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Contractor used drywall compound to tape DensShield joints

8 years ago

My contractor used drywall compound (with fiberglass tape) to tape DensShield joints, and over all the screws in the shower stall. He says he will use redguard over the joints and I'm going to assume he will red guard the screws also. Will this work? DensShield says no drywall compound.

Featured Answer

User

8 years ago

What kind of screws did he use ?

I'd ask him (or print out ) the install instructions for DensShield. - I'm pretty certain you'll find language that says something like : do not use drywall compound !

This is the manuf. instructions and needs to supersede any and all of his experience, intuition, and "I've never had problem yet doing it this way"

A larger issue that no one has touched on is the Redgard over this stuff. RG will protect the screws and drywall mud from moisture ( if he applies it thick enough - he won't . Ask him if he has wet film gauge or even knows what one is)

-but- I'm not sure RG will play nice with the acrylic coating of the DensShield. It may, but it's not an accepted assembly and really shouldn't be considered. Let him test it on his everyday shower. And don't let him tell you he has. Those products haven't been out long enough for him to have dreamed up this concoction and have a twenty year test bed from which to evaluate their compatibility and performance. Neither company is going to warrant the shower used as such.

If he's so confident , and you still want to roll the dice - have him purchase a performance bond for this frankenshower.

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Comments (12)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
8 years ago
I'd go with DensShield. Your contractor's check will have cleared by the time any problems develop.
enduring
8 years ago
What Joseph says. Thinset is to be used with the fiberglass and fastener heads.
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You wrote "he had to seal up several large holes and make other repairs" How large are the holes and are those holes round, irregularly shaped, square, or rectangular? It is rather difficult to apply tape to round/irregularly shaped repairs. There are ways to repair smaller holes without taping. The patch is cut larger than the hole. Then drywall is nibbled away on the back to fit the hole, leaving the top layer of paper a half inch or more larger. The patch is then installed with mud in the hole(serving as glue to hold the patch) and over the paper with the paper edge acting as tape. Another way is to make a thin wood piece to situate across the hole on the back side, using drywall screws to fasten the wood to across the back of the hole. Then a patch is made to fit the hole and installed, using mud as glue and over the patch. If he is not doing that and just using mud to try and install the patch with no mounting support, he is wrong.
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gwarring
Original Author
8 years ago
DensShield does not require special screws, but when I reviewed the DensShield questions and answers download it does say no drywall compound and it looks like they want alkali- resistant fiberglass tape as well.

Thanks for the answers everyone, I will push for removal of the drywall compound and tape.
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Ill tell you what

If you can manage to transport from the store to home and install deshield per the mfg specs with proper blocking and screw count and tape without damaging the SHIELD amywhere, one can then seal the board gaps and ALL/every cut edge with silicone very carefully then tape and thinset and have a fairly waterproof DRYWALL shower & code compliant...... Sloppy denshield in a shower prep job without siliconed seams/gaps/edges and you risk wet gypsum.......once gypsum is wet...well
User
8 years ago
G - are you going to go back with CBU ?

and while the fasteners for DS aren't "special" , they do need to be galvanized or corrosion resistant . They are also not supposed to puncture the acrylic coating from being overdriven - and that is darn difficult.
gwarring
Original Author
8 years ago
I am not going to ask them to remove the DensShield, I know its not loved by everyone but if they will remove the drywall compound, tape and then caulk and tape with thinset per DensShield installation instructions AND apply Redgard I will be ok with it.

They did use cement board screws and they didn't countersink them.

We are of course 3 months behind schedule so that is also a consideration.
mmmm12COzone5
7 years ago
Has it all worked out? Just stopped my contractor from using drywall compound. Wondering if the redguard worked out as a fail safe?
mmmm12COzone5
7 years ago
Thanks! I didn't think about the water from the backside. Which makes sense if the seams are not butted together with caulk.
millworkman
7 years ago
"if the seams are not butted together with caulk"

Huh?
mmmm12COzone5
7 years ago
Our guy installed all the densshield with no caulk in between the seams. The intent is to caulk over the top of the seam. I think the pro was saying to apply caulk to the raw edge before putting the boards in place so that the caulk works all the way to the back.
millworkman
7 years ago
Yes, sorry, see that now.

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