# Drywall over ceramic tile



## kirkwahl (Mar 31, 2009)

I have a client who has a home built in the 50's. The bathroom has ceramic tile floor to ceiling. The wife came home from a weekend trip to find her husband had been knocking the tile out of the walk in shower. She freaked because plaster came off the wall on the other side of the shower.

They called me to give them a bid on installing drywall over the tile. I plan to attach furring strips to the tile, rigid insulation between the strips, then a continuous vapor barrier, and finally the drywall. The problem is that will be a minimum thickness of 1¼", and the toilet would have to be moved as well. They would like me to just glue the drywall directly to the tile. I think this could cause huge problems; First, the cold tile with the warm moist air in the bathroom will most likely cause condensation behind the drywall, not a good thing. Second, gluing drywall to ceramic tile without mechanical fasteners, seems to me to be a problem waiting to happen.

What do you think? Anyone have any other ideas?


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## Pearce Services (Nov 21, 2005)

you could demo, and do it right in less time.....dywall in walk in shower??? is it a fiberglass unit, or are the tiles in the shower too?

re: the toilet, you could get a 10" rough if needed.


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## mikec (Jan 2, 2007)

Absolutley demo it. What are you going do with the door, and window if you go over it? Seems crazy.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

:blink::no:


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## bwalley (Jan 7, 2009)

kirkwahl said:


> I have a client who has a home built in the 50's. The bathroom has ceramic tile floor to ceiling. The wife came home from a weekend trip to find her husband had been knocking the tile out of the walk in shower. She freaked because plaster came off the wall on the other side of the shower.
> 
> They called me to give them a bid on installing drywall over the tile. I plan to attach furring strips to the tile, rigid insulation between the strips, then a continuous vapor barrier, and finally the drywall. The problem is that will be a minimum thickness of 1¼", and the toilet would have to be moved as well. They would like me to just glue the drywall directly to the tile. I think this could cause huge problems; First, the cold tile with the warm moist air in the bathroom will most likely cause condensation behind the drywall, not a good thing. Second, gluing drywall to ceramic tile without mechanical fasteners, seems to me to be a problem waiting to happen.
> 
> *What do you think? Anyone have any other ideas?*


IMO it is a train wreck waiting to happen, I wouldn't get anywhere near that job.


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## kirkwahl (Mar 31, 2009)

mikec said:


> Absolutley demo it. What are you going do with the door, and window if you go over it? Seems crazy.


Jamb extensions for the door and window. Those are not a problem. I have tried to assuage their fears about removing the tile, but the clients are adamant, that they want me to just cover it.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

If the customer wants it, do it, you can glue the rock directly to the tile, just make sure to rough up the tile, (score or grind). Then go with flexbond thinset, wegde wood between walls until it dries. G


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## kirkwahl (Mar 31, 2009)

Pearce Services said:


> you could demo, and do it right in less time.....dywall in walk in shower??? is it a fiberglass unit, or are the tiles in the shower too?
> 
> re: the toilet, you could get a 10" rough if needed.


Definitely not drywall in a shower. The shower was originally tile set in a mortar bed. The problem was caused when he damaged other walls in the house beating it with a sledge hammer to remove it... The homeowner has decided to handle the shower himself. He has already purchased a pan, some durock, and a Schluter-Kerdi membrane system. He plans to re-tile with a more neutral color.

I already suggested the 10" rough toilet, but she is concerned she will be "crowded" using it... I am still trying to make her understand it is just a different base design, that she will have the same amount of room.


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## kirkwahl (Mar 31, 2009)

genecarp said:


> If the customer wants it, do it, you can glue the rock directly to the tile, just make sure to rough up the tile, (score or grind). Then go with flexbond thinset, wegde wood between walls until it dries. G


Have you done this in the past? What about the moisture penetrating the drywall, and condensing on the cold tile.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

kirkwahl said:


> Have you done this in the past? What about the moisture penetrating the drywall, and condensing on the cold tile.


Yes i have glued drywall to tile using this method, Is this going to become a shower again? Or is this shower coming out completely? If it is going to be a shower again, what will the finished surface be(on top of the rock?.Condensing will not be a problem in most cases, but there are so many variables that we dont know, example (is this enclosure on an exterior wall, is the bathroom adequaetly vented, etc)....G


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