Told by tiler to remove boards

[dilby]

Hi all -

I've got a wetroom that I've started myself due to no-shows from trades people. The room is to be completely tiled and a sliding-door shower to be used on one side of the room (no tray, just tiles). The walls were rough when I removed the old tiles so I added plasterboard with adhesive and mechanical fixings wherever needed and bought a tanking kit that I'm about to apply. I didn't use moisture resistant plasterboard of cement board as it was much more expensive and as i was tanking it anyway from what i read online I'd be fine.

But I had a tiler around for quote and he refused to do the job, saying that I should have used hardiebacker cement boards and that if i use plasterboard, even though it will be tanked, the bathroom wont last beyond 2 years. He also said i should not have brought the plasterboard to the floor, even though that is required for a tanking kit as far as i can tell to be able to actually apply the tape.

He has told me I need to rip off all the plasterboard and he can add the cement board. Is this accurate? It's a huge pain and I'm already kicking myself, but i will take them off if I have to, but i don't want to unless it really is the right choice. Or can I just add other precautions such as extra tanking coats?

Picture attached

Many thanks

 

[Qwerty]

He's talking rubbish. Correctly tanked plasterboard will last a lifetime. Tanked plasterboard is waterproof, untanked Hardibacker isnt.
We have plenty of guys on here who may be able to quote for the work required.

 

[Bopster]

Depends on what tiles your having, plasterboard will be fine so long as the tiles aren’t to heavy

 

[dilby]

They're 200x100mm subway(metro) tiles.

 

[Bopster]

Metros have no weight issue, so long as rltanked properly

 

[Dumbo]

How are you prepping the floor. This has no relevance to the walls but we went to get that right .

 

[dilby]

How are you prepping the floor. This has no relevance to the walls but we went to get that right .

To be honest I haven't properly looked into that yet. I'd have thought it was a case of getting it super clean and dust free prior to apply the tanking, but perhaps I should be sealing it first with something?

I'm also open to trimming the boards so they don't make contact with the ground; I have read both that it should make contact for sake of the tanking tape, and that it shouldnt so the water can't wick its way up the board, and to either leave a gap or put some plastic spacers in the gap.

 

[widler]

Your tiler is talking rubbish , he has obviously been readimg the internet , where some tilers say plasterboard is not fit for purpose, when in fact it’s possibly the best substrate to tile on .
Tank it , tank the floor, then get another tiler

 

[Dumbo]

To be honest I haven't properly looked into that yet. I'd have thought it was a case of getting it super clean and dust free prior to apply the tanking, but perhaps I should be sealing it first with something?

I'm also open to trimming the boards so they don't make contact with the ground; I have read both that it should make contact for sake of the tanking tape, and that it shouldnt so the water can't wick its way up the board, and to either leave a gap or put some plastic spacers in the gap.

Is your floor timber or cement screed . Do you have wet tray former to make sure the water flows towards the drain .

 

[Dumbo]

Where abouts in Wales are you .

 

[Flintstone]

Your walls appear fine but the floor.. how have you created even falls to the drain ?

 

[Unused Account 1]

A lot of people using use metros in full bathrooms lol ,such a choice

 

[dilby]

Where abouts in Wales are you .

Swansea

 

[dilby]

Is your floor timber or cement screed . Do you have wet tray former to make sure the water flows towards the drain .

Concrete floor that flows towards the drain already; it was a wetroom before i lifted up the tiles.

 

[dilby]

Your walls appear fine but the floor.. how have you created even falls to the drain ?

The floor that flows towards the drain already; it was a wetroom before i lifted up the tiles.