Is a 2" stud wide enough for plumbing?

[stevehuws]

I've just pulled down part of an old stud wall in the bathroom. I want a straight wall down one side, and this part was an inverted corner, In the image below the grey is what I've removed, the green is what's left and the blue is what I want to build.

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I've managed to remove it successfully with a minimum of mess (most of it was old and used hardboard), but I discovered that it's only 50mm (+ plasterboard) thick. The new shower will go in its place and I hoped to put the water pipes in the wall before I put on the new covering, but I'm worried that the wall is not thick enough.

Do I need a 75mm thick stud to house the pipes? I'm not sure if they will be 22mm or not. Or should I rip the old hardboard off one side and thicken the wall to make this possible?

Also, should I consider buying something other than plasterboard, seeing as a shower will be installed in that corner?

Thanks,

steve

 

[Richard C]

50mm is going to be very tight for insulated 22mm pipes which they probably should be if you’re installing a power shower. If you use plasterboard in a wet area it should be tanked if you want it to last any length of time, better to use waterproof tile backer board; plasterboard in dry areas should be Moisture Resistant not standard Wall Board. Another factor to consider is the size of the tiles you’re intending to lay; plasterboard & plaster has a maximum tile weight! I would advise you read the Tiling Forum sticky & archive threads before going too much further, it may prevent you making disastrous & potentially expensive mistakes.

What’s on the other side of the stud wall? Building Regulations require a minimum sound insulation specification between a room with a W/C & another habitable room (bedroom, lounge etc)

 

[stevehuws]

I thought so. I think I may need to increase the thickness of the other wall.

With regards to waterproofing: a waterproof tile backer board for the shower and moisture resistant board for the rest? Does the tile backer board need to go all the way to the ceiling, or just immediately around the shower enclosure?

I'll take another look at the Tiling forum sticky. I've found lots of good info there already but I may have missed a bit.

What’s on the other side of the stud wall?

Another bathroom! It's the way-too-big en-suite for the master bedroom. I presume I'm OK with building regs here then...

Thanks for your reply,

steve

 

[Richard C]

With regards to waterproofing: a waterproof tile backer board for the shower and moisture resistant board for the rest? Does the tile backer board need to go all the way to the ceiling, or just immediately around the shower enclosure?

Use it all the way up to the ceiling & take around 300mm beyond the shower enclosure/screen.

I'll take another look at the Tiling forum sticky. I've found lots of good info there already but I may have missed a bit.

Also read the Archive threads, it’s important you understand the limitations of plaster & plasterboard when tiling; what size/type are your tiles? Only use quality trade materials of the correct type for your tiles, the DIY stuff is mostly crap.

Another bathroom! It's the way-too-big en-suite for the master bedroom. I presume I'm OK with building regs here then...

A bathroom is not a habitable room so that’s OK

 

[stevehuws]

Thanks again for your help on this. I'll search on the tiling forum about plasterboards and their limitations.

We haven't even thought of which tiles to put on (full house renovation), but I'll bear your advice in mind when deciding.

steve

 

[Richard C]

We haven't even thought of which tiles to put on (full house renovation), but I'll bear your advice in mind when deciding.

Plaster board & plaster finish has a maximum weight limit which can be a problem if your intending to use large format tiles so it’s important to be aware of this when fitting out ready for tiling. Unplastered plasterboard will take 32kg/sqm but finish plaster will only take 20 kg/sqm weather it’s on plasterboard or an existing wall & this includes up to 4 kg/sqm for the adhesive & grout. If your tiles exceed 32kg/sqm, you need to fit out with a decent waterproof tile backer board some of which will accept 50kg/sqm & more.