Is Villaboard or Aquacheck a better choice for a shower recess?

[BecB]

Hi there,

We’re about to start a bathroom reno and was wondering which product is best for sheeting in the shower recess - Villaboard or Aquacheck?
Will Aquacheck be able to hold the weight of the tiles? Can we use a combination of both in tiled/non-tiled areas of the bathroom.

Thanks in advance!

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @BecB. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about shower recess linings.

Aquacheck is suitable for use in a shower recess and is more than capable of holding the weight of tiles. You can check out the installation process in this guide. You'll find details from page 48 onwards. Aquacheck can be used in both tiled and non-tiled wet areas.

Ideally, the shower recess substrate should never be exposed to water, as the shower membrane protects it. However, Aquacheck has had rigorous testing done on it, and its performance is more than suitable for the application. Villaboard is a suitable alternative; there's no reason you couldn't use it for the shower recess or a combination of the two. You'll find, though, that the plaster has a much better surface for the untiled areas and is ready to paint.

It's hard to give a definitive answer on what product is best. However, since Aquacheck is suitable for a shower recess, I believe that the most straightforward approach would be to sheet out the entire bathroom with Aquacheck. That way, you won't have to deal with the transition between the two materials and the thickness difference.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

[BecB]

Thank you so much Mitchell, that was super helpful. We went with the Aquacheck, seemed like the most straightforward way to go. Really appreciate your help!

[EricL]

Hi @BecB 

It sounds like a fantastic project. Please remember to post an update once you've lined your bathroom. I'm sure our members would be keen to see the progress of your renovation.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric