Before shifting to Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower, it is very important to know about drywall, so let’s see first what is drywall.
What is Drywall
The U.S. Gypsum Company (USG) founded drywall in 1916. It had been primarily called “Sackett Board,”. Then after a course of time, U.S. Gypsum has changed the name of the material to “Sheetrock”.
Drywall is primarily made up of gypsum materials and mainly, Gypsum is a mineral often present in huge beds that seem like white sand, however as a consequence of impurities could cause beds to seem pink, yellow, or grey
1 | Gyptool Drywall Lift Panel |  | ||
2 | Idealchoice Drywall Lift |  | ||
3 | Telpro Drywall Lift Panel |  |
Drywall is the construction material used to create walls and ceilings. It is very quick and easy to install, incredibly durable, and simple in repairs when damaged for more details visit Wikipedia.
Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower 😇
This is really a good question “Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower” and quite confusing. When we tried to find the answer to this question, then we came to know that there are two big organizations in the market and what do they say about it.
Let’s see which are that organizations and what these organizations say about it.
1. American National Standards Institue (ANSI)
It’s a non-profit group that promotes voluntary conformity requirements in the USA. ANSI also represents the USA in the International standards organizations, serving to provide guidelines that are universally accepted in a number of industries.
And this big organization Not permitted to tile over drywall in the shower, bathtub, or in a wetted area.
2. Gypsum Board Manufacturers
Gypsum board manufacturers also say No, and do not recommend that the tile over drywall in the shower. No manufacturer will warranty their product in the shower as well as there is no industry standard for using tile over drywall in a shower.
You can use drywall anywhere in the bathroom area, just not as part of a shower or tub surround. So I think you got the answer to your question Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower.
[Frequently asked Q]: How to texture drywall with a roller and mud.
Our opinion
But what we see is that, if you do work in a proper way then definitely you will get a good result of tiles over drywall in the shower it is almost similar to can I tile over painted drywall.
So the proper way is very important otherwise Hardie backer or Concrete board as well as Wedi boards, which are usually water and vapor resistant boards that also fail in shower.
So here we provide you a step-by-step guide so that you can tile over drywall in the shower. If you follow these steps then definitely your drywall runs longer.
How to tile over drywall in bathroom
When we want to update our bathroom or when we want to make our bathroom more beautiful then this question “Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower” comes to our mind, but really tile is a good option for us.
By following a proper way, you can tile over drywall in the shower and if you take the precaution which I will tell you after these steps then definitely your tile over drywall in the shower will go on for years,
- Tools required
- Figure out how much materials do you require
- Cover up appliances if any
- Use safety devices
- Clean drywall properly
- Prime over drywall
- Fix up uneven surfaces over drywall by mudding (if applicable)
- Wall Sanding (if applicable)
- Inspection
- Apply sealant on corners, joints, voids, and cracks
- Waterproofing over drywall
- Tiling over drywall
- Waterproof grouting over tiles
- Apply paint on the rest of the drywall (if applicable)
Now we will see the above steps one by one in brief,
Step 1. Tools required 🔧
For fitting the tiles you need some tools so the list of the tools which we required are as below,
1 | Grout Float |  | ||
2 | Roller With Paint Brush |  | ||
3 | Pencil |  | ||
4 | Measurement Tape |  | ||
5 | Trowel |  | ||
6 | Level Gauge |  | ||
7 | Mud Mixer |  | ||
8 | Tile Cutter |  | ||
9 | Sponge |  | ||
10 | Microfiber Cloth |  | ||
11 | Drop Cloth |  | ||
12 | Drywall Hand Sander |  | ||
13 | Drywall Mop |  |
Step 2. Figure out how much materials do you require
Check, there is an uneven area on the drywall then according to that, figure out how many bags of joint compound do you require.
Figure out how much quantity of primer and waterproof bags do you require according to your area. Keep in mind you have to prime and waterproof the whole bathroom.
Figure out sealant according to your corners, joints, voids, and cracks.
Figure out how much area you have to be tiled. Take a measurement of that area with the help of a measurement tape and calculate how many tiles do you required for that particular area.
But before that first decide the size of tiles which size of tiles do you want and according to the size of tiles, you have to calculate how many tiles do you require.
