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No 5/8″ MR board?

Stray | Posted in General Discussion on April 17, 2003 11:30am

Doing a bath remodle in my own house.  I’m butting 1/2″ cement backer board up to sheetrock where tub surround and tile wainscotting meets regular painted SR walls.

Since the CBU is 1/2 and I’ll have about 1/8 thinset, I’d need a 5/8 sheetrock so the tiles can overlap the SR slightly.  I’d planned on using 5/8 MR or “greenboard” but as I call around nobody has heard of anything but 1/2″ MR.

Does 5/8″ MR exist?

If not, do you think standard 5/8″ SR would be just fine in a bathroom wall? (Of course the lumberyards tell me reg 5/8″ is A-OK for bathrooms, but they also stand to make a $).  What does MR have that standard SR doesn’t (besides green paper ;-).

Any thoughts appreciated.  Thanks!

Erik

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  1. Zano | Apr 18, 2003 12:12am | #1

    Use the regular 5/8" if you can't get the greenboard in 5/8".  But every drywall distributor carries 5/8" green, the Home Depot does not.

    Difference is price, the green costs more green.  Green is "Moisture resistant", that is, it holds the moisture in. It's not waterproof and framing for it on ceilings should be 12" oc.

  2. r_ignacki | Apr 18, 2003 02:09am | #2

    usually, the setting bed isn't allowed for.  Use the same thickness SR and Durock.

    1. Stray | Apr 18, 2003 04:33am | #3

      Panama,

      I was figuring that with a 1/4" notch, that it'll compress to 1/8".  Is this not correct? I just want the tile to overlap off the durock 1/2-3/4" onto the SR without a gap behind it (that I'd have to caulk).

      I can certainly press the tile against the SR regardless, but didn't want the 2X6 bull nose tiles to be "out of plane" with the field tiles.

      Thanks.

      Erik

      1. CAGIV | Apr 18, 2003 04:58am | #4

        If you do not have thinset behind the entire tile you will create weak spots.  Use the same size cement board and sr.

        The caulked joint will not look bad, and you will  hardly notice it, it is also important for it to be there to keep water from getting in back of the tile.

        I'm not understanding how the bullnose would be out of plane with the rest of the field?

        With any luck Jeff Buck will stop by and explain a little better.

        View ImageGo Jayhawks..............Next Year and daaa. Blues View Image

        Edited 4/17/2003 9:59:35 PM ET by CAG

        1. Stray | Apr 18, 2003 03:26pm | #5

          CAG,

          I understand what you're saying about setting the whole tile in thinset, and not having voids.  I guess I was trying to stay away from thinsetting the whole tile, because the thinset and tile would be stratling the joint between the CBU and SR.  I was concerned that attaching the bull nose to both would creat a potential for failure (ie differnt backing materials might move differntly causing stress, then cracks.

          I've seen elsewhere that regualar taped joints between CBU and SR have cracked because of this.

          I thought if the tile overlapped the SR by 1/2" , but was not attached to it, that it would create a slip joint, and they could move independantly.  By going w/ 5/8 SR, the tile would be right up against the SR (accounting fo the thinset thickness), and therefore not have the void you're talking about.

          What I meant about "out of plane" was that I could set the bull, and just smush the bull flush with the SR on one side anyway, but then it would be sloped up 1/8" to meet the height of the field tiles on the other side. 

          If the consensus is that I'm obsessing for little or no reason...I'd accept that. 

          1. User avater
            IMERC | Apr 18, 2003 06:07pm | #6

            Just be obsessed, why need a reason.

            If you are truly concerned with that 1/8" use DW shims and drive on.

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