Render question

pig poo

 

Lovely jubbly

 

Tile primer is prob best. You want something that'll soak in and dry and not remain tacky. Use Blobs of Stixall or similar adhesive and brace the panels with some cls or similar to an opposite wall and leave overnight to dry.

 

No probs. Btw, the last panels I fitted wernt perfectly square. Luckily I clocked this before cutting them to height.

 

I personally wouldn't do that (never had too) but not saying that you couldn't. I'd be concerned about the overall ridigity and the possibility of puncturing the panels...depending on their construction and quality. You could always use ply behind.

What exactly is you're trying to achieve?

 

Fair enough. I would definitely put some PB or ply on the stud wall though. Will make that wall more sturdy and will also improve sound proofing.

 

8x4 sheet at most is £6 so pretty cheap given your investment in the acrylic panels.

 

PB. Ok £6.35 at Wickes. Forgetting I get trade prices, so when I'm doing a quick 'back of cig packer quote, PB is £6 a sheet

 

Showers can be tough. Any flex and the shower/wall joint can leak. Any cracks in the wall covering and water will find its way in. Plasterboard in showers is dodgy as any leak and it goes to mush.

The best way is to line the shower with waterproof tilebacker, hardie board or similar fixed to the wall with dabs/stixall with additional mechanical fixings and screwed to studs in place of plasterboard. Put a very rigid base down, if you are not already on concrete, then use tanking kit to seal all the joints. Now it will last - tiles, aquapanel or whatever. If you intend to stay in the house, it's well worth the little extra to do the job properly. I'm DIY, but have had to repair/replace several shower walls where tiles were on plasterboard and/or joints had failed.

My own way of doing the tray fitting (which other people may disagree with, but mine has worked reliably for me several times), is to use silicon to stick the sides of the tray to the backing board, then use homelux profile http://www.wickes.co.uk/Homelux-Bath-Seal-Pro-White/p/141193 over a good bead of silicon round the wall/tray joint, sit the wall covering on the profile with more silicon along the bottom edge behind, and it doesn't leak and has the advantage that there is no silicon bead showing inside to go black - I hate silicon and find it much easier to keep profile clean in the shower. Done this several times now with good results. The points to watch are the mitre in the profile and the ends. It is possible for water to run along the top of the profile behind the wall covering and out the end if this isn't sealed with care.

 

When setting the tray onto a cement base, what is under the cement is important - it musn't flex or the tray will still flex. It isn't unusual under a bath for a timber/chipboard floor not to be in good solid condition. If in doubt, add extra reinforcing because any flex in the tray support will cause problems with the tray/wall joint.

Sheets, or tiles - the joints to take particular care with are the corner joint in the walls and the wall/tray joint particularly at the internal corners and the ends of the tray.

 

The thin layer of cement won't provide any strength against flex, and 9mm ply is quite thin, so will need very well supporting by the joists/noggins. I'd use 18mm or even 25mm if you can. Also, sounds like you are going for a low level tray with the drain between the joists. I expect the bath drain may well start above the floor, so can you still get a good fall on the pipe? A good shower needs a good drain. A long run with little fall is not good, in which case consider raising the tray. Of course, this may not be a problem in your situation - just trying to help you avoid some of the pitfalls if this is a first bathroom.