Minimum stud thickness to support aquapanel

[JamesA]

Can you plane wooden studwork to reduce the thickness?
If not whats the minimum thickness you'd recommend for supporting acquapanel and normal ceramic tiles?
Basically I need to widen my shower recess by 1cm or so.

Having removed the plasterboard on the 2 sides of the recess I'm left with the wooden stud work that seems in good condition.
The wood is about 2 inches by 2 inches.

The problem is the recess is 74.5cm wide which is smaller that the 760x760 new standard size.
In order to fit the shower door in there I'm going to have to widen it.

Behind the stud on all 3 sides is plasterboard for the other rooms so I can't really move the studwork out any further.

(Sorry, I haven't added a picture of the studwork yet...)
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/4017964

 

[summo]

Having just used aquapanel in a similar position (airing cupboard behind shower fixings), I would think the overall strength is more critical than the actual thickness.

If it forms solid frame, plenty of well jointed/ nailed cross noggins, plus secured top and bottom. Not just floating on the floor boards and below ceiling. Obviously it still needs to thick enough to take the screws.

My original airy cupboard frame, was not fastened top and bottom. So i secured it with steel brackets, either right angle of flat plates.

I'm no expert, so hopefully you will get more advice/

 

[noseall]

i would say 2"x2" is as small as you want to go.

 

[JamesA]

...Obviously it still needs to thick enough to take the screws...

They're 40mm aquapanel screws, the panel is 12mm thick leaving 28mm.
Therefore (as noseall suggested) I can't have any thinner wood really.

Why do they have to change the standard size of things

Anyway that leaves me a bit screwed as I need to find at least 1cm from somewhere.

I think I can either:
- screw through thinner wood into the plasterboard the other side
- remove the plasterboard at the right-hand side in order to re-locate the studwork. (Unfortunately, this would rip out the back of our built-in wardrobe cupboard).