Plasterboard, Aquapanel, or ply?

[Ben100]

Hi all,

 

What are your collective thoughts on sheet material to use in an en suite? I have a timber frame en suite which I intend to tile, floor and walls, and plaster the ceiling. It will contain a shower cubicle, toilet, and sink. I'm not sure if I should use moisture resistant plasterboard, aquapanel or ply? Or if I should use a mixture, based on location?

 

Cheers,

Ben

[Bitpipe]

In the bathroom we went with green plasterboard everywhere, had it skimmed (which apparently was not necessary in areas to be tiled) and tanked the walls around the shower and laid the tray using @Nickfromwales bomb proof method.

 

Tiled over with porcelain, no issues 5 years later.

 

We went one step further in the ensuite and used an Impey wet-room shower former and floor liner, same wall treatment as above. Again, no issues. 

[MAB]

I went with green moisture resistant plasterboard in my ensuite and Aquapanel/Hardiebacker cement board (tiled) around the walk-in shower area and also laid the tray using the 'Nickfromwales' bomb proof method.

Edited March 17, 2021 by MAB

[Ben100]

  On 17/03/2021 at 12:10, MAB said:

I went with green moisture resistant plasterboard in my ensuite and Aquapanel/Hardiebacker cement board (tiled) around the walk-in shower area and also laid the tray using the 'Nickfromwales' bomb proof method.

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Thanks. What was the reasoning behind the Aquapanel around the walk-in shower area?

[MAB]

  On 17/03/2021 at 12:30, Ben100 said:

 

Thanks. What was the reasoning behind the Aquapanel around the walk-in shower area?

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For me it was just 'belt and braces' really for the small extra cost, just in case any tiling grout or sealant joint failed/leaked in the future the cement board backing would remain intact. I had tiling grout fail in a tiled over plasterboard shower enclosure in the past and by the time the leak was noticed the wet plasterboard behind had to be replaced which turned a small job into a major job. Maybe not essential in the upper wall areas of the shower which don't get very wet.

Only drawback I can see is water resistant cement board is not as easy to cut and work with as plasterboard but the extra time and cost involved is not such an issue if you are installing DIY.

Edited March 17, 2021 by MAB

[Mr Punter]

Cement board is a pain to cut and tile adhesive sticks to it so well you may need to smash the boards the remove the adhesive.  At least with plasterboard it just turns to sog.  I quite like the idea of the Wedi board type stuff which is lightweight and waterproof.  Not used it though.