How to patch bathroom plasterboard wall?

[Arki]

Hi all,

Love the forum and have almost always been able to find the answer I need… but not today.

Fairly simple: I’m looking to patch some plaster / drywall adjacent to a shower recess at my girlfriend’s place that has become a little damaged. I’ve plastered, done joints, etc, but never in any wet rooms so it’s new territory for me.

Going to scrape away rust if any, clean the metal with acetone, and remove the flaking paint to see if the damage is more extensive, but it looks pretty superficial (fingers crossed!).

What products should I be using to patch any damage to the wall (before applying paint)? Assuming / hoping I don’t need a whole sheet of aquachek here!

Cheers,

Arki

 

[EricL]

Hello @Arki 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us and thanks for sharing your question about patching plaster in your bathroom. 

Would it be possible for you to post a larger photo of the wall, I'm just a little bit confused in regards to the damaged walls relative position to the shower. Is this inside or outside the shower itself? Your proposed steps to investigate the damage is excellent. If the damage is superficial then sanding the rust and applying rust converter should fix the issue and using a kitchen and bathroom rated primer should provide the area with adequate protection. If filling is necessary, I recommend builder's bog to fill in any gaps.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Arki]

Many thanks for getting back to me @EricL with your helpful reply!

Unfortunately I’m not on site at the moment, but I marked up the following to illustrate where the photo was taken and the different surfaces involved.

The patching (of the drywall) is JUST outside the tiled shower area (to the left in the photo) per below.

Sounds like builder’s bog will be the right filler for this purpose (and presumably better suited to these wet-adjacent areas than the standard gyprock base and topper I’d usually use elsewhere) before I prime and paint as you suggest with kitchen/bathroom rated products. Will of course scrape off loose paint, remove rust, clean, and sand first as recommended, ta!

I’ll head in to my local Bunnings tomorrow, and appreciate your help with this.

Arki

[EricL · Accepted solution]

Hi @Arki 

Thank you for sharing the extra photos. Once you've patched the damage, I propose putting a larger bead of silicone on top of the tile for extra protection.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Arki]

Hey there @EricL ,

Again, really appreciate your help with this one. I was in store yesterday to get the remaining things I needed, and was directed (by paints) to a builders section for waterproofing coatings.

While there, a specific primer AND a waterproofing membrane were recommended.

While I want to do the job correctly, I wanted to check re the membrane as we hadn’t discussed that earlier. Is that necessary / appropriate in this case? I’m not expecting that wall to be being directly sprayed by water under normal circumstances (IE it’s a few metres away from the shower head, and just beyond the tiled area).

Again, really appreciate your help.

Cheers,

Arki

[EricL]

Hi @Arki 

Technically the water proofing membrane should still be intact behind that wall. If it has failed, you would see a damp or wet patch of water on the other side of the wall. As I mentioned your assessment is correct and it is just probably just surface damage. I also suggest having a look at the Crommelin 1L Flat Aquablock Waterproof Primer Undercoat. Aside from extra application of silicone I mentioned, this primer will provide you with a water-resistant surface.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

[Arki]

Perfect. Thanks so much for clarifying @EricL ! That’s as I expected and on closer inspection, I do not believe the waterproofing membrane failed.

Arki