Figure out tile adhesive according to the tiling area. Here we have given the list of the materials which you will require, so have a look,
1 | All Purpose Joint Compound (OR) |  | ||
2 | Easy Sand |  | ||
3 | Primer |  | ||
4 | Sealant |  | ||
5 | Redgard Waterproofing |  | ||
6 | Thin Set Tile Mortar |  | ||
7 | Tile Grout |  |
According to the tile color, you have to select a grout powder for tile grouting.
For example, if you selected grey color tiles then the grout powder color should also be grey because it matches the tiles and gives a better look. Now figure out how many bags of grout powder do you require.
Step 3. Cover up appliances if any
Ensure if any appliances in your bathroom then cover it up because it is a dusty job and dust may damage your appliances.
Step 4. Use safety devices
It’s a very dusty job so always use a safety apron, dust mask, hand gloves, safety shoes, safety goggles, and a respirator if required during the work. We have given the list of some essential safety devices that you should wear during work,
1 | Respirator (OR) |  | ||
2 | Dust Mask |  | ||
3 | Safety Goggle |  | ||
4 | Safety Hand Gloves |  | ||
5 | Safety Shoes |  | ||
6 | Safety Ladder |  |
Step 5. Clean drywall properly
Clean your drywall properly with the help of a dry mop, by wiping mop up and down over the drywall. If you want to drill down how to clean up drywall then read this post best way to clean up drywall dust.
Step 6. Prime over drywall
After cleaning of drywall, apply the best primer to cover drywall imperfections, better adhesion, and form a bonding layer, which indirectly strengthens the surface energy of the material.
You can apply primer over drywall with the help of a brush, roller, or you can also use the good quality of primer spray. If you want to know more about primer then read this post painting drywall without primer.
Apply primer over the new drywall is the standard practice to seal the drywall from moisture and can prevent the growth of mold. Want to know more about primer then check this post do I need to prime drywall before tiling.
Step 7. Fix up uneven surfaces over drywall by mudding (if applicable)
Find out there is an uneven surface on drywall, if-then fix it first by mudding. If you do not fix it, then you will get an uneven tiling surface and due to this, a small gap may create there in between the tiles.
And water may go into it and due to continuous water drywall doesn’t get time to dry and after a course of time drywall may get damaged. So always fix uneven surfaces on drywall by mudding.
If you want to know how much time it takes to dry then read this post how long does drywall mud take to dry.
Note: Remember one thing you have to use Mold resistant drywall because we will apply waterproofing over drywall so we need mold-resistant drywall for the shower.
Step 8. Wall Sanding (if applicable)
After mudding, you have to wait until the drywall mud dry. Then after you start sanding over the mudded area with the help of a drywall sander.
Wipe the sanded wall down with a dry mop. If you want to know more about drywall cleaning then read this post best way to clean up drywall dust and apply primer over the mudded area.
Step 9. Inspection
Now here you have to do a proper inspection. Check wall sanding is done in a good manner. There should be no peeling paint or lose particles on the drywall. Is the drywall completely dry? Is the substrate must be free of grease, loose particles, dust, etc.
Check the wall by a level gauge that there is no uneven surface on the wall if any uneven surface or any abnormality is found then you have to fix it first.
[Must Read]: How to fix drywall seams after painting.
Even you have to check the materials also. Is the required quantity of materials is available to you? If yes then go ahead.
Step 10. Apply sealant on corners, joints, voids, and cracks
After priming over drywall, you have to wait until the primer dry. Then apply Lapage 2 in 1 sealant on drywall corners, joints, voids, and cracks, etc, and move your index finger gently over the sealant.
Here it seals the drywall completely means not a single particle of water or moisture enters into the drywall through corners, joints, voids, and cracks. It prevents the drywall from water and moisture.
Also, apply the sealant on the bottom side of the drywall corners means floor to drywall corner. Here it is very important to seal the bottom corner of drywall because mostly water comes in contact with the bottom area.
If there is any pipe in your bathroom whether it is a shower pipe or water tap pipe whatever pipe it may be you must apply a sealant surrounding the pipe and move your index finger gently over the sealant.
Step 11. Waterproofing over drywall
Waterproofing is a very important process for drywall in the shower. Without waterproofing, the drywall may damage soon in the shower because of the continuous flow of water and so drywall won’t get time to dry.
