What's the best material for a shower cubicle?

Question

Should I build the cubicle wall in plasterboard or use plywood before the final step of tiling? In the event of a breakdown in grouting which would give the most protection from leakage and swelling?

Answer 1

Wickes do a product called 'Aquapanel' which is a glassfibre reinforced mineral board bonded with a resin. It comes in 4'x3' sheets and costs about £9 each. It's easily cut to size and drilled and as you can imagine, will never rot or be affected by water. You can tile directly onto it.

Answer 2

Wickes Shower Cubicles

Answer 3

Plaster board will absorb the water and draw it up into it, eventually making it detiriorate and continually smell damp once the seal between the tray and the wall is broken as it will at times.
You will need to reseal it but it the damage will be done.

The same applies to grout falling out if the joints.

I would use shuttering ply, put the tray in then line with a thin wpb ply and tile so that the walls are then covering the lip of the tray well and your sael will last longer and be more effective.

Bit expensive i suppose.

Answer 4

Should really use plasterboard a sit will survive some wetting. However if you insist on using Plywood for strength then be sure to use marine grade ply or WBP grade as it will give you better protection against rot and decay when it gets wet.

Answer 5

Both are equally bad, however, I don't have a better solution for you.

Plasterboard (Also known as rocksheet to some) tends to crack when it gets wet often enough. Bad. Plywood tends to warp. Worse.

So, of the 2, choose the lesser of the 2 evils and go with plasterboard/drywall.

Answer 6

I would use plywood out of the choice you have given, even tiling over there is still a chance of moisture getting into the plaster board and that can play havoc when your girlfriend is shaving her legs and her backside goes through the wall.

Yes that happened to us in a rented flat

Answer 7

use a cement board called hardi-backer. It is designrd for tile, it completely resistant to water. They come in 3 x 5 sheets. make sure you use an unsanded grout and seal the tile and grout very well.

Answer 8

My dad used marine ply wood (it's kind of like plastic coated ply wood). It's waterproof and very long lasting. You don't need to tile over it and it gives a really nice minimal, modern finish. He used 3 sheets and that made the three walls of the shower. He bonded them onto the concrete walls behind. He then used stainless steel strips to finish the corners and along the top. It looks really modern and is really easy to clean! (His is all white)

Answer 9

I got some Aqua panel from wickes, screwed it to a timber frame to create my shower cubicle; tiled over it and it made a good solid job.

Answer 10

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