Best way to install 6mm cementboard to brick

Brownstone1892 · 25 Apr 2023

Morning Tilers,

I'm currently in the middle of renovating my downstairs bathroom in my spare time, and am up to the stage of installing 6mm NoMorePly cementboard to the bare brick walls. I've already built a "shelf" which will be inside the shower area (pictured), using 12mm NMP for this, as recommended, as well as boarded one of the walls which was stud. My question is basically, what is the easiest way to do this? I have bought some of the NMP 38mm screws, but I'm not sure if they're going to be suitable. Do I really have to drill the board, then mark the wall, then drill and plug the wall, then screw the board to the wall with adhesive behind it, or have I misread something, and there's a much easier way?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks,

Carl...

foxhole · 25 Apr 2023

You can drill thru the board to the wall and plug thru it then fix, quite straightforward.If you use foam adhesive only a few mechanical fixings are needed.

Brownstone1892 · 25 Apr 2023

foxhole said:
You can drill thru the board to the wall and plug thru it then fix, quite straightforward.If you use foam adhesive only a few mechanical fixings are needed.

Thanks for your reply. Would you say the 38mm screws are suitable, or should I be looking to source a more suitable option? If I drill the hole in th board big enough to get a plug in, it doesn't leave much meat for the screw head to get a grip on. Should I also be using their £10 a tube adhesive?

Cheers,

Carl...

foxhole · 25 Apr 2023

Brownstone1892 said:
Thanks for your reply. Would you say the 38mm screws are suitable, or should I be looking to source a more suitable option? If I drill the hole in th board big enough to get a plug in, it doesn't leave much meat for the screw head to get a grip on. Should I also be using their £10 a tube adhesive?

Cheers,

Carl...

5-6mm plugs and 50mm screws have large enough head to secure.

cdbe · 27 Apr 2023

Surely you would sand/cement render a bare brick wall, then prime with SBR and tile onto that?

Brownstone1892 · 27 Apr 2023

cdbe said:
Surely you would sand/cement render a bare brick wall, then prime with SBR and tile onto that?

Maybe someone who can sand/cement render would. I'm fairly sure I would be unable to do that, so am sticking with cementboards

Odds · 27 Apr 2023

I took the precaution of having the boards secured to battens for air to flow, then tiled over. Something to consider to combat condensation in a bathroom.

Brownstone1892 · 27 Apr 2023

Odds said:
I took the precaution of having the boards secured to battens for air to flow, then tiled over. Something to consider to combat condensation in a bathroom.

That's not a bad idea. What size battens did you use? I'm trying not to lose too much space as well, as I have a 1650 shower base to fit in a 1680 space.

Odds · 27 Apr 2023

Brownstone1892 said:
That's not a bad idea. What size battens did you use? I'm trying not to lose too much space as well, as I have a 1650 shower base to fit in a 1680 space.

Can you spare an inch, guv'?

Brownstone1892 · 27 Apr 2023

Odds said:
Can you spare an inch, guv'?

Hahaha, so 2 inches with the other side? Just wondering what size battens and then screws you used for the cementboard.

Odds · 27 Apr 2023

Brownstone1892 said:
Hahaha, so 2 inches with the other side? Just wondering what size battens and then screws you used for the cementboard.

one inch batten and, i think three inch screws were used; bearing in mind the proximity of a window where the shower screen had to be secured on the wall next to it and the bath had to slip into the gap under the window sill. It was a tight fit but very doable.