So always apply waterproofing on the drywall in the shower. And always go for 2 coats of waterproofing over the drywall. You will apply the second coat only when the first coat is completely dried.
RedGard is a good option for drywall waterproofing. RedGard prevents water from seeping into walls. RedGard is the vapor barrier, crack-resistant, fast-drying, moisture resistant, mold/mildew resistant. It is a premixed product and no mixing is required.
How to waterproof drywall, now there are three ways to get RedGard waterproofing on drywall panels,
- Roll it on the wall by roller
- Brush it on the wall
- Trowel it on the wall
So here we load the roller into the RedGard and apply it over the drywall. Use the paintbrush for areas that are unreachable with the roller.
Apply a good coat of RedGard to all the corners and spaces adjacent to the shower or tub because these are the areas that water likes to penetrate the most.
RedGard color is pink when you apply over drywall and after drying it looks red then we came to know that it is completely dried then go 2nd coat. Usually, it takes 2 to 3 hours to dry but also it depends upon the ambient condition.
When the RedGard appeared red then we came to know that the RedGard is completely dried. Now your drywall is completely waterproof and is ready for further work.
Step 12. Tiling over drywall
Now tiles fitting is a very very important step. Actually, some peoples start their work by putting tiles randomly or some people start their work by putting tiles in the bottom corner of the left-hand side of the specified area.
And some people start their work from the right on the counter and if you also do the same then you may finish your work as soon as possible. But I assure you, you won’t get the consistency as well as the equality/pattern in tiles and it won’t look good.
If you want the equality/pattern in tiles in your specified area then you must start work from the center of your specified area, which is as shown in the below image.
Yes, it increases your work but you will get the equality in tiles, and believe me, it will look very good, and for more information check Can I tile over painted drywall.
Step 13. Waterproof grouting over tiles
Now you remove all the spacers. Here we have a premix mortar bag. If you have a cement bag then read the instructions over the bag and mix the grout accordingly.
Hope you are done mixing. Now load up your grout float a little at a time and just apply it with a little pressure to get it in between every joint.
Then take the grout float and hold it at a 45-degree angle and drag it across the entire surface and repeat the process again making sure that sweated a grout in every single joint and making sure that everything is nicely covered.
Now you have to wait for 10 to 20 minutes and the grout is dry just slightly. Take a grout sponge that has a rough side to it and a smooth side to it if you flip it over. You damp the sponge enough and rub the tiles properly so that the excess grouting should be out.
After cleaning all excess grout with the sponge, wait one hour then after wiped down it with a dry microfiber cloth. It is a good cloth that really holds all dust and does not spread it everywhere.
Here we finished the work now just wait for 24 hours before you can use the water in the sink.
Step 14. Apply paint on the rest of the drywall (if applicable)
If you apply the tiles on half of the drywall then you definitely need to apply paint on the rest of the drywall. This will increase the beauty of your bathroom even more.
Bonus Tip: Always remember the floor of your bathroom should be slightly inclined towards the sink or drain of the bathroom. So that the water should not be stored on the floor of the bathroom.
What are the reasons that tile over drywall in shower fails
There are a few reasons due to which tile fails on drywall. If you take care of these reasons then definitely your drywall runs longer.
👉 If your shower system fails and water leakage continuously, this your drywall will damage.
👉 If there are any cracks on drywall it may damage your drywall
👉 If you do not use waterproof grout
👉 If you do not apply waterproofing on your drywall
👉 If you do not apply sealant on corners, joints, voids, and cracks of drywall
👉 If you do not apply primer on drywall
👉 If any tile is damage.
👉 If water will be collecting on your bathroom floor.
👉 If your waterproof grouting is damaged.
👉 If you do not use waterproof grout
👉 If you do not fix the uneven surface of the drywall
Final Wording
Now here we came to know that, Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower as well as if you want to tile over drywall in the shower then how can you do it and how can you prevent drywall from damage.
If you fix these above reasons then definitely your drywall runs longer. So make your bathroom more beautiful by applying tiles over drywall.
We hope you understood well and may this article “Can You Tile Over Drywall In Shower” will help you to make your shower more decorative.
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