# Forum Home Renovation Bathrooms  Info on yellow tongue sheeting

## Bob & Biene

We are looking to purchase a house where yellow tongue has been used in a bathroom. We have been told that the yellow tongue is waterproof and there is no need to worry about waterproofing and leaks; however, there is a stain which you can see from underneath in the area where the shower is located -which leads us to question whether it is indeed 'waterproof' or not. Can anyone help?  :Kick Can:  
Thanks

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## bugsy

someone should be able to help you out more than me, but i think yellow tongue is water "resistant"
I think red tongue is water proof
I could be wrong?

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## Tools

The only difference between red and yellow tongue is the thickness. Neither are waterproof.  
Tools

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## echnidna

:What he said:

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## Outbackrr

All you need to know about yellow tongue, etc. http://www.chhwoodproducts.com.au/us...5/File/585.pdf 
If there's water staining evident, flooring will rot out eventually

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## DvdHntr

Particleboards should never be use in wet areas. FC sheeting is the correct product.

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## silentC

Yellow tongue can handle being in the wet for a short period of time when a house is being built but it's not designed to be exposed to moisture indefinitely. 
Whilst I have a preference for using FC sheet and that's what I used in all my wet areas, many builders do not bother and you'll find yellow tongue under plenty of wet areas today. Since the whole floor is now waterproofed, technically it shouldn't matter. I like the security of FC in case the membrane ever leaks but as far as I know, it's not a requirement. 
The dark spot could be a breach in the membrane or a leaking pipe. It could be an indication of future problems, so you would have to factor that in to your decision - you might one day be up for a new bathroom floor. You should get a building inspector to do a report on the house before you buy.

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## Chandler

Sorry for cross-post. 
I believe particle board flooring (yellow tongue) can be used in wet areas, because of the need to ensure a water proof membrane, but I would still like to use FC sheeting under tiles in the bathroom and laundry.   
Can I mix and match Yellow tongue and Hardies Scyon (both tongue and groove flooring) on full platform flooring?  
I see a website reference to Stuctaflor available in: 19mm (Yellow Tongue  spans 450mm  sheets 3600mm X 900mm),22mm (Red Tongue  spans 600mm  sheets 3600mm X 900mm) and25mm (Blue Tongue  spans 600mm  sheets 3600mm X 600mm).  
I see also that James Hardie Scyon FC wet area flooring are 19 mm (900mm X 1800mm)  
In other words, do the tongue and grooves match sufficiently, or should I just use standard (say 19mm) FC?

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