Shower Wall Tile Over Drywall

Wall thickness for most shower walls the drywall installed in the home during the building phase is cut off at the edge of the shower opening and then backer board is installed in place of the drywall in the wet areas.

Shower wall tile over drywall. How to attach tile to drywall above a shower surround step 1. You should not tile over wallpaper glossy surfaces lead paint or plywood. You may tile over existing tile painted or unpainted drywall plaster and textured walls. Even in the best of scenarios the tile and grout will eventually wear down leaving behind a clear route for water to seep through and soak into the drywall.

For example schluter approves their kerdi shower systemover drywall in showers. Regular drywall regular drywall can be used as a base for tiles in a shower but only as an absolute last resort. Measure each proposed tile area above your shower surround and draw a matching to scale outline on a large. Because paper is an organic product it will quickly become moldy.

So if you insist on tile over drywall in a shower then that s how you waterproof drywall for showers. Layout your tile pattern on the cardboard template. If you want to update your kitchen or bathroom walls with tiles you don t have to remove existing painted drywall to do so. The backer boards are usually around a one half inch thick in both cases.

In areas that are exposed to an abundance of moisture it is better to install a cement board as a backer rather than a gypsum board. In areas of high moisture such as walls in a shower for long term durability it is not advised to install tile over drywall even if the drywall is type mr moisture resistant. Even a tiny amount of water introduced through a crack or hole in the tile will expand once it hits the moisture hungry paper facing and gypsum core of the drywall. However tiling over tile can add quite a bit of thickness so make sure your wall can handle the weight.

Compare this to the common practice of tiling over drywall and you get the idea that you have a totally different shower by using a product that is meant to function in the shower. First cover the drywall in a layer of paint on waterproofing that you can apply with a. It takes just a little moisture for drywall s paper facing to disintegrate and turn moldy. The wedi board wedi shower system includes special bonding agents referred to as wedi caulk though is much more than caulk that waterproofs the seams in the corners as well as the joints where the 3 5 board pieces join together.

This gives you a visual idea of what the tile will look like. It will be fine to tile over drywall in low moisture areas such as tiling around a fireplace. If you re not sure if you have lead paint test kits are available. The theory being that moisture should never penetrate the waterproofing on the surface.