# Finishing drywall around one piece shower stall



## oh'mike

That sounds about right---use the powdered bag mix--easy sand--it is a very hard mud and will fill that gap

and stay put.---Mike---


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## jonesbill

Thank you for the reply, I'm going to get er done tomorrow. I have some leftover setting type mud (45 min) that I can use, I originally used it to fill holes and blowouts before I taped everything. 

I live about two blocks from a drywall distributor and picked up most of my drywall at a discount. They sell "damaged" sheets for $2 each.. no matter what size/thickness, etc. Got a whole unit of 5/8" thick 4x10 greenboard (the good stuff) for $2 each. Used it to completely rock three bathrooms and had some leftover. The entire unit had been dropped from the lift, but only one end had damage so it was completely salvageable. My longest wall was 9', so it totally worked out to my advantage. 

Thanks again for the reply, I appreciate the confirmation of the proper technique.


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## oh'mike

Great score on the damaged drywall---nice price.


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## jonesbill

oh'mike said:


> Great score on the damaged drywall---nice price.


Yeah I went to school with one of the guys that works there and he told me "their cost" on this particular greenboard was like $16 sheet.... so definitely a score. 

Not sure what drywall prices are at the moment, but I also bought 200 sheets of regular 1/2" 4x12 drywall from them at around $5 something/sheet several years ago. That was enough to do quite a bit of my house (2800 sq ft, plus 480 sq ft garage still not done...lol) but I still needed more.... after I hung those 200 sheets I'd just drive up there and go through their "damaged" pile and get whatever I needed at $2 per. Some of the sheets were perfect, other than the fact that they looked like they had been to a jobsite and back. Others were busted on one end, etc. Still nice to save that money and only have to drive a loaded down little Colorado pickup about two blocks to get home... lol. 

Thanks again for the response.


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## maxsmoothwall

Mud of any type and tape works fine but there is one problem with that. Moisture from the shower will wick into the spackle/tape causing need for repair later. The better way is to use vinyl *tear-away "L"* drywall edge molding. These are available at big box depots everywhere. Vinyl L will protect the sheetrock from moisture build up on the horizontal edge of the f/g unit. This product is like a cormer bead but has only one flange that attaches to the wall, the other tucks into the gap betwen the sheetrock edge and the f/g unit. To view it from an end it looks like a "T". The T shape are three flanges: 1) the main flange looks like any corner bead as it is about 1" wide and perforatated. 2) is the 1/2" wide solid flange that tucks into the gap. 3) is another solid flange about 1/4" wide and when installed sticks out beyond the s/rock surface. This flange has a small square offset in the inside corner which rises abot 1/8" above the spackle flange. Your spackle knife rides on this offset allowing the perfect amount of spackle to be applied to the bead. Notice the groove built into the flange right next to the offset. This is the weak spot intended to allow you to remove this flange when spackling is done. Hense: tear away L. Starts out as a T ends up as an L

Installation: Mask the shower unit enough to allow you to spray glue over the gap area using contact glue from a spray can. Precut and fit pieces (prior to gluing). Lay the spackle flange flat onto the sheetrock and push the gap flange into the gap and against the unit. Leave a small gap between the L-molding and the tub unit by using a shim (a piece of vinyl flange works). Tack these in place with nails, just tap the nails one time into s/rock about 1/4" to hold the vinyl in place temperarily. Remove precuts, spray the sheetrock with vinyl drywall bead contact glue. Spray the backside of the spackle flange. Wait a minute. Install vinyl using shims again. Press into place. Now you have a vinyl barrior btween the tub unit and the spackle flange. Apply spackle per usual but allow the knife corner to ride on the squre offset. Two or three coats and sand. Now is time to TEAR AWAY the sacrificial flange by starting a cut in it with a utility knife at the end, Once started CAREFULLY pull the flange away from the tub. Do any additional sanding or touch up. Apply primer; let dry; apply bath caulk into the shim gap you made. Wipe the caulk immediately with water and rag for painters caulk or denatured alcohol for silicone types. prime edge again and paint. 

Viola! A clean,strong seal that protects the sheetrock from water on the tub unit surface.


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