Tile on plywood?

[JonHeath]

Hi all,

I'm fitting a new ensuite in what was previously a box room. As part of this work a door has been blocked up. The doorframe has been studded.

I have read elsewhere that I can just apply plywood onto this studding, and that will happily accept tiling?

I was planning to put plasterboard on, but if plywood also works then I might well go with that.

Cheers
Jon

 

[tictic]

dont use wbp plywood for boarding...

either use 12.5mm hardie backer boards or 12.5mm aquapanel boards/wedi boards etc...follow mfr instructions re:fixing....

 

[Richard C]

Never use plywood as a tile base for walls; in wet areas use 12mm waterproof tile backer board but you can use Moisture Resistant plasterboard (not ordinary wallboard) in dry areas.

Before you do any work or buy materials, please read the tiling forum sticky & archive posts, it could prevent you making disastrous & potentially expensive mistakes. Use only quality trade tiling materials of the correct type for your tiles & tile base, cheap own brand & DIY products are mostly crap.

If you intend tiling a suspended timber floor, these need special consideration & additional preparation if the tiles to last.

Just so you know, be aware that creating a new bathroom/en-suite with a w/c is controlled building work, subject to several building regulations. Building Notice submission, LABC inspection & possible testing.

 

[JonHeath]

Never use plywood as a tile base for walls; in wet areas use 12mm waterproof tile backer board but you can use Moisture Resistant plasterboard (not ordinary wallboard) in dry areas.

Before you do any work or buy materials, please read the tiling forum sticky & archive posts, it could prevent you making disastrous & potentially expensive mistakes. Use only quality trade tiling materials of the correct type for your tiles & tile base, cheap own brand & DIY products are mostly crap.

If you intend tiling a suspended timber floor, these need special consideration & additional preparation if the tiles to last.

Just so you know, be aware that creating a new bathroom/en-suite with a w/c is controlled building work, subject to several building regulations. Building Notice submission, LABC inspection & possible testing.

Thanks for the advice. I'm aware its Building Regs and have paid for them. I've already laid the waste pipes, including a new soil stack and inspection chamber.

The room is currently plastered in the traditional "lat and plaster" method. The only exception to this is where the original door has been blocked up. This has been studded and plaster boarded on the other side. I had it left open so that I can run the water pipes into this room from the loft. I guess I still have two questions:

1. Am I OK to tile straight onto the "lat and plaster" - I'm hoping the answer is yes as I don't fancy ripping down all that plaster.

2. Where the door has been blocked will form part of the shower wall i.e. it will be wet. The way this has been studded doesn't leave room for 12mm thick waterproof backer board, to bring it in line with the rest of the wall. Is there a thinner alternative?

Cheers
Jon

 

[Richard C]

1. Am I OK to tile straight onto the "lat and plaster" - I'm hoping the answer is yes as I don't fancy ripping down all that plaster.

I would be extremely nervous about tiling over lath walls, they may not support the weight of the tiles. Plaster in any case has a weight restriction of just 20 kg/sqm including adhesive/grout; what size/weight tiles are you planning?

2. Where the door has been blocked will form part of the shower wall i.e. it will be wet. The way this has been studded doesn't leave room for 12mm thick waterproof backer board, to bring it in line with the rest of the wall. Is there a thinner alternative?

Tanking; but I would still advise waterproof backer board even if it means removing the existing PB especially if it houses a recessed mixer valve.