.
I still have to take the tray out and see the condition of the floor. The old tray has been with sealing strips which very watertight. has anyone use this and which is a good make that i can tile over it?

I still need to think of installing the tray to the wooden floor.
What is the best sealer to use around the gaps and between the tray and the wall? Dow Corning was mentioned above, but what spec.
See photos of my project.
I will keep posting until i finish the project but need some professional advice on the above question. Many thanks for spending your valuable time.

 

[DIY Worker]

Thanks, Waluigi, I saw Hardiebacker made by JamesHardie at top tiles and they do both 6 mm and 12 mm, but it says it only used for wall or floor tiles and it is very brittle. If I use this product, i assume i have to seal the gaps of T & G of the floorboard and make sure the floor is flat as the Hardiebacker is very brittle. Do I then just screw Hardiebacker to the floor without adhesive in-between. What if the floor is not flat? If the floor is nearly flat, say with a tolerance of 2 to 3 mm, can I screw a thin plywood to the floor and then screw Hardiebacker and then apply Rapidflex adhesive (what thickness??) and lay the tray. I know the tray will be slightly high, but I can run the water resistance vinyl click flooring under the tray and seal. If the floor is totally out then I might use the standard 18mm plywood as you recommend by removing the portion of floorboards.
Thanks for your advice on using rapidflex over S&C, what thickness should I use and which make to you recommend? What are the best slow setting (as I am a beginner) grey waterproof adhesive and grout I should use? Thanks for your time.

Hi Waluigi, any professional advice on the above question will be welcome.

 

[DIY Worker]

I have run into a problem. After marking the hole for a waste drain on the floorboard and checking under the floor, I find that there are two supporting joists across running very close to each other and sitting on a brick wall . There is no room to drill through. The drain is sitting right over a middle supporting joist and i do not want to cut the joist half way to weak its structural strength and would be difficult for maintenance. So now decided to raise the tray over the floor with raiser kit. My tray is Pearlstone resin based with a rough surface (stone & resin) at the bottom. manufactures instruct to use 6 adjustable legs to be screwed to the tray. Is this a good raiser kit compared to stick on pads, but the surface is rough? Also, see what how the pipework have been fitted into the Paramount board. i now need to repair this by fitting a small plasterboard, with filler and then tanking with Aquaseal tap & primer
. Extra work

 

[Waluigi]

If it’s a proper stone resin tray then you won’t be screwing anything to it. I’d use the stick on pads. Screwfix sell the quadrant kit with plinth for £30

I tend to prime the underside of the tray with a tiling primer and then stick my pads to the tray.

 

[DIY Worker]

Thank, it is Pearlstone stone resin tray which is quite rough (not smooth) and the manufacturer recommends screwing the legs to the tray. Would the sticky pads secure to the rough surface? I am also going to use the wooden batten under the tray on the wall side, as i always have a concern on point (legs) loading.

 

[Waluigi]

I’m sorry I don’t know, I’ve never installed a pearlstone tray.

I had no idea you could drill into shine resin trays as every single stone tray I’ve fitted you wouldn’t be able to. It sounds like some brands are different.

 

[Boggs]

I think these trays use the m8 bolt in legs.
Not my personal preference as they normally only rely on 4.
Much prefer the stick on.

 

[Waluigi]

Is it one of the lightweight trays?