# how to tile corner??



## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

Hello and thanks for reading;

Can an outside corner where hardibacker meets drywall be finished with tape and mud (no cornerbead) even if there is 1/4"furring strip behind the hardibacker? Essentially, the drywall is cut to the framing so now the hardibacker and wood furring strip will cover the drywall edge, leaving the furring strip flush with the drywall instead of the hardibacker.... I'm hoping to avoid having to sheetrock the wall again so it comes out past the furring strip to be flush with the hardibacker just because the width of a furring strip!


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## Just Bill (Dec 21, 2008)

Can't quite visualize what you are describing, but things should transition smoothly. Do whatever is needed for that end.


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## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

You have a protruding corner that would usually be covered with a corner bead (plastic or metal).
But you are tiling this corner.
One wall has hardibacker flush to the edge. The other has drywall, the edge of a furring strip, and the edge of the hardibacker.

So - if you did just go ahead and mud/tape - the mud/tape would be directly on the furring strip?

If I'm imagining this correctly you can do this as long as your mud isn't mud - but mortar - and your mortar is fortified and specified as use to "adhere fiberboard to wood" and so on. It must be the right composition to join directly to wood.

Personally, though, I would just remove the drywall and replace with hardibacker - even if it means more work to add in furring strips and so on, so forth.


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## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

I appreciate the response(s), thank you. 

Originally I used the furring strips so that the hardibacker is flush over the nailing flange of the tub. But doing so has created a problem at the corner of the outside wall where the hardibacker on one side and drywall on the other side are separated by the furring strip. 

Snav- You have identified my issue 100%! To be clear, you recommend eliminating the drywall side and make both sides of the corner hardibacker? I would be putting hardibacker on a wall that isn't going to be tiled so that there's no hardibacker-to-drywall transition at the corner at all? Your other solution sounds great, why not go with this method of using a mortar that would work here?


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## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

Ok - the drywall will not be tiled.

Yeah, you can do a smooth transition over the furring strip. When you have an area where backer meets wall you need to think ahead when embedding scrim and mortar - mud is smoother than mortar and easier to sand/get to look smooth but mortar is the ideal material, especially since you're right next to the tub. So it'll take some finess when you sand to get the smooth side to be smooth - but you can do it.


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## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

Ok Snav I understand thanks again; I have seen that Durabond 90 is sometimes used between cement board and drywall at the seam- Would it be easier to sand than thinset?


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

can you pad wall with drywall to corner to make flush with backer then do new corner bead? am i understanding this correctly?


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## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

It sounds like what you're saying is to extend the side with the drywall to bring the drywall beyond the other side with the furring strip so it's flush with the hardibacker? 

I think I'll try to tape and mortar this whole corner/seam; I'm just unsure whether 1.) the mortar will hold to the drywall and furring strip and cement board and 2.) if it can be sanded/finished to look clean 

I'm sorry I may have to try to attach a picture...


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

please


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## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

I attached 3 pictures of the outside corner. The side above the tub will be cement board but since I didnt put it up yet I held up a piece of drywall to demonstrate where the hardibacker will be...


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

whats with the plywood sandwich?


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## escoleone (Apr 23, 2010)

The plywood is furring strip attached to the stud so that the cement board will clear the bathtub lip (nailing flange)

Can this "plywood sandwich" :wink:be treated like a normal seam with tape and mortar?


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