Question:
Hello all, Currently planning on remodeling my *old* bathroom… The walls are in sad shape. The last renovation was done in 1972…new 1/4" plywood was put up with plastic tiles over it. Needless to say, the walls especially near the shower are quite spongy. We’re thinking of a tub surround for that area. But for the rest of the room, we were thinking of using the sheets of what looks like tiles but is all one piece…like paneling…but thicker…and a sort of plastic material. What’s that called? I can’t find it anywhere…can’t even find anything other than ceramic tiles you place individually. That would be too much…we’d have to take down all the plastic tiles that are there now and replace the wood underneath to get a smooth enough surface to start on… I thought the sheets of tile like material would be a better bet… What do you all suggest? Lynn
Response:
> But for the rest of the room, we were thinking of using the sheets > of what looks like tiles but is all one piece…like paneling…but > thicker…and a sort of plastic material. What’s that called?
I saw this stuff at Home Depot last winter when we were doing the bathroom, but couldn’t bring myself to use anything like that. It’s in the section with the fake wood paneling. The stuff is as tacky as the rest of the panelling. > I can’t find it anywhere…can’t even find anything other than > ceramic tiles you place individually. That would be too much…we’d > have to take down all the plastic tiles that are there now and replace > the wood underneath to get a smooth enough surface to start on… I > thought the sheets of tile like material would be a better bet…
Tiling the field is trivial, and goes quickly. What takes all the time is measuring and cutting the edges. Still it didnt’ take us all that long. We totally gutted our bathroom (it was leaking, and avacado green). I used GP’s Denshield tile backer for the walls of the shower and the floor and tiled over it with largish tiles. The rest of the walls I just did in dry wall. Why on earth did someone use plywood?
Response:
> I can’t find it anywhere…can’t even find anything other than >ceramic tiles you place individually. That would be too much…we’d >have to take down all the plastic tiles that are there now and replace >the wood underneath to get a smooth enough surface to start on… I >thought the sheets of tile like material would be a better bet… > What do you all suggest?
I’ve seen them in Eagle and Home Depot, local big box HI stores. Limited patterns, but they do carry them. I strongly suggest you not just replace the wood with more wood. If you live in a codely area, it won’t pass, and is a stupid idea to begin with (as you discovered with the original wall). At least greenboard, although I would never recommend it. Cementboard, durock, denshield would be far better alternatives.
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