[BengalfanMT]

I am in the process of finishing my basement and am now to the hall where the stairs come down from the main floor. I would like to finish this portion of the wall by applying the sheetrock directly to the concrete to get away from having a ledge from framing the wall out. Is their any product that is a good moisture barrier that I can apply straight to the wall with Gorilla glue or something along that line? I know their is water rock but I am not sure if that would be correct for this type of application. I am not in a high humidity climate per se but in Montana you get some pretty good swings in Temoerature and just want to make sure I do it correctly and still get the look I want. Any ideas on products I can use would be great. FYI, I will only need to do this with about 3 1/2 sheets of 4x8 rock. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[Grampa Bud]

Try 1/2" cement board, fill the gaps with fine tile mortar, and skim plaster over the whole surface. The reason to put vapor barrier behind is to protect trapped wood, drywall, and insulation from getting wet from seapage or condensation and molding, but if you can't put the barrier in (no wall) you will have to go with water proof materials.

 

[BengalfanMT]

Thanks for the reply. When you say skim plaster is that the Taping mud or do I have to find something different to cover the roughness of cement board? Sorry to sound dumb but I think that sounds like a good idea and want to make sure I do it right. Thanks

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Bad idea on sheetrock up against concrete
It will fall apart
Water vapor will migrate thru the concrete & soften the sheetrock

 

[BengalfanMT]

Bad idea on sheetrock up against concrete
It will fall apart
Water vapor will migrate thru the concrete & soften the sheetrock

Thanks Dave, Any ideas on how to solve my problem at all? That is what I do not want because after the flooring is down it would be a mess to fix. Thanks

 

[wrangler]

If the biggest concern is not having a ledge, why not jut fur the whole wall out up to the ceiling. To conserve space you can use 1x3 or 2x4s turned sideways and lose little space. You would even be able to insulate between the studs to help protect against those cold Montana winter chills.

 

[BengalfanMT]

The wall is actually finished from the plate up so I would have to take off all of the sheetrock above that point so that would be a pain. I was hoping their was a 1/2 thick product out there that had a moisture barrier on it, the durock would work but sounds like a pain. I might have to live with having a ledge there but 1 less thing for my young son to climb on and hurt himself is my main concern with the ledge. Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[Grampa Bud]

I still believe 1/2" durorock would be an acceptable solution. The fine tile mortar is just to fill in the seams/gaps. Since this AND the durorock are both basicly cement, they can both be submersed in water after they have hardened and will not break down. The skim coat of plaster if done carefully will leave you with a nice smooth wall surface as good as any drywall surface.

 

[clasact]

my vote is with BUD solves the problem in the most efficent and less costly manner

 

[bjbatlanta]

I HAVE adhered drywall directly to concrete and block, but always at the owner's insistence and with NO guarantees (stipulated in writing)...

 

[Grampa Bud]

Again this is Durock. It is made with Portland Cement, a fiberglass mesh, and loose fiberglass as a filler. It can be left under water and will not break down; unlike regular drywall or gypsum board that will fall apart if you piss on it. Just stick it to the concrete or block wall with a good quality waterproof building adhesive or mastic and the two will become one -forever-.

 

[Phuture]

i have "laminated literally hundreds of sheets of drywall directly to cinder block, concrete and brick walls with simply joint compound and cut nails in commercial and industrial as well as residential situations with no problems what so ever. if you want details on the process let me know. as long as you dont have water running through the block you don't have to worry.:yes: