shower panel advice

[eastender3]

Hi Folks,

Trying to install a electric shower but unsure if to leave the original wood covering and replace with a new wood or tile over and fit the shower. Any suggestions? View media item 35138 View media item 35139
The two large holes are for stopcock for mains and tank water. Don't know what to do what those two holes, how to cover them nicely.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

that looks nasty!
I would personally, remove the wood and use aquapanel, this can then be tiled to. but access to the water isolators would be needed unless you can reinstall them somewhere elses.

 

[eastender3]

that looks nasty!
I would personally, remove the wood and use aquapanel, this can then be tiled to. but access to the water isolators would be needed unless you can reinstall them somewhere elses.

Thanks for your reply. Never used aquapenel before, could consider them, are they reliable, I mean not leaking water.

I have to leave the water isolators where they are, as it'll be very expensive to reinstall them elsewhere, thinking of a 'lid' that's easy to open and nice to look at.

 

[eastender3]

Just want to understand this, so I remove the wood covering and use 'aquapanel' to cover the pipes and then tile over aquapanel, but how do you stick them on, the first place, on to the bare pipes? or do you keep the wood as it is and then apply aquapanel on and then use tiles on over them.

 

[TicklyT]

Timber will expand and shrink with moisture level changes - bad news if you want the tiles to stay on the wall.

I would remove the (plywood?) sheet boxing from the studwork and replace it with aquapanel, or strip out the boxing and studwork supporting it completely, and renew it all (the existing studwork may not be beefy enough to take aquapanel + the weight of any tiles).

Re-orientating the isolators on the pipes my allow easier access to them from the side rather than inside the shower.

If not, an access hatch, something like
http://www.force4.co.uk/1442/Force-...m--Cutout--250x300mm--Opening--226x276mm.html may provide a solution to the access problem.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You can install the aquapanels, either be fixing to stud work or using the dot'n'dab method of sticking them to a sound surface, with the use of dry wall adhesive. The panels form a water resistant barrier and can be tiled on.
This link may help you.
http://www.teachmediy.co.uk/NetsiteCMS/pageid/13/Installing Aquapanel/Installing Aquapanel.html

 

[eastender3]

You can install the aquapanels, either be fixing to stud work or using the dot'n'dab method of sticking them to a sound surface, with the use of dry wall adhesive. The panels form a water resistant barrier and can be tiled on.
This link may help you.
http://www.teachmediy.co.uk/Netsite...g Aquapanel/Installing Aquapanel.html[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your reply.

So I take that aquapanel can take the weight of the tiles and won't be flimsy. I had thought about putting aquapanel on top of existing wood panel and then tile over, but that may not be necessary?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Aquapanel can take tiles up to 50 kg/m2
in comparison to
Gypsum Plaster 20Kg/m²
Gypsum Plasterboard Direct (without a plaster skim) 32Kg/m²

 

[John506]

Take off the plywood, screw the aqua panel to the existing 2x2 or whatever the frame is made from. Basically replace the plywood like for like with the aqua panel.

To be honest, we use plasterboard and make sure everything is grouted and sealed properly, doing that on a daily basis on 13,000 council houses over the Wirral and nothing bad has come of it, but I stress the need for good sealing when using plasterboard.

 

[eastender3]

Aquapanel can take tiles up to 50 kg/m2
in comparison to
Gypsum Plaster 20Kg/m²
Gypsum Plasterboard Direct (without a plaster skim) 32Kg/m²

I'm thinking something like this, is that ok from Wicks. Get rid of existing wooden covering and replace it with this.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/aquapanel-water-resistant-backing-board/invt/220561/?source=123_4

 

[John506]

Yes that's fine, make sure it's secured well and you are good to go.

 

[eastender3]

Yes that's fine, make sure it's secured well and you are good to go.

The wife thinks we should just buy replacement of the existing wood covering, in whichcase the large cover in the photo, I think is the original council installed plasterboard, apart from the smaller side board, which I fitted a last week, made from plywood.

So the whole box she wants to be replaced by plasterboard and then tile over and install the shower. The shower spray would go to the opposite direction.

 

[John506]

As long as the tiles are grouted and sealed properly, there is nothing to worry about!!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The original looks more like hardboard than ply.
The lyrics to a wham song come to mind.....
"If you're gonna do it do it right"
I would spend a little extra cash and go with aquapanels.