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Green wallboard

Planeman | Posted in General Discussion on March 19, 2003 06:38am

I am getting close to hanging the drywall in my new bathroom. I have experience hanging regular dry wall, but I have never done a bathroom before. It is a small room, 5 x10. Where do I use the water resistant wallboard and where do I transition to the regular wallboard? Thanks for your help.

Experienced, but still dangerous!
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  1. villagehandyman | Mar 19, 2003 06:40pm | #1

    green board the whole room wals and ceiling then tape

    1. Planeman | Mar 19, 2003 06:48pm | #2

      Thanks, that was my original plan. Better safe than sorry. Any recomendations on a ventilation fan?

      Experienced, but still dangerous!

      1. andybuildz | Mar 19, 2003 06:52pm | #3

        Use a vent fan but get a strong and quite one since most are useless other than making noise IMO unless theyre strong. Most good ones cost well over a hundred bucks.

        Use MR boards on the whole room other than in the shower area! USe CBU's in there.

        BE moist

                    Namaste

                                andy"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is."  http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

      2. Flathumb | Mar 19, 2003 08:31pm | #6

        Fantech.  Remote 100 cfm blower, li'l tiny register (3" diameter) in the ceiling.  When you fire it up, all you hear is a little bit of air rushing out the register.

  2. User avater
    CapnMac | Mar 19, 2003 07:05pm | #4

    For bathrooms, I'm a pessimist (may be due to one too many bathroom remodels :)).  My preference is cementitious board (Durock) at least for the bottom 4' of the walls all around, and full height around tubs and showers.  Then green board above.  I prefer the cementitious board for tile, as it is a better underlayment.  I like to get solid blocking in at the top of the vanity cabinets and the countertop and back splash, too.

  3. Mugsy | Mar 19, 2003 08:02pm | #5

    Green board is not recommended for ceilings at more than 12" oc spacing. Some manufacturers do make a sag resistant greenboard for use there, but I've never used it. Just use regular on the ceiling. Cement board anywhere you're going to tile, and green board on the walls everywhere else.

    As for the fan, Fantech is an excellent option, but any very good fan will work.  Do not buy one of the cheap 70 cfm models athe local home center. Choosing the right fan for moisture removal is more important than using green board or not.  I have seen numerous bathrooms with regular sheetrock in perfect condition after many years. And I have seen greenboard crumbling in baths half that age in others.  The difference was always proper ventilation.

    Edited to address fan question and typo.



    Edited 3/19/2003 4:02:04 PM ET by Mugsy

    1. Planeman | Mar 21, 2003 06:51pm | #17

      Thanks for the advice. My cielings are 2 x 10's 16"oc. My plan is to use regular dry wall, 1/2 thick on the cieling. I will use the cement board or maybe the denshild on the shower walls since they are going to be tiled. I will buy the best and quietest fan I can find.Experienced, but still dangerous!

  4. rasconc | Mar 19, 2003 08:55pm | #7

    Mugsy hit it right on.  I did my BIL's bath and the local yard across the street only had green board at the time.  I figured what the heck, used it for all including ceiling.  Had one heck of time screwing to old 16 oc joists.  Looked like someone had turned their pet wood pecker loose or dropped their machine gun off safety.  I have read that the moisture resistant paper does not have the same strength as standard white.  Cement makes sense in the areas he mentioned. 

  5. User avater
    NickNukeEm | Mar 19, 2003 11:04pm | #8

    For the greenboard, use a setting compound for the first and second coats, and use paper tape.  Before hanging the sheets, add any blocking you might need in the future, like for grab bars, towel racks, etc. 

    Remember the 6 P's: Prior Planning Precludes Piss-Poor Performance

    I never met a tool I didn't like.

  6. mrhodes | Mar 19, 2003 11:33pm | #9

    The Gypsum Wallboard manual recommends that when you use green board you also finish with Durabond 90 or the like.  They are much more resistant to water since they set up chemically not from simply drying.  Not many people do that, but if you decide to, I would recommend that you use an egg-beater in an electric drill to mix up the mud.  If you don't, it will be a lot more clumpy and frustrating for you.  White board on the ceiling.  If you wanted to, you could use white board all of the way around.  You would have to use a moisture and vapour-proof covering over all the drywall. 

  7. Zano | Mar 20, 2003 12:20am | #10

    I don't see any advantage in using greenboard instead of regular board.  The boys are right, on ceiling the framing should be minimum 12" oc, if it's not, the greenboard will sag.  So if you need minimum 12" framing on the ceilings, what do you think will happen in time on the walls.

    Use "Dens-Shiled" around the wet areas, better than cement board.  it has a layer of plastic over it, fiberglass reinforced,, truly waterproof not like cement board.

    1. SMXSteve | Mar 20, 2003 12:45am | #11

      I heard from my inspectors and have been reading more that green board is not as popular as it once was. Especially where the walls will be painted, apparently painted drywall holds up against moisture better. It is weaker so it doesn't work well for ceilings. As mentioned there are better alternatives for tile like cement board or this other one you mentioned Zano.

      1. Zano | Mar 20, 2003 05:16am | #12

        Steve,

        Go to http://www.nationalgypsum.com and look up "Dens-Shield", read the specs on it.  It's far better than cement board, which I consider nonsense.  Also, go to your local drywall supply house, they should have it in stock or call them before ya go and look at it, examine it and then buy it!  That's my recommendation - far far superior and easier to install than cement board.

        Greenboard is nothing more than a marketing ploy to get more money for drywall in my opinion!

        1. FastEddie1 | Mar 20, 2003 07:16am | #13

          I agree on your greenboard comment, but not on the Denshield.  I just did two tile jobs, used Durock on  one and Denshiled on the other.  Yes, Durock was heavy, nasty to cut, gritty, etc but I got a great sense of permanence.  The Denshiled was lighter, easy to cut, clean, etc but it sure seemd to be nothing more than sheetrock with a fancy cover.  What convinced me that the Denshield was not suitable was two items in the little instruction packet pasted to the back of every sheet: be sure to use a flexible sealant (that means caulk to me) around penetrations such as the shower head pipe, and do not use any type of moisture barrier behind the Denshield, including paint.  So I took the time to caulk every screw head and every joint and penetration.  Since appearance wasn't an issue, it didn't take long.

          Do it right, or do it twice.

          1. andybuildz | Mar 20, 2003 10:44am | #14

            El

               I just used Denshield in my shower area for the first time. Sure is a lot easier to use ( and carry up stairs). I kinda had the same feeling you do about permanance but then again I've gutted bathrooms that used MR boards on the shower walls that were fine.

            My feeling about CBU is that it does in fact wick up water not that water should get behind the tiles but if it does....I like CBU's on floors especially if I want to strenghten them but my gut says it may be over kill for walls...not to mention it sux cutting it. I have a strong feeling Densshield will work just fine.

            Also..just to throw in.....I'm also going to try using Ditra on the floor job. Already bought a roll of it when I was in Canada skiing Presidents week as its not readily available here yet. From what I hear...it rocks.

            Be moist

                       Namaste

                                andy"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is."  http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

          2. Mooney | Mar 21, 2003 06:28pm | #16

            I installed Ditra on a bathroom floor for a customer , and then layed floor tile . The floor was wood . In and out in one pretty easy day . I like it although its seems expensive . For the labor it saved , I guess its worth it . Easy to haul up stairs isnt it ?

            Tim Mooney

          3. andybuildz | Mar 22, 2003 04:24pm | #20

            Tim

                I think thats what your paying for obviously...the ease of it all because that stuff cant possibly be worth what we paid for it. No way.

            I spose eventually there will be compition and the price will drop.

            Be thrifty

                     Namaste

                                  andy"As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is."  http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

          4. Zano | Mar 21, 2003 12:50pm | #15

            The object of the caulk and the plastic cover on Dens-Shield is to stop any water seappage past it.  If you do that, I think that is the purpose of a tile backer board.  Also, I'm sure it holds the tile/marble just as well as cement board does.

  8. billyg83440 | Mar 21, 2003 07:03pm | #18

    I redid my bathroom a couple years ago. Don't make the same mistakes I did.

    I did use concrete board above the shower where I tiled. Really like the stuff. I used greenboard on the walls. But, picked up a bucket of waterproof joint compound. Used it like regular joint compound. Problem is, when it dries it's about like rubber cement, you cannot sand it, and regular joint compound didn't seem to stick to it. Spent hours scraping it back off and trying again.

    I also tried fiberglass mesh tape for the first and last time. Much much harder to cover then paper tape. Made it much harder to make the walls look good. Anyone want a partial roll, if I can find it you can have it, I'll never use it again.

    I did use the setting type compound, but should have put in a better fan. Overall, it turned out well, but could have gone easier.

  9. fullpint | Mar 21, 2003 09:57pm | #19

    Since you have never done a bathroom before, Just a thought if you need in the future  to install a grab bar etc. make sure there is backing , before you close up.

     you have enough input on the board and fan.

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