www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi,

I need to revamp my bathroom. Original intention was to use two boards (selkie) for the shower enclosure and continue with a 3 board along the wall to accommodate the handbasin. It would finish where it finishes as trying to use one more piece to get to the very end of the wall will not be easy (jigging an off cut). I am not sure how an abrupt end of the boards will look 5 cm or so before I come to the end of the wall.

Alternative is to tile BUT the plaster on the walls is suspect. Solid brick walls but the undercoat (hardwall ???) has far too much sand and too little binding agent. If the skimcoat comes off, what I got underneath is far too loose. One or two (or more tiles) are off the wall but I dare not pull them off (need to use the shower). Elsewhere I can hear hollow sound underneath existing tiles.

Does the above sound like a wall that could be trusted to support tiles?

Replastering, waiting to dry, etc. not much of an option as the house has only a single bathroom (and the handbasin would also go out of action).

Would 6mm hardie backerboards be an option, and how do I "glue" them on brick?

Cheers.

If the wall sounds as bad as that I wouldn't even consider re-doing it unless it was replastered.

While it may be an inconvenience, it is one that has to be undertaken if you want your bathroom walls not to fall apart!

Why have the previous tiles come off of the wall is my first question, was the substrate to blame, or the tiles not applied correctly?

My advice is to get the whole wall(s) stripped and re-done and then go from there.

Cheers