Shower Wall Tile Over Drywall

How to attach tile to drywall above a shower surround step 1.

Shower wall tile over drywall.

Layout your tile pattern on the cardboard template. The theory being that moisture should never penetrate the waterproofing on the surface. If you want to update your kitchen or bathroom walls with tiles you don t have to remove existing painted drywall to do so. 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.

It will be fine to tile over drywall in low moisture areas such as tiling around a fireplace. 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. 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.

Tiles are ideal for showers bathtubs and backsplashes. Because paper is an organic product it will quickly become moldy. The backer boards are usually around a one half inch thick in both cases. This gives you a visual idea of what the tile will look like.

For example schluter approves their kerdi shower systemover drywall in showers. So if you insist on tile over drywall in a shower then that s how you waterproof drywall for showers. 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. You should not tile over wallpaper glossy surfaces lead paint or plywood.

First cover the drywall in a layer of paint on waterproofing that you can apply with a. If you re not sure if you have lead paint test kits are available. You can rough up. However tiling over tile can add quite a bit of thickness so make sure your wall can handle the weight.

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. Tile just as you can use tile inside the shower itself you can finish the wall above it with ceramic tile. 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. Regular drywall regular drywall can be used as a base for tiles in a shower but only as an absolute last resort.