www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

The last topic got me thinking When using the aqua panel or plasterboard, what gap should I leave between the wall and the floor? The floor will be 12mm plywood or aquapanel (if I can afford it!)

If there is a gap would you just use fibreboard or something to prop up the aquapanel / plasterboard off the floor onto the wall and then remove it when fixed / set

I am going to D 'n' D the aquapanel and fix it also (noting the advice against it!)

How would you fill this gap afterwards for the non-shower area. The tanking kit should take care of the shower area I assume

Cheers

OK I just rang Knauf and they said to leave a 3mm gap or so and infill with flexible tile adhesive.

Also he was against the D 'n' D approach and using nail in fixings. Seems be a hot topic and they get asked this a lot. He said the adhesive won't stick to the board and will eventually come away so the board will be just supported by the fixings. (Although isn’t that the same as if it was fixed to a frame in the first place?)

As UHM and others rightly pointed out it needs an air gap but perhaps I’m being completely thick but I still can’t understand why an air gap is needed if the walls are tanked. As I understand it, you tank the walls to stop moisture getting through, so if no moisture, surely no air gap required.

And even then you would still be in a better position than if you took the traditional approach and using plasterboard and tanked it as the aqua panel won’t lose strength like plasterboard.

Bath style suggested in another post to just uses plasterboard and tanking as far as I can recall

You could use Moisture Resistant Plasterboard and D&D that.

Alternatively, you could put wet mortar on the wall, then drill and plug . There is no reason why cement would not bond to aquapanel.

I don't do things like that on customers property but if it is logical, I might consider it to my own. In your position, I would just render the wall?