Decorative sand cement render in bathroom

by Alex
(London)

Hi my question is rather lengthy, but it boils down to two main questions:
1. Can i render plasterboard with a skim coat of sand cement using sbr as bonding and tanking at once? (Bathroom)
2. Can i apply the same technique over existing plaster walls?

To provide some background;
I have recently taken on a refurbishment / studio build for my self,
After going through the motions of under estimating the cost and work involved> running out of money and time > i find my self with no money for tiles left but a vast amount of cement, sand, pva, eva, sbr and some rubberised bitumen emulsion left. Some reading in search of a solution came up with some images of bathrooms finished in "raw" concrete/ sand cement but with no hint as to how this was achieved.
So i wonder if my materials can get me there, or close to a resemblance at least...?
A functional waterproof shower would already suffice really... :)
Please help!

With thanks and kind regards,
alex

Answer

Hi Alex
Less money - greater creativity!
Your solution could definitely work - the chances of success are purely down to the workmanship. Spend a bit of time and make sure every aspect is completed thoroughly and there is no reason why it will not work out.
I have done a similar thing in my shower using tadelakt (a waterproof lime plaster) - it works really well, no leaks so far! There is a picture at: https://www.diyplastering.co.uk/tadelaktinstructions.html

Good luck and let me know how you get on!
Paul