bath surround

Robbox · 5 May 2014

I have to replace our bath surround, which was originally 6mm ply and tiled on top. I prefer to replace with the 6mm grooved MDF and paint it.
I have made up the timber frame to secure everything to and I had some 6mm MDF left over, so that's the backing board for the grooved MDF. But I did wonder if 6mm ply would make for a stiffer end result.
Before anyone asks why backing board then MDF, the old underlying framework is such that to make a flat continuous surface for the MDF I need to fill in part with 6mm board. In other words the original chippie bodged it....

Burnerman · 5 May 2014

So loong as you have some verticals on your frame, all should be fine there......I'd go for 5 verticals, including the ones on the ends, obviously.
John

Robbox · 5 May 2014

AHH....therein lies the problem, the bath legs go up to the bath lip, so cannot make up a frame with a top section. Relying on the crap bits of wood glued in behind the lip by bath manufacturer, to fix uprights...I've managed a total of four. Screwed the MDF backing board to all the uprights and there is still a bit of give. Maybe once the top layer goes on it might feel a bit better....that's kinda why I thought about ply, since it is a much stiffer material.

foxhole · 6 May 2014

Once it gets wet the mdf will expand .

geraldthehamster · 8 May 2014

foxhole said:
Once it gets wet the mdf will expand .

And ultimately disintegrate.

Cheers
Richard

joe-90 · 8 May 2014

MDF is made from Weetabix.

enyam · 8 May 2014

joe-90 said:
MDF is made from Weetabix.

No its not,you're thinking OSB,or chipboard.

Deluks · 9 May 2014

enyam said:
joe-90 said:

MDF is made from Weetabix.

Click to expand...

No its not,you're thinking OSB,or chipboard.

No it's not, you're thinking of weetabix.

geraldthehamster · 9 May 2014

Deluks said:
No it's not, you're thinking of weetabix.

I wouldn't use Weetabix for a bath surround.

Cheers
Richard

ladylola · 10 May 2014

geraldthehamster said:
Deluks said:

No it's not, you're thinking of weetabix.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't use Weetabix for a bath surround.

Cheers
Richard

Less fiddily than cornflakes.

fishcake · 11 May 2014

If it's green MDF and well painted, it will be fine.

If you want to stiffen up the panel, stick the first panel to the one behind with plenty of no nails or similar.

freddiemercurystwin · 11 May 2014

Even green MDF is a big risk and a risk too far. MDF is plain and simple the wrong choice and there is no advantage to use it anyway.

geraldthehamster · 11 May 2014

T&G matchboarding looks good round a bath.

Cheers
Richard

fishcake · 12 May 2014

freddymercurystwin said:
Even green MDF is a big risk and a risk too far. MDF is plain and simple the wrong choice and there is no advantage to use it anyway.

Big risk and a risk too far? He isn't using Semtex. I had a Green MDF bath panel in my previous house for years with no problems at all and fitted a shop bought one recently for a customer that had doors in it for storage. It was painted MDF.

freddiemercurystwin · 12 May 2014

Aye MDF is a bodge and anyone who says it will be OK is a bodger, any shop bought one is a crap product.

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bath surround

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