Tiling shower walls - what steps do I take from here?

My wife and I are in the process of turning a former next-to-the-wall bathtub into a tub/shower.

So far we have torn out the drywall on the three walls surrounding the tub, put in a vinyl moisture barrier, and covered the area where we pulled out the drywall with Hardiebacker.

What do we do from here? We didn't cut the drywall away perfectly so in some places there is anywhere from a 1/16" to a 1/4" gap between the Hardiebacker and the drywall. There are also small gaps between pieces of Hariebacker.

Some websites talk about filling it in with modified thinset and some kind of tape, others don't mention the tape, and still others skip this step completely.

We're kind of lost as to how to proceed from here, and neither of us has really done any kind of significant home projects before. Detailed steps on what to do from here would be really appreciated!

 

Is/was it a stand alone tub? Does it have a tiling flange on the upper 3 sides that that go against the wall? Not sure we can guarantee a leak proof shower if there is not a tile flange that goes around the perimeter. Did you use 1/4" or 1/2" hardibacker? Trying to get a better picture of what you have there.

 

Is/was it a stand alone tub?

I'm not clear on what a "stand alone" tub is. Three walls border the tub just like they would a shower/tub combo. Before we tore into it, it looked like there should be a shower there (aside from it only having about 8 inches high of tiles instead of the whole wall); there just isn't.

Does it have a tiling flange on the upper 3 sides that that go against the wall?

Yes.

Did you use 1/4" or 1/2" hardibacker?

1/2". It's the same thickness as the drywall, so when we put it in, it was (pretty much) flush with the drywall.

 

I use mesh tape and setting type joist compound (comes in a powder) and bridge the gap between the drywall and the tile. I then plan my tile layout such that the bullnose tile that finishes the top and sides overlaps the joint by 1/4" or so.

Silly question, but need to ask, the transition between drywall and cement board on the sides of short legs of the tub. Did you make the transition such that both drywall and cement board have a stud behind the ends? Is there any movement in the cement board?

 

How do I apply the mesh tape?

I wasn't aware that you had to have studs behind the ends. The drywall moves if you push on it, and you can get the cement board to move if you push hard enough on the ends. No one (at home depot or online) mentioned that. We assumed that whatever you used to connect the drywall to the cement board would be strong enough to bond the two together so that they wouldn't move.

I hope we didn't just make a huge oversight.

 

Usually, you open up the drywall cavity to the next available stud in the wall. Add a sister stud at that location and insert a stud where you want the cement board/drywall transition to be (You replace the drywall in that stud bay). I sometimes double up the transition area as well. Studs are cheap, and it is easier to screw cement board to a whole stud then trying to hit a 1/2 stud and have the cement board blow out on you.

Unfortunately, you are going to have to beef up that transition.

Mesh tape is applied the same as a drywall joint is finished only using a setting type joint compound instead of the ready mix. It is stronger that way.

 

Dang. Is there any way around this? At this point it sounds like we're going to have to buy new hardiebacker, re-cut it, and re-cut the walls up to the studs. At that point all our labor was for nothing and my wife will probably just want to hire someone -_-

 

What if we just put a 6 foot stud behind the transition and epoxied it to the floor joist? Maybe I sound like an idiot here, but I'm just trying to avoid starting all over. There is a cabinet on one of the walls just inches from where we installed the end of the hardiebacker, so getting to the stud would mean tearing out the entire cabinet.

 

At this point, a picture of what we are talking about would greatly help.

 

Not sure how much these will help, as I just have them on my phone from earlier. I can take more specific pictures later when I get home if it helps.

One is from when we were starting to tear the wall out, the second is after we put in the vapor barrier, and the other two are when we installed the hardiebacker (we've since also installed hardiebacker over the window sill as well)

 

Did you screw the Hardi board to the studs? If so, all is not lost. You mmtigh have to reorient the pieces and you ight have to buyonemore sheet but you can remove the board, cut the drywall to the next stud and or insall new studs to hold oth the drywall and the hardi board then proceed as described by others more familiar with tile. I would recomend that you use mesh tape designed for your purpose and modified thinset rather than setting drywall mud for the joints in the tile backer bord. Setting drywall mud will be fine for the transition on the ends of the tub between the tibe backer and the drywall and of course between the new and old drywall . Paper tape is better than the adhesive mesh tape but I prefer Fibafuse paperless joint tape. Google it. I think it is easier to work with than paper if youcan find it.

Yes, I know this is not my usual quality of keybord work. I am on a computer with sticky keys and in a hurry.

 

"Edges of the board parallel to framing must be supported by a structural framing member."--------------------- "Install boards 1/4� above floor, tub or shower pan and caulk accordingly.
� Fasten cement board with specified nails or screws (as listed in �Materials
Required�) a maximum of 8� on center at all supports."------- gap of 1/4" above the tub lip- not finished shelf flat- that is the fixture itself (including the lip), fill that gap with a flexible sealant --- not setting compound; "4 | Tape joints prior to tiling
� Fill all joints with mortar (see �Materials Required�).
� Embed 2� wide high-strength alkali-resistant glass fiber tape in the mortar and level."------------- From manufacturer; http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner...install-us.pdf

Gary

 

Well dang...I didn't leave a gap at the bottom either! Is that going to be a problem? Do I have to make all new holes for the screws now? Because there's no way I can screw into the studs 1/4" above where the existing holes are. It would just make a giant screw hole and it wouldn't be stable.

 

The gap at the bottom gives room between tub/backer so it doesn't wick water if ever exposed (gap in tile caulk, etc.). The flexible sealant protects the bottom edge of board and allows movement of dis-similar materials there and gives backing for tile caulking job. Shim the window sill slightly to allow for drainage there under the board. Just remove the board, cut the bottom edge by 1-1/14" or whatever needed, add a board joint stud after a horizontal block just above the tub- fastened to studs for joint stud can fasten to. Add many more screws ( board field and even in corners) and window perimeter to get the required spacing per link. Use the "polymer coated" fiber mesh joint tape (not the same as drywall mesh tape), to resist the chemicals in the thinset and board composition. It sells at about the same price as drywall tape except you get only 50' rather than 300' or so, because of the extra coating. Fiberglass is "alkaline resistant" by itself so both packages may state that, look for polymer-coated or special cb tape; Bathroom Remodeling the Smart Way-Phase 4 (Installing Cement Board on the Back Wall)

Gary