Grant Westfield has secured independent accreditation from Sintef for both its Multipanel and Naturepanel bathroom wall panels in line with the latest NHBC guidelines, which now require a fully waterproof layer behind wall finishes in high-flow shower areas. Watertight and durable, wall panels with UKCA, UKNI or CE marking to EAD 030437-00-0503 meet the new NHBC regulations while simplifying and speeding up the installation process, resulting in considerable time and cost savings.
The move confirms the brand’s readiness to support developers and installers with compliant, efficient alternatives to traditional tiling.
The updated NHBC standards apply to showers with flow rates exceeding 12 litres per minute and mean that tiling onto plasterboard or standard backer boards is no longer sufficient. Instead, a watertight substrate or waterproof system must be used, adding steps, time, and cost to many standard tiling methods.
“As well as a technical change for housebuilders, this is also a shift in what’s considered best practice,” says Jamie Sandilands, specification sales director at Grant Westfield.
“Retailers and installers should take note, because regulations in new-build often influence consumer expectations in renovation too. For retailers, it’s about offering customers smarter alternatives that save time, reduce environmental impact and still deliver on style.”
While traditional waterproofing methods like tanking membranes or marine-grade boards can meet the new standard, they typically introduce additional labour and drying time. By contrast, Multipanel and Naturepanel’s pre-finished wall panels install directly onto standard substrates, without the need for tanking, grout or extended curing times.
Beyond compliance, wall panels offer other significant benefits, including faster fitting, no grout to maintain and a wide range of contemporary finishes. Multipanel and Naturepanel collections include marble, concrete, stone and tile-effect designs, offering high-end looks with low-maintenance appeal.
They’re also more sustainable, generating less on-site waste and carrying up to 60% less environmental impact than tiles, according to independent lifecycle assessments.
As the industry continues to evolve, Grant Westfield’s accredited wall panels offer a future-ready solution that makes compliance easy and creates new opportunities for trade and retail alike.
To find out more about Multipanel’s & Naturepanel’s independently accredited waterproof wall panels, visit: www.multipanel.co.uk & https://www.naturepanel.co.uk/
