# Drywall around shower



## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

Take a look at the pictures I have attached. I am trying to figure out how to do the sheetrock up to the shower in various locations. The two that look the most difficult are between the door and the shower and where the shower sticks out from the end of the last stud a little bit. Any ideas?


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

You're not going to be able to install casing on the door where the shower overhangs, are you? Seems like door installation would be a challenge as well. I think a smaller door is in order or perhaps moving the door over 3 or 4" if the wall is not load bearing, otherwise it will look like a mess. Other than the door, I don't see a problem.


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

thekctermite said:


> You're not going to be able to install casing on the door where the shower overhangs, are you? Seems like door installation would be a challenge as well. I think a smaller door is in order or perhaps moving the door over 3 or 4" if the wall is not load bearing, otherwise it will look like a mess. Other than the door, I don't see a problem.


Everything you see there is original including the shower, I haven't installed anything new yet. We are thinking of putting in a new door but I'll stick with the same size 30". The person that did it before me had used sheetrock all the way across between the two, screwed it and painted it, no finishing, it was a crap job. I don't see a problem rocking between the shower and the door, just a problem going up onto the lip of the shower, seems you would see that it's uneven after it's done.


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## Garasaki (Apr 14, 2008)

You are supposed to shim the studs before you put the drywall on. In order to bring them out to the same level as the shower "lip".

I almost hate to admit this, but I ran up against the same problem in my basement, and found a cardboard box that I cut up into strips, doubled the strips up, stapled em to the studs, then installed the drywall over those. The 2 strips of cardboard came out to be exactly the same width as the shower lip.

I'm sure there's a more proper way to do this.


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

Garasaki said:


> You are supposed to shim the studs before you put the drywall on. In order to bring them out to the same level as the shower "lip".
> 
> I almost hate to admit this, but I ran up against the same problem in my basement, and found a cardboard box that I cut up into strips, doubled the strips up, stapled em to the studs, then installed the drywall over those. The 2 strips of cardboard came out to be exactly the same width as the shower lip.
> 
> I'm sure there's a more proper way to do this.


Yeah, I could just rip a 2x4...I guess that would be the proper way to do it. The right way is always more difficult but it's so much nicer in the end. Then I won't be thinking about it for the next year.


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## ponch37300 (Nov 27, 2007)

Is your door casing and trim going to line up if you shime the drywall out? You might be better off installing the drywall uneven and then the door trim will hide most of that.


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

ponch37300 said:


> Is your door casing and trim going to line up if you shime the drywall out? You might be better off installing the drywall uneven and then the door trim will hide most of that.


In that area, you might be right. I'll have to just shim and fudge, fudge and shim. I was throwing this out there to see if there was a great way to do it. 

I am still wondering about the part that goes just past the end of the wall...when I put sheetrock on the face of that 2x4, what do I do around the corner? Then if you look, that "flange" gets narrower at the bottom and doesn' stick out...that part won't be too bad. The only thing I'm thinking now is to shim the bottom to match the top and put sheetrock over the flange. Then I can do the corner like normal.


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## kgphoto (Dec 2, 2007)

Cardboard shim strips are available at the home center. The are quick to put up with a stapler. Shim to the lip and to straighten any stud issues. Shave proud studs.

1/8" difference over four feet won't show, so you don't have to shim past the door, but I would just do the whole room as necessary.

A quality increase would be to use vinyl "J" mold on the bottom edge of the drywall where it hits the top of the shower and then caulk that gap. This will prevent wicking, even between paint jobs.


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

Hmmm, no ones mentioned the type of drywall proposed. Did you plan on using regular drywall? If so, I'd suggest using Densarmor instead. It installs like regular drywall but it's paperless. No paper. No mold. Considering this is as much of a wet location as you can get without being the actual shower wall, it might be a good idea. 
And please don't say greenboard. It's absolutely worthless. :whistling2:


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

angus242 said:


> Hmmm, no ones mentioned the type of drywall proposed. Did you plan on using regular drywall? If so, I'd suggest using Densarmor instead. It installs like regular drywall but it's paperless. No paper. No mold. Considering this is as much of a wet location as you can get without being the actual shower wall, it might be a good idea.
> And please don't say greenboard. It's absolutely worthless. :whistling2:


Greenboard is what I bought. I don't mind bringing things back but that would be a beeach! I didn't know there was anything better, I thought that was the better stuff.


