Green Building Forum - Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:41:13 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278546#Comment_278546 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278546#Comment_278546 Sun, 02 Feb 2020 08:55:54 +0000 bardo
Rather than use wool boards, as we are for the sheepswool insulated, hemp/lime rendered internal stud walls and clay plastered rafters, I am considering foil backed plasterboard for the bathroom ceiling, walls. Is it a good idea to hermetically seal this room? And what of the floor? We have suspended timber ijoists which I will be insulating with glass or mineral wool. The plan for the rest of the home is to put a taped 18mm OSB 3 layer on top to act as a vapour check. Your thoughts welcome.]]> Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278547#Comment_278547 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278547#Comment_278547 Sun, 02 Feb 2020 09:19:46 +0000 CWatters
We used 12mm Hardibacker board behind the stone tiles including in the shower. Ordinary plasterboard on ceiling. Hardibacker is hard to cut but bomb proof and great for fixing to compared to regular plasterboard. Sorry not very green.]]> Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278561#Comment_278561 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278561#Comment_278561 Sun, 02 Feb 2020 15:38:14 +0000 djh Posted By: bardoRather than use wool boards, as we are for the sheepswool insulated, hemp/lime rendered internal stud walls and clay plastered rafters, I am considering foil backed plasterboard for the bathroom ceiling, walls. Is it a good idea to hermetically seal this room? And what of the floor? We have suspended timber ijoists which I will be insulating with glass or mineral wool. The plan for the rest of the home is to put a taped 18mm OSB 3 layer on top to act as a vapour check. Your thoughts welcome.
Definitely do NOT use ordinary plasterboard for the walls. Maybe moisture-resistant plasterboard, but I would prefer Fermacell or cement-based tile-backer boards.

We have some lime-rendered bale walls in our wet rooms, but not in areas where they get struck by showers (actually there is one shower that can be pointed at a lime wall, so I've installed a waterproof roller blind on the ceiling n front of it that we pull down before using the shower). On internal walls we've put waterproof panels (Bushboard Nuance) over tile-backer board. My wife dislikes tiles because of cleaning grout.

Floors are normal chipboard panels, with vinyl over. One room is a wetroom and the vinyl there is contract non-slip; the other rooms have shower trays and the vinyl is just normal stuff.

I don't think hermetically sealing it is necessary or a good idea.]]> Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278582#Comment_278582 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278582#Comment_278582 Mon, 03 Feb 2020 04:04:06 +0000 philedge Posted By: CWatters

We used 12mm Hardibacker board behind the stone tiles including in the shower. Ordinary plasterboard on ceiling. Hardibacker is hard to cut but bomb proof and great for fixing to compared to regular plasterboard. Sorry not very green.

If the cement backer board minimises water damage and a resulting strip out and rebuild, then its probably greener than using inappropriate materials that get binned after a few years. Horses for courses in material choice.]]> Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278588#Comment_278588 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278588#Comment_278588 Mon, 03 Feb 2020 13:23:51 +0000 djh Posted By: philedgeIf the cement backer board minimises water damage and a resulting strip out and rebuild, then its probably greener than using inappropriate materials that get binned after a few years. Horses for courses in material choice.
That was my thought process exactly.]]> Wall boards and floor for bathroom within natural material home https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278664#Comment_278664 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=16441&Focus=278664#Comment_278664 Wed, 05 Feb 2020 22:46:18 +0000 bardo Posted By: djh
Posted By: philedgeIf the cement backer board minimises water damage and a resulting strip out and rebuild, then its probably greener than using inappropriate materials that get binned after a few years. Horses for courses in material choice.

That was my thought process exactly.

Thanks all. I don't have a problem with using a few cement backer boards in the scheme of things. Noted your points DJH, cheers.]]>