Question about wonderboard installation?
Question:to make a long story short we decided to totally gut our bathroom and lay down slate in the shower/tub area and on the floor. we have put up 1/2" concrete wonderboard around the shower/tub area along with greenboard sheetrock around the rest of the bathroom. my question is do you have to put a moisture barrier behind the wonderboard in the shower/tub area between the studs and the wonderboard? i have read that you have to and i have read that you don't have to. please someone help. we already have the walls almost ready for tile and i hate to have to take some of it down and redo it. thanks in advance!
Answers:
Go back to home depot and kick the clown in the rump that sold you that.In the tiling area they sell red guard after installing green board and wonder board roll redgard on a couple coats and tile over it.Redguard is an elastomeric water barrier specifically designed for your application cost about 35. to 40 dollars.
Check out DIY networks site-they have tons of how-tos and I would trust their know-how.
it is always a good idea to put up vapor barrier behind any type of wall board in a bathroom area just to help prevent condensation on back of board from the diffrent temp. on inside compared to outside
i'd say ...better safe then sorry ....put up some vapor barrier and be sure to tape the seams
all you need is some 6 or 8 mil plastic and staple it to the studs then tape the seams
B.
I have a book that is the Journal of Light Construction Best Practices Manual and a tiling book that both say use a moisture barrier. Aside from references, I an certain that both tile and backer board will let moisture through and eventually damage the studs. Anything that is sheeting 4 mils thick is almost certainly poly but any sheeting will work because all are permeable water barriers.
No worries...... Use your mud( or thinset) as like a skim coat,,, making sure to fill the seams where the wonder board meets. A thin skim coat but let it dry before troweling it with 1/4 or 1/2 knothed trowel. Make sure the thinset is mixed properly. I have done this many times and it works fine.
Yes & No,--- wonderboard is water proof(vapor barrier not need unless outside wall), greenboard in water resistant( not needed unless outside wall). A vapor barrier SHOULD definately go on ANY outside walls. A vapor barrier can go on inside walls(not totally nessasary)
My opinion, just make sure that any outside walls have a vapor barrier on them. If you put a vapor barrier on the whole room, make sure you have a exhaust fan to remove the shower steam & humidity, or you could start having a mold problem(not iside the wall cavity, but on the wall surface.)
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