Bathroom renovation - fiber cement equals wet room certification...?

[sepani]

We have a discussion at home regarding bathroom renovation. My wife claims that her friend had her old bathroom renovated with fiber cement and subsequently received a wet room certificate issued. I am very doubtful about that. But regardless, I am interested in understanding how fiber cement affects or does not affect the waterproofing layer...? Does cladding with fiber cement make a "better" (more waterproof) bathroom, or is it only cosmetic...?

 

[GoForIt]

For a period, it was not allowed to use regular paper-faced gypsum board for bathroom renovations. During that time, a different type of board was required, and initially, fiber cement boards were used, which were later replaced by other types of wet room panels, including gypsum boards with a fiber surface layer.

It has never affected the waterproofing membrane.

 

[sepani]

Microcement it should apparently be (not fiber cement).... but the question is the same, is the moisture barrier affected (positively)?

 

[mawno]

Microcement is a surface layer and not a waterproofing layer, and therefore it should not affect the certification at all, that's my guess anyway...

 

[sepani]

True. However, it seems like you apply a waterproof layer on top of the old tiles and then proceed with microcement. And then it becomes an approved waterproofing.

 

[Bagarn1]

True. But it seems like you apply a waterproof membrane on top of the old tiles and then proceed with microcement. And then it becomes an approved waterproof membrane.

Then there will be double waterproof membranes.

 

[Luddis_1]

Sounds crazy to apply new waterproofing on the tile and then add a new surface layer

 

[sepani]

But maybe not if you have an “old” bathroom with poor waterproofing? And without a wet room certificate?

 

[Jörgen Ö]

No, you don't apply a new waterproofing membrane on existing tiles; if you suspect that the membrane is faulty, you tear everything down and start over. Just like usual in an old bathroom. There are no differences between tiles or microcement in that process. You don't take the risk of having double waterproofing membranes. As mentioned above, microcement does not affect the wet room certificate any more or less compared to tiles/clinker.