# How to connect drywall to direct to stud shower/bath?



## weatheredwood (Aug 9, 2007)

I'm installing a direct to stud bathtub/shower. Do I need to add anything to the end of the drywall that butts up to the shower edge, or do I just use caulk?


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## jeffmattero76 (Jan 4, 2016)

weatheredwood said:


> I'm installing a direct to stud bathtub/shower. Do I need to add anything to the end of the drywall that butts up to the shower edge, or do I just use caulk?


I have rental properties and have thought about that many times. I did a little research online and found one answer that makes the most sense to me. 

Above the shower walls i leave the drywall 1/8" shy of the top of the shower wall so that no water can wick up into that drywall, and i then fill that gap with caulk. If you use silicone caulk make sure it is paintable silicone. I hate silicone because if it fails you have to remove every bit of it before re-caulking. Instead, i have had success with dynaflex 230. It is easy to work with, latex based, and stays flexible. On the edges outside the shower door, i drywall to the shower walls but still use caulk. If you just use jount compound there you are likely to develop cracks in time due to differential movement.

Good luck!

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## weatheredwood (Aug 9, 2007)

jeffmattero76 said:


> I have rental properties and have thought about that many times. I did a little research online and found one answer that makes the most sense to me.
> 
> Above the shower walls i leave the drywall 1/8" shy of the top of the shower wall so that no water can wick up into that drywall, and i then fill that gap with caulk. If you use silicone caulk make sure it is paintable silicone. I hate silicone because if it fails you have to remove every bit of it before re-caulking. Instead, i have had success with dynaflex 230. It is easy to work with, latex based, and stays flexible. On the edges outside the shower door, i drywall to the shower walls but still use caulk. If you just use jount compound there you are likely to develop cracks in time due to differential movement.
> 
> ...




How does the finished product look? Has the caulk ever failed in that area? 

The only other thing I could think of is using J bead at the edges. I could finish the J bead to the drywall and then caulk the plastic to the tub surround. I could also just caulk the J bead to the drywall paper and the tub surround.


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## jeffmattero76 (Jan 4, 2016)

weatheredwood said:


> How does the finished product look? Has the caulk ever failed in that area?
> 
> The only other thing I could think of is using J bead at the edges. I could finish the J bead to the drywall and then caulk the plastic to the tub surround. I could also just caulk the J bead to the drywall paper and the tub surround.


I have been doing it for about 7 years with no failure failuresnd the finished product looks great. The first time i used mold and water resistant drywall that had purple paper on the face. Like an idiot, my contractor used clear silicone caulk for those joints before the room was painted. I followed behind him and tried to paint it, but the paint would not stick to the caulk. As a result, i was left with a purple line at all of the joints. My only solution was to painstakenly remove all of the silicone, spackle where the removal damaged the drywall and then re-caulk and re-paint. I have not used silicone since. That is why i recommended the dynaflex. 

As far as the j bead... I have never tried that, but i think that is a great idea if you use the vinyl one. That would finish the edge nicely and totally prevent any wicking. Yoy would however have to caulk the edge of the j bead as well as caulking where it meets the shower stall.

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