Greenboard Drywall Should not be used in Wet Areas
By Mark J. Donovan
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Contrary to what you may have heard greenboard drywall is not meant for wet environments. Many do it yourself homeowners often make this mistake and wind up using it in a custom ceramic tile shower stall or shower surrounds. Cheap builders also sometimes try to get away with using it in ceramic tiled shower areas. This is a major error and will quickly lead to a failed custom ceramic tile shower project and rapid mold growth! Greenboard drywall is meant for damp or high humidity areas, such as bathroom and basement walls, but not in wet areas such as in shower stalls.
A more appropriate naming convention for greenboard drywall is moisture resistant drywall. |
As the name implies greenboard drywall is green in color due to the green paper that is used to sandwich a layer of gypsum material between it. The paper covering is water resistant but not waterproof. As soon as water penetrates the paper covering the gypsum quickly breaks down and crumbles.
| Consequently greenboard drywall should never be used in shower stall applications or other wet tile environments. Cement backerboard or Hardibacker board should be used instead for ceramic tiled shower stalls or other wet areas that are to include tile.
Greenboard drywall comes in two thicknesses, ½ inch and 5/8 inch, and is available in a variety of sheet dimensions including 8, 10 and 12 feet lengths and 4 feet widths. Pricing varies with sheet size and market conditions. Though greenboard drywall is available in 5/8 inch thickness it should not be used in firewall applications. Instead Type X drywall should be used for these types of applications. |
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So before choosing moisture resistant drywall make sure the target environment is truly a damp or humid area, and not a wet or potential fire area.
For information on repairing a large drywall hole, see the “How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole” Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The “How to Repair a Large Drywall Hole” Ebook provides step-by-step instructions on how to repair your damaged wall so that it looks as good as new.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Drywall Calculator
Related Information
- How to Strap a Ceiling
- How to Tape and Mud Drywall Video
- Detailed Instructions on How to Install Drywall
Additional Drywall Installation Resources from Amazon.com
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