# Advice where drywal stops and cement board begins



## Trucon01 (Jan 10, 2012)

Hi All,

I have a shower that will be tile from ceiling to floor, the question is, how far over do I bring the tile to the door opening?

In the picture, I have a small piece of drywall on the left side of the door frame. The trim will cover this, but should I remove the drywall here and just bring the cement board out the whole way?


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

I think in your case you should take the tilebacker to the door opening and transition to sheetrock beyond. No reason to have a break in wall sheathing that close to the door. Better to tie the studs together there with a continuous sheathing.

Set your door, trim it out, and bring your tile to the trim. No sense in leaving a 1/2" gap to try to texture and paint.

The other way to do it would be to tile the whole wall, put some extensions on your door jambs to cover the added width, or order the wider door jambs (more money), then just nail your trim to the door jamb. This means the trim would overlap the tile.


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

Yeah, but then you have a joint above the door where backerboard butts to the drywall and has to be finished.... I would butt the backer to the drywall, run the door trim, and let the tile overlap the drywall just enough to cover the joint. You're not going to get that much water out on that edge, especially if you're putting up a shower door (or at least a curtain), which I would assume you are....


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## Arsinek (Aug 13, 2012)

Could you use cement board on that whole wall?


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## RTC_wa (Mar 12, 2013)

Just remember if you use 1/2 inch cement board you have to use half inch drywall 5/8 to 5/8.


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## Arsinek (Aug 13, 2012)

RTC_wa said:


> Just remember if you use 1/2 inch cement board you have to use half inch drywall 5/8 to 5/8.


5/8 to 5/8?


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## bjbatlanta (Jul 16, 2008)

If you use "cement board" on the whole wall, you would have to somehow finish the part past the door to make it smooth for paint......


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## RTC_wa (Mar 12, 2013)

Arsinek said:


> 5/8 to 5/8?


if your tile board is 1/2 dry wall 1/2 inch if your tile board is 5/8 your dry wall that matches up to it has to be 5/8 inch.


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## Trucon01 (Jan 10, 2012)

Cool, thanks all!!

I have 1/2 drywall and using 1/2 Durock. I cut off the drywall and will use durock all the way to the door. Then overlap the bullnose tile on the drywall just a bit to cover the gap.

Now to another issue. As seen the in pic, I have a 1/4 gap in the back corner of the shower. 

1.
Can I just fill that with joint compound flush with the cement board?

2.
Once all the Durock is installed, do I also use the mesh and/or Redgard where the wall and ceiling meet?

Thanks again!


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

That looks more like a 1/2" from here.

If possible, remove the sheetrock on the ceiling and shim down that framing member.

Otherwise, don't forget about it during your layout. You'll probably end up cutting your last course of tile to fit snug against the ceiling, and you'll get a chance there to make it look good. I have my doubts however; it looks like it rises up abruptly.

You can fill it with thinset when you set the tile.


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## Trucon01 (Jan 10, 2012)

Yea, its just over 1/4 inch and that corner is level, its the middle joist that dips lower.

Worst case scenario, I'll just have a bigger grout line in the corner, right? Is there a type of ceiling tile trim that would be good for hiding?


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

Trucon01 said:


> Yea, its just over 1/4 inch and that corner is level, its the middle joist that dips lower.
> 
> Worst case scenario, I'll just have a bigger grout line in the corner, right? Is there a type of ceiling tile trim that would be good for hiding?


Do you have a gap on the left side that's not shown in the picture? 

If you can, shave 1/4 off of the sagging joist or shim out the other joists so your ceiling is flat. The large grout joint might drive you nuts when its done as your eye will be drawn to it.


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

You can cut your top course of tile to fit, so you will maintain the same size grout line.

Let's say you are using 6" tile and you have generally 5" left at the top and you are using 1/8" grout lines and no grout line at the top. So you measure on the left of the tile and on the right. You can cut 5" tile, then maybe one measures 5 on the left and 5 1/16th on the right. That means the next will be 5 1/16th on the left, and x on the right.

So the 5 and 5 1/16th space will call for a 4 7/8 and 4 15/16 tile. Can you dig it brother?


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