Bathtub wall tile?

Question

Can a ceramic wall tile be applied directly to a greenboard surface with mortar or is a cement backer board required?

Thanks for your help

Answer 1

u can go over the green board with tile....cement board is just better then green board in the long run, but if green board is already up then no since in replacing it

Answer 2

i don't know the answert to your question.  i just wanted to say i think i would be could to tile in a light blue color, making it darker as you get to the botton.  paint the bottom of the tub the color of sand.  I would make the surrounding tile give the appearance that i was under water.  i'd pain fish, a treasure chest, a sunken anchor, and have a shark painted in.  I think it would be especially cool to do those images similar to what used to be found in cracker jack boxe: those ones where you see one image when you look at it head on, but a totally different picture when looked at in another direction, but do that with fish.

Answer 3

Yes. I have tiled 10's of thousands of feet on green board. It's not my choice , but you know contractors go the cheapest way. Keep green board a 1/2 " off the tub. It will last a lot longer.I also would not use adhesive it is messy and loses hold after a few years. I used plain OL'  thinset. It holds great and is easy to wipe out of the joints.And don't let anyone tell you different. I set tile for 30 yrs.

Answer 4

Cement backer is required for it's moisture resistant qualities.

I studied this in detail before deciding to use a tub surround wall instead of tile.

Answer 5

I just charged a client 800 dollars to fix that exact problem. The weak link in this equation is not the gypsum in the wall board, but the paper that is used to wrap it. In the case i mentioned, the tile was still stuck to the paper but the paper was peeling off the wall. It takes about 4 to 5 sheets of 1/2 rock board to replace the Green board. Which is about 60 bucks with material. I would strongly recommend that you do the job once, and do it right. Best of luck.

Answer 6

Wow, Hi Steve,

   My opinion, and I haven't read any other answers yet, Green board is fine for walls adjacent to areas that may endure water intrusion, but not as a substrate to install tile over.

   I understand it has been done, and certainly was an offered option before backer board was introduced, but it's water resistant properties are negligible.

  I do tile, every day of my life, and I get it that the customer is always right, even when they aren't, but I never had a negative call back, nor do I wish one for you, even years from now.

  Another positive aspect of the concrete backer board is texture; a surface allowing better adhesion for thin set, which green board does not offer.

  Good to see you again. I was beginning to wonder if you'd gotten lost in the SMOKIES.

Steven

Just my two "sense"