DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I'm clearing the en-suite ready and wanted to do a proper job... Now i'm facing a problem situation. As you go into the en-suite on your left is the shower tray (so its between an internal wall to the bedroom and an external wall). The tiles on the internal wall we're always proud of the door frame, so I knocked them off and found... more tiles behind... :-( The pipework to the mixer shower runs inside this wall, so i started knocking the tiles off and found that the wall is made from some sort of cardboard lattice work (paramount wall boards) because it looks like it was only the original tiles holding the plaster. :cry:

So i've got a holey wall with some tiles still on (and a shower mixer) it and i want a nice tidy wall so i can put some homelux sheeting on it, fit a new shower and tray etc... then tile... I don't want the wall to be proud of the door frame (like before). Anybody got some ideas on how I can repair this sort of plaster board (e.g. strip out the cardboard, add recessed noggins with instant fix glue and finally stick on the front aqua panel board ) or some thin sheet material i can cover it with ??

Suggestions gratefully appreciated

Cheers

Gary

I think you have a problem then.

Thers a very real chance that the only connection between the plasterboard on one side of the wall and that on the other is the honeycomb section in between. So the wall will be quite thin.

How on earth the mixer valve is properly supported in this environment is beyond me but there we go.

It sounds like you need to consider stripping back the honeycomb as you suggested and putting some studwork in place over which you can put aquapanel for the shower area (plasterboard ordinaire is OK but it should be tanked before tiling. Do not use grab adhesive for the noggins though - they have to be nailed properly!

The only problem you now have is that the remaining plasterboard on the bedroom side is no longer attached to anything. Perhaps grab adhesive on the bedroom side of the studwork would be a temporary fix as you are putting up the stud but on your own head be it and really it should be screwed to the stud from inside the bedroom.

Good luck.

Cheers

In case anyone else finds a similar situation here's what to do : -

1/ Gently remove the top plasterboard coat (if this is a large area I would work in sections rather than removing all of one side and leaving the other side without support).
a) Try and leave the egg box stuff in place to reinforce the other side whilst your doing this.
b) Try not to pull the plasterboard off because the egg box stuff connects it to the other side.
c) The plasterboard is on top of wooden battens down either side fastened on by nails...

2/ After removing the plasterboard you'll be left with the remnants of the egg box support. Which you can now gently strip out (scraper or just use fingers and pull out to the side).

3/ You'll now have just the wood battens running down either side and the bottom holding up the other side !! We found the battens were 34mm square so went out and bought some 34mm x 69mm pieces of timber (because our replacement water resistant board is heavy !).

4/ We screwed one full height piece of the timber into the botton support and into the top joists then screwed noggins across (we were looking to use aquaboard so 400m centres etc). Used long screws at angles because nails cause vibrations which aint good for the side with no support !

5/ Ensure you mark where the upright/noggins are and now you can fit your new plasterboard / aquaboard (with ceramic / stainless screws).

6/ For the other side, I'm going to wait until the next decorating phase then screw through into the uprights and make good (hence marking where the uprights were).

Jobs a good un... one nice flat wall (with wooden supports) and better still... no expanding foam :lol:

Cheers