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Bathroom shower wall, help!

last year

When I put the Hardie Backer Board on my shower wall it wasn't a full 1/2 inch thickness like my drywall, we had to feather the transition from drywall to backer board with joint setting compound which ran about 12 inches onto my backer board. I used primer and a satin finish paint over the compound but was just told I couldn't tile over the painted surface. I'm not sure what to do now, do I have to sand all the paint and primer off the setting compound? My transition starts from the end of my shower base and I'll be bringing tile out about 2 inches onto my drywall.

Featured Answer

PRO

Mint tile Minneapolis

last year

Hardie is only 7/16"often advertised as 1/2".

the only joint compound acceptable would be durabond and still technically not TCNA approved.

I would start over and fur out the studs to lap the tile flange

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Comments (6)

PRO
Adama Engineering
last year
Remove all of that incorrect 1/4” and install the correct 1/2” backer board, overlapping the integral tile flange. You currently do not have the correct overlap, and this will leak.
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gtwm1122
Original Author
last year
Just an idea before I have to tear out all the backer board and start over again. Could I use a Kerdi membrane and apply it over the entire shower wall seeing Kerdi can be applied over backer board, compound, or a painted wall with a little preparation. Just thought I'd ask, maybe it would save me a lot of extra work..
PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
last year
last modified: last year
The bigger issue is the tile flange. Your asking for cracked tiles at that junction as well as possible leaks via wicking.

In rergards to. Drywall mud (compound) is re-emulsifiable! and thinset is water based! it is not achievable to gain proper bond regardless what youve read online. so NO.

as well the wall should be fully waterproofed INSIDE intended glass enclosure.

I fear your being penny wise pound foolish here asking for trouble. Your willing to ad labor and expense of kerdi yet i could demo that in about 2 hrs and start over.......

do your math and consider the RISK factor after you invest in kerdi, and tile only to have cracked tiles in possible short order.....

Your future self will pat you! on the back in a months time as you forget about the whole mess in which you learned a few hard lessons. or .....Wait untill you learn how fun kerdi is the first time and then a likely second time in short order. Make sense:)
gtwm1122
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
After all the info I've been getting seems it like the easiest way is to take the wall off and start over again, the right way this time, lesson learned. My thoughts were removing the Hardi and put on Durlok backer cement board seeing it's a true 1/2" in thickness, seam it with Alkali resistant mesh tape, seal the tape with modified mortar, then Redguard everything inside my wet area, would this be the correct way to do it? I'd rather ask questions first than ending up doing this wall a third time, lol..
gtwm1122
Original Author
last year
Are you talking about the shower base flange that goes against my studs that the backer board has to project over? I was told by the shower manufacture to keep the backer board a 1/8" above my shower base flange and caulk it, then run my tiles down over the flange about a 1/4" above the shower base, is this correct?

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