Aquapanel Water Resistant Tile Backing Board

[Rtony]

Wickes sell a product called Aquapanel, which is a cement based board with glass mesh reinforcement both sides and will not deteriorate even in water. It can be used to act as a backing board for tiles in showers etc. and can be bonded to plasterboard.

The questions are: has anybody seen it or similar in France & if yes, can you tell me what it is called and it's cost please?

Thanks alot,

RTony

[zeb]

We plasterboarded our shower room (and bathroom) with the green waterproof placo-platre (hydro-platre - sorry can't remember the name??). Was around 11 euros a sheet and is available at all builders merchants.

[Anton Redman]

The green hydrofuge placo plaitre is not the same as Aquapanel which is fiberous cement rather tha plaster based. It is better than using ordinary plasterboard and I have built two three sided shower enclures out of it which have been perfectly OK.

LaPeyre list on page 269 of their salle de bain catalogue 'Evolution  -Panneaux a Carreler' which is similar to Aqua Panel and I am pretty sure Leroy Merlin also carry it.

[Bobc]

"We plasterboarded our shower room (and bathroom) with the green waterproof placo-platre (hydro-platre - sorry can't remember the name??). Was around 11 euros a sheet and is available at all builders merchants."

Green plasterboard (placo hydrofuge) is not waterproof or really intended as a tile backer. It is more water resistant than standard plasterboard and will delay the growth of mould when damp.

As Anton has pointed out there is a readily available cement based backerboard available in France.

This is Wedi constructional panel www.wedi.de It is available from Lapeyre at very inflated prices - far better to go to a professional carrelage supplier - to find one in your area look at www.gapsa.fr It is also available (generally to order) from branches of Point P. - usuaually again at higher prices.

Wedi panels are generally in 250cm x 60cm sizes in various thicknesses and are made from a layer of rigid foam with two backing sides of thin cement with fibreglass mesh reinforcement. They are light to handle, easy to cut to size and easy to fix to floors, walls and ceilings with the range of Wedi fasteners.

They also make large prefabricated shower bases with integral drains, ready to tile, to create walk-in showers.

The downside is the cost - I pay around 22 Euros for a 250cm x 60cm x 1cm panel. To this you have to add the cost of the rubber waterproofing tape to seal the joints between the panels, floor, etc.

Overall, well worth the cost - once you have built a shower enclosure with Wedi products you can forget any problems - with plasterboard ---- ?

Regards,

Bob Clarke
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grindoux

[Mpprh]

Hi

I asked for local knowledge on this.

Green waterproof plasterboard, + a coat of water & Silktex resin, then add Silktex resin to the tile cement, then add Silktex resin to the grout mix.

No, this wasn't a Silktex salesman, it was an artisan "plaquiste" !

And we have no problems after 6 years of daily use.

Peter

 

[Audois]

The artisans I work with use 'hydrofuge placo' from Reseau Pro with a VMC unit (air extraction) which is now considered the 'norms' for bathrooms, tiles can be put on this in the normal fashion. 

 

[Bobc]

"Hi

I asked for local knowledge on this.

Green waterproof plasterboard, + a coat of water & Silktex resin, then add Silktex resin to the tile cement, then add Silktex resin to the grout mix."

Green plasterboard is not waterproof - simply more water resistant than standard plasterboard. Presumably by Silktex you mean Sika who do produce hydrofuge products.

Given the small area of a shower enclosure, I cannot understand why you would want to mess around adding products to tile adhesive and joint rather than using a proper backerboard in the first place.

Quality tile adhesives from either Weber et Broutin or Lanko are already waterproof. The problem arises if there are any small movements in a buildings structure which cause hairline cracks in the joint. Water will then eventually penetrate the plasterboard and cause it to break up. A cement based backerboard is resistant to this.

"The artisans I work with use 'hydrofuge placo' from Reseau Pro with a VMC unit (air extraction) which is now considered the 'norms' for bathrooms, tiles can be put on this in the normal fashion."

We are not talking about the same thing - a VMC will remove most of the condensation from a bathroom/shower room. As a substrate for tiling green placo is far from ideal. In their own trade technical manual Lafarge recommend using additional Proliprim and Prégytanché products to prepare and seal the surface before tiling.

The original question was about sourcing cement based backerboard in France rather than inferior solutions.

Regards,

Bob Clarke

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grindoux

 

[Mpprh]

I guess from the half dozen responses, the Wickes solution is not used in France ?

Peter

 

[La Guerriere]

Wedi is also available in UK from a small number of suppliers. UK web site www.wedi.co.uk, and they have a mighty manual you can download for a good read.

Jim

[Bobc]

 "I guess from the half dozen responses, the Wickes solution is not used in France ?

Peter"

Cement based backerboard is not a Wickes solution.

it has been in use in America for years - in many states it is a code requirement for shower installations and green plasterboard will not pass building inspection.

In our area of France, Wedi constructional panels are widely used by professional installers for shower rooms, bathrooms, etc. Our local trade suppliers, Wendels, have large stocks of all the panels, fixings, sealing tape, etc. Presumably somebody other than myself is buying it.

I guess that for DIY use the cost could rule it out, but take the time to look at their website - it might give you some ideas for projects that would be impossible with other products.

Regards,

Bob Clarke
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grindoux