I had a person slip in the shower and break off the bath faucet. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt but when I went to check the damage I found that the 14 year old wall above the shower surround was swelling where it met the surround. Checked all three sides and found that each surface had some degree of water damage and also found a small bit of water damage just outside the tub at the floor (splashing???). Pulled the sheetrock out and found that the studs underneath were solid so my plan is to simply replace the damaged area. To my eye, it looked like regular sheetrock. I also didn't see any vapor barrier in place. Maybe that was OK in 1998? My plan is to use Hardibacker to make the repairs. I've already picked up most of the materials but want to make sure that I install them correctly. First, I don't know what vapor barrier would be easiest to install. This is a rather small area. The rear wall is 58X20 1/2, the two sides are 31X20 1/2, and outside the tub I'll have two openings 16X92 going from floor to ceiling over to the first stud. I've trimmed the sheetrock along the stud and will sister a 2X4 to it to screw the new Hardibacker in place. Once the vapor barrier is installed I will use drywall shims to set the depth of the Hardibacker. Digging around on the forums it looks like I want to shim the studs so that the Hardibacker clears the insert flange and floats 1/4" above the top of the shower to provide a water contact gap. Once the bathroom is painted I'll caulk the edges. Am I on the right track here. Doesn't look like this should be a difficult job but want to make sure my plan is sound. Thanks, Mike

My house was built in 2005. I bought it in 2007 and I am the only owner for this property. It is in a town home complex but my home is a stand-alone and does not share walls with anyone. The builder went into bankruptcy shortly after I bought the place. There was a lawsuit pending against the builder from people in the complex but because I am the only one with the problems I will describe, they said I would have to file my own lawsuit. I am not litigious and since he went bankrupt it all just seems like nonsense to me. Anyway, the problem is that the plant shelf in my living room is separating from the wall in the hallway. Also, the nails are popping out of the wall, and the heads appear rusty, in the hallway and the ceiling near the attic entrance is cracking. There is a large crack in the concrete slab that my house sits on (as wide as an inch in a few places) that runs from the garage, northwest through the house and ends at the end of the slab under the spare bedroom. The bathroom tile keeps popping up near the crack running through the bathroom. Should I have a home inspector come out or is this normal for settling? How can I repair the plant shelf and cracks? Do I just cover the nail holes or should I be concerned?