Bathroom tile question

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Will be striping out the bathroom but will be keeping fixtures. Want to retile walls in tub and out side plus a new tile floor. What is the latest in backboards. I know years ago cement board was all the rage but do I really need to go that way. I will be doing myself so looking for less weight. Is green board or purple board acceptable?? How about the floor??

[brnhornt]

If you're looking for less weight....look into the schluter Kerdi product/system.  It's a little spendy...but you make up for it by being able to use standard drywall...quick, easy, and light.

[OneStaple]

Greenboard or purpleboard are horrible choices. Just don't. They're no longer allowed in many (all?) localities, although local inspectors may still pass them.

Cement board is still a good choice for any waterproofing system, whether traditional (plastic liner behind cement board), roll on (like paint), or a sheet system (like Kerdi).

From what I understand, at least as of a few years ago, Kerdi's system is the only one approved to go over just plain old drywall. That's what I did in three of my own bathrooms and am quite happy with it. There are completely valid/good competitors' products too, all of which work as long as you follow the directions.

A paint-on or sheet system is superior to a traditional system in that it doesn't allow water to penetrate as far and there isn't as much to dry out under the tiles between showers, so your shower can get truly dry. Yes, water is absorbed through the grout (and through the tile for some tile types) and into the substrate. That's why you need the waterproofing.

If you're looking for lightweight, Wedi or Kerdi-board (there may be other options out there by now) are great. Super lightweight sheets that are like a foam version of drywall. They are used instead of drywall or cement board and are your tile backer and waterproofing system all in one. Really slick system that's less fuss than the above options, but also a bit spendy. I have only used very limited quantities of kerdi-board for special applications.

For the floor, look into a de-coupling membrane (there are "traditional" options too). It depends somewhat on whether you want to make sure your entire bathroom floor is waterproof or not (not necessary, but not a bad idea). I've used Schluter Ditra mostly and am happy with it, but there are other options by competitors. Ditra-Heat (or competitors' options) is a slick way to put floor heating in, if desired.

Check out the John Bridge forum. They like DIYers and can provide more info than you ever wanted to know.

Good luck!
Tyler

[brnhornt]

Check out the John Bridge forum.  They like DIYers and can provide more info than you ever wanted to know.

+1 to this.

[Snipe Hunter]

Maybe I'm a dinosaur. The Kerdi and Schulter stuff is wonderful but I still use cement board. It's cheaper, it works and it's not much more time consuming. 1/4" on the floor and 1/2" on shower walls. IMHO, nothing wrong with tile on sheet-rock for walls in dry locations (not in a shower). I do paint the cement board on the outside of the curb and on the floor in front of the shower a few inches out with whatever sealer I used in the shower whether it be Red-Guard or Aqua Defense.

In this shower I used cement board on the outside of the shower where tile was going because I had some left over. I also run the cement board on the floor under the cement board on the outside of the curb (waterfall) and mesh tape and thinset that joint. This way the two are joined and you don't get that grout crack along that seam in a year or two.

[Woodenfish]

YouTube link

https://youtu.be/AQbQPwITNRY

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

YouTube link

https://youtu.be/AQbQPwITNRY

Lots of good info here. Thanks

[Snipe Hunter]

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