# Shower wallboards



## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Anyone have these wallboards rather than tiles? Looked at various types but seem to be different sorts and different sizes. Ideally I'm thinking larger sheets would be better as less joins.


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

I think they're called Mermaid Boards pal.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

nbray67 said:


> I think they're called Mermaid Boards pal.


Yeah there is a brand called mermaid. Found quite a few with different names, different materials, thicknesses etc.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

We went for them on a bathroom install. Like everything the quality varies a good bit and the quality ones aren't that cheap. 

The joiner said they were a little harder to align than he thought. They look good though and easy to clean.


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## THE CHAMP (Aug 1, 2008)

Dont bother with anything that is made from a wood type material there are some plastic sheet materials that would be a better choice but still not as good or as durable as a quality tiled job


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

I call the stuff aquaboard. Time you price up the boards, adhesive, trim pieces, it can be on the same price as certain tiles. I like it in a shower area or on a few sides around a bath but i would prefer tiles if i was doing a full room right round.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

wish wash said:


> I call the stuff aquaboard. Time you price up the boards, adhesive, trim pieces, it can be on the same price as certain tiles. I like it in a shower area or on a few sides around a bath but i would prefer tiles if i was doing a full room right round.


Some we've looked at is twice the price of tiles!!
Advantage though, quicker than tiling(do it myself) no grout to go mouldy etc.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Recently had my ensuite refitted, and in conversation with the fitter he said the boards were quite popular but they were a pig to fit (due to size / cuts / alignments etc). His view was they didn't really save any time, and that tiles actually looked better


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## bigfatsi (Apr 15, 2015)

Are these the plastic boards that make your bathroom look like a caravan's?


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## THE CHAMP (Aug 1, 2008)

Darlofan said:


> Some we've looked at is twice the price of tiles!!
> Advantage though, quicker than tiling(do it myself) no grout to go mouldy etc.


You crack on with the boards and have a fun time trying to get them to looking anything like perfect. I am a bathroom and kitchen fitter and I wont fit any of these boards and I am yet to see a job with them that looks anything like reasonable


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## AnthonyUK (Jul 25, 2018)

wish wash said:


> I call the stuff aquaboard. Time you price up the boards, adhesive, trim pieces, it can be on the same price as certain tiles. I like it in a shower area or on a few sides around a bath but i would prefer tiles if i was doing a full room right round.


Aquaboard is the cement backing boards used in wet areas AFAIK. Ideal as a base for tiling onto.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

THE CHAMP said:


> You crack on with the boards and have a fun time trying to get them to looking anything like perfect. I am a bathroom and kitchen fitter and I wont fit any of these boards and I am yet to see a job with them that looks anything like reasonable


That might be the message I need. It is a worry I have that because I want ideally one piece on the back wall unless the walls are perfectly square I'll struggle to cut it perfect.


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## THE CHAMP (Aug 1, 2008)

Darlofan said:


> That might be the message I need. It is a worry I have that because I want ideally one piece on the back wall unless the walls are perfectly square I'll struggle to cut it perfect.


 These boards will never be 100 % flat and this is because they dont have a equal stabilising sheet on the reverse side. this causes the boards to cup so when trying to align 2 edges lets say on the long edge of about 7 foot with the combination of the cupped board and the not flat wall you will not get it 100% flush


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

THE CHAMP said:


> These boards will never be 100 % flat and this is because they dont have a equal stabilising sheet on the reverse side. this causes the boards to cup so when trying to align 2 edges lets say on the long edge of about 7 foot with the combination of the cupped board and the not flat wall you will not get it 100% flush


Doesn't that depend on the wall you're fitting it to, Just like tiles?

Mine are perfectly flush.


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

AnthonyUK said:


> Aquaboard is the cement backing boards used in wet areas AFAIK. Ideal as a base for tiling onto.


Your correct, its waterproof and doesn't require plastering before tiling onto it. There's a company also called aquaboard who make these waterproof panels, that's why I call it aquaboard.


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## Ballbagracer (Sep 8, 2016)

Just ordered a couple (all plastic) they will be fitted in the next couple of weeks. If I remember I will come back and report :thumb:


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

I used the timber type in an ensuite, used for the wall onto which the basin and WC were fitted and for the shower enclosure. They do take some effort to scribe and fit, and I used piece that avoided joins except for the corners in the shower. I decided in conjunction with my joiner to panel the walls first with marine ply then dot/dab the shower panels with high grab adhesive. The end result was good, with the panels properly flat, but only because we took time to make sure the structure behind was straight and plumb first. 

And remember you will still need to use sealant between the panels and the tray and with the corner pieces. I used a Fugi tool set for the visible joints and got excellent results even if I do say so myself!


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## Mr K (Jan 15, 2014)

I have just had my bathroom re done with the wall boarding to the new double sized shower cubicle, I also had splash backs to the bath and basin done in the same material.

Contrary to what others have said, the job came out perfect IMO and I am a perfectionist [ maybe my fitter knew that !! ]

I am really glad I went for the boards instead of tiles although £200 each and I had 5, well worth it in the end.


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## beambeam (Mar 16, 2007)

I hear it commonly referred to as wetwall. Had a really nice job down in our bathroom back in March and still delighted with it. Tiler that did the bathroom said it was just the cost of materials that would be the difference whether we went for tiles or wetwall. We went with wetwall having seen examples of both from jobs he done in a friends house.



















His only complaint was that some houses are wonky as hell which makes it different to line up the panels if you don't do the prep and try build out with a skim of plaster.

You can get various trim colours and finishes to blend in the joins between panels and so on.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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