sheetrocking a shower

[GREASER]

I am getting ready to sheetrock the new shower area and not sure how it should be finished out. One told me to carry the greenboard into the area (sheetrocking the whole bathroom with greenboard), then going over the green with 1/4 hardi...another said to use 1/4 in the area and thats it. Oh ya there will be tile over the shower area and not the rest of the room, if that detail matters.

anyone know how builders do it?

[flipper]

Bathtub surrounds and showers get greenboard and then 1/2" portland cement "mud" job before tile. Subsitute 1/2 concrete backerboard if you want.

Greenboard on the bottom sheet atleast in other wet areas like vanities, toilets, kitchen sinks.

hope this helps.

flipper

[BryanS]

I did some research on the internet and found the following:

Contrary to popular opinion, "greenboard is not regular GWB with a water-resistant paper finish; in addition to the special paper front and back, it has a water-resistant gypsum core.

Last year USG finally gave in to industry, code and mold lawsuit pressures and changed their recommendation for greenboard to:

"Perfect for use in areas such as bathrooms, powder rooms, kitchens, and utility rooms with incidental moisture exposure. Not designed for use in high-moisture areas such as tub and shower surrounds."

and

"Do not use in tub and shower surrounds; use DUROCK 1/2" Brand Cement Board for these applications." The tile industry has considered greenboard an unsuitable substrate in wet areas (showers) since 1978 when the Tile Council of America stamped "QUESTIONED INSTALLATION IN WET AREAS" across the tub and shower details in their manual in red ink. That was about the time that Wonder Board, the first fiberglass reinforced concrete backerboard, was introduced.

Thread: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/remod...2311929795.html

And...

Use the cement board in the shower. Green board is meant for high moisture areas but is not great in WET area. It would be OK outside the shower, but in the shower I don't think it is worth taking the chance, it will deteriorate if it gets really wet.

Thread: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...23081119AAUqUBu

...Looks like... thick vapor barrier in the stud area around the shower/tub... then cement board... then greenboard everywhere else in the bathroom (no where near the shower though). If you're going for a raised look around the tub, then it seems like cement board over greenboard would make sense... but I would just double up the cement board to be safe. Not sure, really. I'm interested to hear the correct answer myself.

EDIT: Just saw flipper's response. No need to double up anything if you use 1/2" mortar bed for the tile work, it appears... I would do cement board in the wet areas, greenboard everywhere else in the bathroom.

[musicman]

"Perfect for use in areas such as bathrooms, powder rooms, kitchens, and utility rooms with incidental moisture exposure. Not designed for use in high-moisture areas such as tub and shower surrounds."

yeah esp since don't people keep up their grout sealant. it just doesn't work effectively long term if there is constant moisture exposure.

[flipper]

I agree that thinsetting tile to greenboard is cutting corners and will lead to future problems.

We use the greenboard behind the cement because it gives the tile guy a nice base to start from vs. stapling the metal lathe directly to the studs.

flipper

[cgallagher]

You, don't even need to install the greenrock. You can put up the 1/2" durarock by itself. That way it butts up to the surrounding sheetrock nicely. Be sure to use a flexible membrane on the joints and nail holes.

[GREASER]

I would not tile to greenboard, I was saying greenboard with 1/4 hardi over it...I figured it out though...1/2 hardi in the shower and 1/2 green elsewhere..that way there is a smooth transition.

[CHiPs]

I am getting ready to sheetrock the new shower area and not sure how it should be finished out. One told me to carry the greenboard into the area (sheetrocking the whole bathroom with greenboard), then going over the green with 1/4 hardi...another said to use 1/4 in the area and thats it. Oh ya there will be tile over the shower area and not the rest of the room, if that detail matters.

anyone know how builders do it?

Well, the "builder" who did my bathroom used regular sheetrock for my bath (didn't make much sense, but I was on a budget), he used greenboard for shower area then tile over that. But if I had the chance to do it all over again I would use greenboard for the whole bath, including shower, add hardiback and tile to the shower area.

[cottonmather0]

Greenboard is not waterproof.

You need a moisture barrier (plastic sheeting) over the studs, with a couple of slits cut in the top to help it air out when the shower dries. Cover that with Durock or Hardibacker and then thinset your tile on there. Greenboard is fine for the ceiling, but nowhere that will get sprayed directly.

You could also consider Kerdi but either way, directly thinsetting tile to drywall, even if it's greenboard, is just asking to rot out within a couple of years.