Looking for an alternative to tiling

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Looking for an alternative to tiling
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jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 9:59 am Post subject: Looking for an alternative to tiling

I'm sure someone will have a creative idea here.

I want to tile most of my bathroom, but one thing has been bugging me, at one end of the bath where the shower will go on the wall, I don't want to tile it all. The reason being, in my experience shower/shower rails never last very long, and you end up having to drill in different places when you replace the damn things. Thuis making a mess of the tiling.

Hence I would like to mount the shower on something else that will be:

1) Not too expensive.
2) Nice looking.
3) Survive in a bathroom.
4) I can actually manage to buy somewhere.

any ideas?

jema

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 10:30 am Post subject:
Self Build and Renovation magazine has all sorts of products and systems advertised in it that may give inspiration. One that comes to mind were some sheets of material that intelock to provide a waterpoof surface, I think they do tile effect which is quite convincing. Will try to dig out a company name / website.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 1:08 pm Post subject:
I think B&Q do shower backing panels, which might work.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 1:19 pm Post subject:
Can't match that on their web site, but sounds useful jema

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 1:30 pm Post subject:
Maybe homebase, I've definitely seen them somewhere.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 1:49 pm Post subject:
Tisn't where I saw them, but here you go. https://www.s105789248.websitehome.co.uk/?mid=gd12&target=dept_162.html&lang=en-gb

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 4:23 pm Post subject:
Thanks very much for that link, that is an awful lot of food for thought jema

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 7:51 pm Post subject:

Have ordered a sample

As a replacement for tiling I think they could be a little on the naff side. But we will see.

But as a panel that could be fitted from a foot or so above the end of the bath to the ceiling, offset an inch or so out so that pipes could be run behind, I think it could be an incredibly good looking way of "future proofing" things.

I also think they could be an excellent ceiling

jema

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 7:58 pm Post subject:
If they're the same as the stuff I've seen then doing your whole bathroom would look odd to say the least, but I think it should be O.K. for one panel. Otherwise you could tile onto a replaceable marine ply panel.

alison
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 9:56 pm Post subject:

Jema

We had this in some of our en suites, and the kitchen in our first hotel.

It looks okay. It is about 4' wide and comes in panels and has a sheath that the panels fit into to cover the seams. (A bit like the back of cheep shelves form MFI)

It would work okay in the non wet areas, but I would be wary about it delaminating in the wet areas, like the shower, as quite a few of ours did not last and had to be replaced.

DH says stop swinging on the shower pole and you won't have a problem with it coming out of the tiled wall

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 05 11:02 pm Post subject:

alison wrote:

DH says stop swinging on the shower pole and you won't have a problem with it coming out of the tiled wall

Tell the kids

We moved into a well decorated home........

jema

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 05 9:59 am Post subject:

alison wrote:

DH says stop swinging on the shower pole and you won't have a problem with it coming out of the tiled wall

Swinging and pole dancing

Back to the question, we have the same problem with the shower rails only lasting a while, mainly due to OH and I not being the same height. I've tried looking for a sturdy pole and come up with a few ideas.

We have looked at some of the shower rails for disabled people as they are designed to be pulled about. It may be worth looking around to see if there are many options as the ones I've seen are quite basic.

The other option may be to buy an identical spare rail.

Guest

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 05 10:05 am Post subject:
I think I prefer the panel idea. The way I see it, the decorative life of what we are planning to do, could easily exceed the whole shower life. Hence a panel is a good coverl all bases solution jema

mrutty

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1578

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 05 12:35 pm Post subject:
Most poles are now a standard size so you should be able to mix and match the parts. Done it a couple of time here

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 05 9:57 pm Post subject:
Watch the laminate, as it comes off if it keeps getting too wet.

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