Shower tray & enclosure questions

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by HuwT, Sep 3, 2020.

  1. HuwT

    HuwT New Member

    Morning all

    I'm fitting a replacement quadrant shower and have a few queries about fitting the tray and what to do with the walls.

    I've ripped out the old shower, which was badly fitted and leaking in various places. The tray was sitting straight onto the floorboards and gaps in sealant, cracked grouting and rotten plaster meant I ended up going back to bare walls (bricks on one side and laths over a stud frame on the other).

    1. I'm intend removing the floorboards under the quadrant and replacing them. Do I use 18mm hardwood ply, marine ply or moisture resistant chipboard? (I've seen all three options recommended.)

    2. Do I use a mortar mix or tile adhesive under the new resin tray?

    3. I'm going to fit moisture resistant plasterboard on walls. Do I need to tank this first if I tile?

    4. For the walls, not sure whether to use acrylic panels (easier to keep clean) or tiles (look better). Opinions?

    5. Finally, I'm going to fit 9mm ply over rest of floor prior to laying vinyl. Any reason not to also lay this where shower tray is going (over the 18mm)? (Seems easier than having to cut curve in ply to fit around quadrant and surely will only make floor stronger.)

    All help and advice welcome!

    Thanks.
     
  2. I've not long done our bathroom after taking advice on the problems I faced, bad walls, damaged floor boards, sistering joists and tile boarding so here goes my two pennies worth.

    1) I used marine ply because I had previously used WBP ply, on removing it there was some delamination, marines expensive for a sheet but worth the money, though its denser than normal ply. I used 18mm on a timber frame because I needed the height to get the waste pipe incline.

    2) I would forget moisture resistant plasterboard and go for tile board, I used no more ply but there are many different versions that will if fitted correctly give a good flat surface to tile onto.

    3) What you used to bed the tray will depend on what the tray instructions say, its usually a weak mortar, if it is, then moving a tray around onto the bed could be difficult without dislodging the mortar, I used a few ice cubes to drop the tray onto and then moved it tight to the corner.

    4) I would not fit panels unless they are 100 percent solid, not the hollow junk that's popular, you will have problems screwing a shower enclosure to them and anything else because they compress easily. I tiled because I like the odd tiling job and they are long lasting but take your time and do a good job because your looking at it for a long time !

    5) 9mm ply over boarding on a floor is fine but do leave a tiny gap around each board joint, use a old credit card as a spacer when fitting otherwise the boards could expand and creak, not a good thing to find after your final floors down.
    Just make sure to address any loose floor boards first.

    One thing that is asked on these forums is what to do in case of a leaking shower waste, do make sure you allow for access to yours for servicing in one form or another, mines on a frame so I can pop off the trim to access the pipe work, if I had no frame I would have to fit an access hatch in the ceiling below.

    --
     
    HuwT and koolpc like this.

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