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

BFD8 said:


> Greenboard is what I bought. I don't mind bringing things back but that would be a beeach! I didn't know there was anything better, I thought that was the better stuff.


Unfortunately, it's a common mistake. Greenboard was actually removed from the IRC book maybe even a few years ago???? Bottom line is it's faced with paper. Paper and water = food for mold. I keep posting this picture here but it's one of the best examples of why greenboard is obsolete.

Densarmor is sold at Menards and Lowes...as far as I know, Homey Depot doesn't care it. Like I said, it is the exact same procedure as installing drywall. I use it exclusively in any bathroom remodel I do. Taking it 1 step further, I also use fiberglass tape for the seams as using paper tape is kind of silly if you take the effort of not using paper on the drywall.


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

What's the price difference? 
I might take the time to bring it back but they'll only give me a gift card. If I then have to go to the other store, that might not work for me...darn it. I had heard there was better stuff but I figured by using the green board it would just be better than normal sheetrock. Normal sheetrock works well enough when everything is painted and caulked....maybe I could just get a piece or two just to do around the top of the shower and use the green board on the rest of the bathroom. What is the difference between the green board and normal sheetrock other than the price?


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

BFD8 said:


> What is the difference between the green board and normal sheetrock other than the price?


As far as I'm concerned, nothing. I don't support the use of greenboard anywhere so I'm not going to even discuss it.
I believe for a 4'x8' sheet of Densarmor, it's about $9-$12. I think I just saw it for $9.99 at Menards but I don't know where you are located and if you even have a Menards around. Home Depot might carry it in other locations. They don't by me.
I understand people say that regular drywall or greenboard has worked for years and it's used all the time. None of that makes it right. Over the past 3 years, *EVERY* bathroom I've demo'd has had mold in it. EVERY SINGLE ONE. All of them were constructed with drywall and greenboard. Do you see the correlation? I know there are other factors that are very important but that's not what we're discussing. I just don't see why anyone that is remodeling wouldn't take the extra step to eliminate potential mold growth. 
To me it's a no brainer. I'd easily pay the extra few dollars to ensure I'm getting a better material. For my remodels, I don't even give my customers a choice anymore. I use Densarmor in all bathroom non wet locations. Period. They pay the extra for the upgrade or I don't take the job.
I recommend if you have the opportunity to use something other than greenboard.

Good luck with your project :thumbup:


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## BFD8 (Apr 2, 2008)

Well the greenboard was $9 a sheet so it doesn't sound any more than that. Thanks for the input. I will def. be doing something different.


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## ponch37300 (Nov 27, 2007)

Angus has a good point about the green board. It used to be considered "the better stuff" but i have read/seen alot of problems with it in wet locations. 

As far as your wall seperating the shower from the toilet where your surrond sticks out farther than the wall you can either trim the surrond or add another 2x4 to extend the wall another 1.5" if you can spare the room. Also in this location i would shim the studs so they are even with the surrond.


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

angus242 said:


> Unfortunately, it's a common mistake. Greenboard was actually removed from the IRC book maybe even a few years ago???? Bottom line is it's faced with paper. Paper and water = food for mold. I keep posting this picture here but it's one of the best examples of why greenboard is obsolete.
> 
> Densarmor is sold at Menards and Lowes...as far as I know, Homey Depot doesn't care it. Like I said, it is the exact same procedure as installing drywall. I use it exclusively in any bathroom remodel I do. Taking it 1 step further, I also use fiberglass tape for the seams as using paper tape is kind of silly if you take the effort of not using paper on the drywall.


I use GP's drywall mud made for Densarmor too. Regular drywall mud has some organics in it that are mold food.


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

Maintenance 6 said:


> I use GP's drywall mud made for Densarmor too. Regular drywall mud has some organics in it that are mold food.


Yes, so do I. It's called Densarmor Cote. I can only find it locally at Lowes.


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