Are plastic wall panels the only answer?
“There is absolutely no need for shower panels or glass,” says DIY expert Julian Cassell, author of DIY: Know-How With Show-How (Dorling Kindersley, £25). “If the walls are solid plastered masonry, make sure they have dried out before starting repairs. For a stud wall (plasterboard on wooden timbers), then you have to replace the plasterboard with cement board. A good cement board is Aquapanel water-resistant backing board, from Wickes (wickes.co.uk) at £12.69/sq m. Use Aquapanel ceramic screws (£6.74 for 100) to fix the board in place, and tape between the panel joints with Aquapanel jointing tape (£4.50/roll). “As long as you’re certain that you used waterproof grout, and that it was applied correctly, the most likely cause of your leak is the joint between the shower tray and the tiles. With any tray, always silicone around the edge (next to the wall) when the tray is installed. Blocks of wood placed under the tray help reduce movement, which is often the cause of leaky gaps. “When
