Bath Surround / Boxing In, and concealed pipework

[PeterW]

@Nickfromwales who's former is that for the shower ..? And don't you need a rail or is the customer lying down in the shower ......

[Nickfromwales]

That's an Impey linear 2. 

Handset is going into a holster, not a riser rail. I haven't drilled the tile for it yet as the glass screen is still in Bristol being toughened. . Customer wants to see the screen in position before deciding the final location of the handset.  

 

I was shitting bricks fitting the 1780x1410mm mirror, with 3 pairs of holes in the left hand side for floating shelves   

It has two large demister pads on the back too so gluing it, holding it in position, connecting and feeding the cable into the wall as we went was a nerve-wracking event to say the least. My sparky mate and I breathed a sigh of relief when that was up and supported ( by the temporary screws, washers and open 20mm grommets you can see ). Used 5 tubes of mirror goop so it's nearly completely covered behind, less where the demister pads are. In the reflection you can see the Lithe Audio ceiling mounted speaker. Fantastic sound, loads of bass, and change of £170. 

 

 

Beofre anyone asks, the right hand pendant diffuser sadly didn't make it. RIP. 

 

[Onoff]

@Nickfromwales as well as glass do you have your mirrors that size made up specially?

[Nickfromwales]

10 minutes ago, Onoff said:

@Nickfromwales as well as glass do you have your mirrors that size made up specially?

Usually it's the only way. That was 1780mm wide, 1417 high at the left and 1410 high on the right so had a 7mm fall over the width, ( ceiling running out ). 

[Nickfromwales]

It was until I tried cutting the first two tiles. . 

[Onoff]

Tile is nom 250 wide. Middle 6 mosaics are 26x26 all day long. I reckon the grout is without doubt, 5mm. 

 

 

 

Outer edge mosaics are nom 28mm (27.5?) x 26. So we have:

 

6 x 26 = 156

7 x   5 =  35

2 x 28 =  56

------------------

              247

 

The tiles have a slight taper on all sides.

 

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

50 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Tile is nom 250 wide. Middle 6 mosaics are 26x26 all day long. I reckon the grout is without doubt, 5mm. 

 

 

 

Outer edge mosaics are nom 28mm (27.5?) x 26. So we have:

 

6 x 26 = 156

7 x   5 =  35

2 x 28 =  56

------------------

              247

 

The tiles have a slight taper on all sides.

 

 

 

I'd say that's a 3mm groutline and then the radius opening up. 

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

I'd say that's a 3mm groutline and then the radius opening up. 

 

How about I temporarily butt two together and run a line of decorators caulk up the join to see?

[Nickfromwales]

Wouldn't hurt TBH. Easier to do too. 

[Nickfromwales]

Put spacers in and put something heavy either side to stop them spreading apart / moving. 

[Onoff]

7 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

...put something heavy either side... 

 

It's at times like this when two wives would be handy... 

[Onoff]

So tile spacers go at the back edge of the tile?

 

If I use a 3mm spacer and the tiles taper then the finished grout line will be wider than 3mm?

[Barney12]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

So tile spacers go at the back edge of the tile?

 

If I use a 3mm spacer and the tiles taper then the finished grout line will be wider than 3mm?

 

Yes and yes.

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

 

Yes and yes.

 

Ta. I shall have to get some 3mm tile spacers some time. For testing purposes on these two tiles I've some 3mm thick nylon washers that'll do.

[Nickfromwales]

Tile with the spacer legs so the majority of the spacer is on show.

 

 

After the adhesive sets, completely remove the spacer so when it comes to grouting the grout is solid in the lines. I hate it when people leave the spacers in and grout over them as that leaves little or no grout penetration at those points. You often see them showing or the grout having crumbled away so don't do that, especially in the wet / splash areas. 

[Onoff]

You can tell the missus is out, I had to use a bag of rice for the "something heavy"!

 

 

So 3mm spacers, a couple of tiles weighted down flat 'ish and some decorating filler:

 

 

Smoothed off with a wet finger:

 

 

So 3 or 4mm on the spacers? Doesn't look too bad I don't think.

[Onoff]

@Nickfromwales. sorry to hassle you "direct" so to speak but what do you reckon as to whether I should put my vcl between my ply and the Aquaboard from a page back or so? I reckon there's enough "layers" there ref draughts. Half a worry as the ply isn't marine grade but then all floor to wall abutments will be tanked before tiling. WC to wall will be suitably proofed against "splashing". A mind to just go mad with the Sika on the ply and screw the thing on.

[MikeSharp01]

25 minutes ago, Onoff said:

sorry to hassle you "direct" so to speak but what do you reckon as to whether I should put my vcl between my ply and the Aquaboard from a page back or so? I reckon there's enough "layers" there ref draughts. Half a worry as the ply isn't marine grade but then all floor to wall abutments will be tanked before tiling. WC to wall will be suitably proofed against "splashing". A mind to just go mad with the Sika on the ply and screw the thing on.

Can't help feeling that you may be overthinking this. If you seal the aqua board joints & fixings and then tile with grout sealer not sure why you need any more, it is not a swimming pool is it, although I suppose if you run hot water down the walls then you might get some condensation in the substrate somewhere which will need a way out.

[Onoff]

Being the impulsive type that I am, I just went for it, no VCL!

 

What have I learnt?

 

The studwork needs to be dead level for Aquapanel. It's nowhere near as forgiving as mrpb. Self drill screws which I was going to use to screw through to the Geberit frame just rip it to pieces so I gave up on that idea (I think it's the wing tip on the screw). Went mad with the Sika (mad enough?).

 

 

 

The right hand side of the Aquapanel is for some reason 3mm low.

[daiking]

Are you sure there's enough screws in there?

 

That 100mm screw pitch looks a bit half hearted...

[Onoff]

36 minutes ago, daiking said:

Are you sure there's enough screws in there?

 

That 100mm screw pitch looks a bit half hearted...

 

The Master will be along shortly to admonish you!

[Barney12]

There's something that's beggining to worry me.......

 

Do you REALLY drink Fosters?

[ToughButterCup]

16 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

[...]

Do you REALLY drink Fosters?

 

Nahhh, that's his screw box.

[Onoff]

2 hours ago, Barney12 said:

There's something that's beggining to worry me.......

 

Do you REALLY drink Fosters?

 

More of a "working beer" today, just a couple to take the edge off.

 

I'm not overly fussy tba. Had a Whitstable Bay Pale Ale last night and there's some Old Crafty Hen chilling.

[Onoff]

And so to the wet room corner! I had a tidy up, stared at it, opened another beer and started at it some more:

 

 

 

 

 

1) Not sure whether I'm going with a mitred corner...which dictates the position of the wall drain. Also need to consider in relation to tiling. The mitred corner tiling would need cutting down width wise as 400mm would be too wide. Do I board to the corner from both directions THEN do the mitred section? It'll be close to that UFH pipe in the corner.

 

2) As the stud walls are affixed only to the original walls and not the floor I'm worried about them separating at and wall / floor joint. I've drawing pinned the DPM up to the timber so as to see the gap underneath. Maybe some BFO screws / bolts in from the top and wired to the rebar?

 

3) If I push the red plastic upstands they "give" a little. Not sure of what "mix" here to lay to falls to then tile over. It's pretty thin in areas. Though I didn't use fibres in the main slab I can't see it'd hurt to do so here.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Onoff