Tiling wet areas

[Mike_scotland]

Hey group!

 

Tiling wet areas - currently our builder is going to be using green plasterboard but im thinking should we be using some sort of water proof board? Or can you get away with green pb?

 

End of the day tiles should keep it dry but its the incase you dont want everything ruined.

 

Thanks

 

M

[nod]

Moister board is fine 

Gypsum backer board performs better than Hardy backer and is as easy to work with as moister 

[Radian]

From my experience, any tiled wet area will present damp to the substrate after at most 10 years or so. I believe grout is slightly permeable and ceramic certainly so once microscopic cracks appear in the glaze. Which they will. For complete peace of mind use a waterproof backer.

[Mike_scotland]

4 minutes ago, Radian said:

From my experience, any tiled wet area will present damp to the substrate after at most 10 years or so. I believe grout is slightly permeable and ceramic certainly so once microscopic cracks appear in the glaze. Which they will. For complete peace of mind use a waterproof backer.

Any suggestions? It would only be the wet areas were having a walk in shower

[Radian]

3 minutes ago, Mike_scotland said:

Any suggestions? It would only be the wet areas were having a walk in shower

 

Other people will probably shoot me down but I favour the lightweight backers such as these But I'm getting weak in me old age and can't lift the solid ones ?

Do need plenty of support though! (the backers that is... for now).

[Declan52]

Use a tanking kit.

[Mike_scotland]

49 minutes ago, nod said:

Moister board is fine 

Gypsum backer board performs better than Hardy backer and is as easy to work with as moister 

Is the green stuff ok or do you need a backer board mate

[nod]

90% of the bathrooms we tile are moister board (Green)

[Mike_scotland]

1 minute ago, nod said:

90% of the bathrooms we tile are moister board (Green)

Are you a tiler Nod? 

[nod]

26 minutes ago, Mike_scotland said:

Are you a tiler Nod? 

I am 

I own a tiling business 

[Mike_scotland]

10 minutes ago, nod said:

I am 

I own a tiling business 

Ok Nod! Well if your saying its the norm its a consideration we will take seriously.

 

What are tilers roughly in cost is it about 35 per m2? Is it more for floors and moisacs etc

[nod]

Site rates walls £20-25  Little more for mosaic Private rates seam to be higher

[Mike_scotland]

8 hours ago, nod said:

Site rates walls £20-25  Little more for mosaic Private rates seam to be higher

i sit a good living being a tiler? im a painter myself but work elsewhere now as the rates always seemed low

[nod]

Most make upwards of 250 per day 

[Nickfromwales]

I am also a tiler ( past business for over 20 years fitting high end kitchens and bathrooms ) and have never used a cement board / backer board, unless the client has bought them and has insisted, and then I’ve charged for the total pita they are to cut and finish. I do not like these boards as there is zero give and they do not confirm to the substrate well enough for me. The screws are everything in terms of purchase, and you either fit screws every 100mm or at 200mm and bond the boards on with Sikaflex for belt n braces. 
MR ( green ) PB for me on every single job, and tanking in every area of concern / wet areas. 
No leaks, no comebacks, and just about to become 25 years of doing them with all my customers still having my mobile number which I’ve had from day 1.

 

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

I do not like these boards as there is zero give

 

I used 12.5mm Aqua Panel (Knauf I think?). Had to cut with an old circular saw and carbide grid jigsaw bits. That and Starrett cutters. Quite sharp and dusty. If the timber studwork you're screwing it to is fractionally off it hairline cracks. (It is tbh still held together by an integral reinforcing mesh).You need special screws for it too and often special joint filler between boards.

 

I would though use it again.

[Mike_scotland]

5 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

I am also a tiler ( past business for over 20 years fitting high end kitchens and bathrooms ) and have never used a cement board / backer board, unless the client has bought them and has insisted, and then I’ve charged for the total pita they are to cut and finish. I do not like these boards as there is zero give and they do not confirm to the substrate well enough for me. The screws are everything in terms of purchase, and you either fit screws every 100mm or at 200mm and bond the boards on with Sikaflex for belt n braces. 
MR ( green ) PB for me on every single job, and tanking in every area of concern / wet areas. 
No leaks, no comebacks, and just about to become 25 years of doing them with all my customers still having my mobile number which I’ve had from day 1.

 

Thanks Nick - i think its just down to me and the wifes opinion if we want it or not, i worked on sites about 10 years ago and thats what was tiled but it was also nasty stuart milne haha so thought i would ask what the going thing is.

[Nickfromwales]

32 minutes ago, Mike_scotland said:

its just down to me and the wifes opinion

So you’ll be fitting whatever she says then  

[Mike_scotland]

3 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

So you’ll be fitting whatever she says then  

Hahaha true, so would you tank in a walk in shower? But its got a tray? Is tanking different from backer board etc

[Onoff]

12 minutes ago, Mike_scotland said:

Hahaha true, so would you tank in a walk in shower? But its got a tray? Is tanking different from backer board etc

 

Look on YouTube at the AqualSeal tanking kit.

 

 

Basically, once your boarding out is done whether some form of cement board or moisture resistant plasterboard, you tape all corners and junctions (like wall to floor or even perhaps wall to tray) with a super sticky, absorbent bandage. You then paint on tanking which is a liquid in alternate direction coats. End on a vertical brushed coat. You prime and tile over the tanking which is a continuous membrane.

 

 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Onoff

[MAB]

On 17/01/2022 at 20:47, Mike_scotland said:

Hahaha true, so would you tank in a walk in shower? But its got a tray? Is tanking different from backer board etc

 

The sealing/tanking info in this thread below was also useful when I did my walk in shower a few years back (and it has never leaked!) I also used cement backer board to the wet tiling areas but as some have said it is a real pain to cut and work with so takes more time to install than pb, which might not be so much of an issue if you are diy.