I've changed my mind, but need advise

[SL]

I finished tiling my bathroom (thanks for all the previous advise).

I was going to use a bath panel but have decided against it, and will tile it instead. I cannot file flush with the bath, so will have to have a little ledge. I will build a frame and tile onto ply wood. The frame does not need to support bath, as bath has a metal frame.

so, when tiling the ledge should I tile up to the bath or try to tile under the bath edge.

Thanks

 

[Softus]

If I was forced to do this then I would tile under the bath edge. Then I'd set upon the b**tard who made me do it.

If you don't design in some method of easily removing the panel after it's tiled, then you'll regret it, because maintenance will result in having to break the panel and re-tile.

Also, if you use ordinary grout, the plywood needs to be thick enough to be rigid enough not to flex, otherwise the grout will crack and look unsightly.

I'm sure that are about 4 million other reasons not to tile a bath panel, but that'll do for now.

 

[amyboo]

Where I live (Belgium) it's common practice to tile the bath panel. I've just had mine done and the tiler built a render layer that came to just under level with the edge of the bath. He then tiled up to the edge of the bath, and did a silicon bead running between the bath and the tiling. To access under the bath, there is a removable square, with a chrome edging and tiles in the middle. As I said, this is the common practice in Belgium - I've lived in 4 houses and it's always been the same, and there weren't even any bath "panels" in the bathroom catalogue.... Here's a photo to better explain what I'm on about:

 

[darrenh]

anyone know where you can buy these metal support panels like this - I'd like to do this on my bath?

Its hard to search on google for them as I am unsure what to call it!

 

[Softus]

It's always interesting to see how they do things in different countries.

I note that the taps are wall mounted - where do the services run to those?

Is the access panel merely to maintain the bath waste and trap?

 

[amyboo]

I'd don't think this will help, but here it's called a "regard de visite" or a "trappe de visite" - basically translates as an access hole... They sell them here and in France (my parents have the same on their bath in France). Leroy Merlin (big French DIY shop) sell them.... http://www.leroymerlin.fr/mpng2-front/pre?zone=zonecatalogue&idLSPub=1151416952&renderall=on

As for the installation, the water pipes for the taps run behind the tiling in the wall just above the bath and then into the corner, where the drainage pipes run down from the appartment above. The access panel is esentially to access the drainage system for the bath and also to access pipework which is under the shelf that we had built. Essentially the shelf at the end of the bath was built to hide a lot of the water pipes and drainage pipes from our bathroom and from the upstairs flat. We had all of our pipes replaced when we did the bathroom, so I guess we just hope that means we never have any problems!