What to do, or not to do, with my bathroom walls !

[marmotte]

HI everyone.

Many thanks for all of the great info available here. It's a gold mine!

I am installing a shower-room from scratch. I have two walls to sort out. The rest is being tiled.

One of these walls is render onto the outside stone wall (It's a stone built house). This wall faces north. It reaches -10 for about a month each winter here. So cold, but not for long.

Other wall is render onto bricks, and it's an internal wall that includes the door frame.

I am not a fan of outside render as an internal wall finish - as they are so often in France.

So, my question is can I just plaster onto this render? Or as it is going to be a bathroom, are there some clever things I should be doing to these walls to minimise humidity etc.

Also, it is VERY wobbly, should I be giving it a couple of coats to even the wall up?

I've finished off the tops of walls throughout the house with plaster, with acceptable results, so I'm keen to have a go at an entire wall. All be it quite a small forgiving one.

Just want to make sure i'm doing the right thing!

One more question - in France they never skim plaster boards entirely, just the joints, then paint / paper. Why is it advantagous to skim them? Is it just a question of asthetics?

MANY thanks in advance.

Marmotte

 

[roy c]

Hi marmotte, I think you've come to the right place for ideas... If you have read any of the posts on here you will know that I am all for "Dot and Dabbing" and there are others who are not keen on it. But that is what a forum is all about , different ways of doing a job and reaching the same finish...I personally, if there is no water spraying or making contact with the walls would :-- On the North facing wall D+D it with polystyrene backed p/board and then skim with two coats of multi finish, (or if you can't get it there) then stick a sheet (or sheets ) of polystyrene (25mm) on the wall with dry wall adhesive and then stick 12.5mm p/board on top of it. This would give you good thermal value in the winter. The other wall (internal) you could build it out with a few coats of "hardwall" to a fair line then skim with two coats of multi finish. Both walls could then be decorated or tiled. Never put hard wall straight on to stone work always put a coat or a few coats of sand cement (and lime in it if needed) to true it up a bit . The reason being is if the wall is damp then the hardwall won't hold it back and it would come thru. But you must check if you have any water penertration thru the stone walls and address the problem before you coat the inside walls. This is one of the ways you can do it, no doubt the other lads will have some good ideas aswell As for why people "dry-line" instead of skimming I personally think that it is easier, than learning how to skim......

 

[marmotte]

Hi Roy C,
Thanks for your post. Great stuff. I like your idea very much.

No probs with finding polystyrene backed plasterboard out here.
No evidence of water penetrntion to date. We've lived here two years and the house seems very dry. It's above grade also, so no damp rising up.
No direct water spray either. It's far away from the shower.
Cheers!