[VinnieVega]

Hey guys, Just looking for a second opinion. I'm tiling my bathroom. I'm going with a 43" wainscot on the walls, so drywall and backerboard will have to meet up. I've made this transition before and had some small issues that I'm trying to avoid this time around. I can't find evidence of anyone using this method that I'm thinking of using, so thoughts / concerns would be appreciated.

What I'd like to do to give myself a little wiggle room here is comb the backerboard with a 1/4" notched trowel (with thinset) and then back butter the tiles with 1/8", and when I make the transition comb the drywall with 1/8" (and leaving out potential problem areas including inside corners that have tape/mud build up) while still back buttering the tile with 1/8" of thinset.

Let me know what you guys think, thanks.

 

[oh'mike]

That method sounds slow and messy---why not just make the backer and drywall flush before you start.?

Why backer board for wainscot? Unless it is a wet area, drywall is fine behind tile.

 

[VinnieVega]

I had some water damage to a lot of the area that i removed. I'd rather replace it with backer than dry wall in an area I already know I'm tiling (and in a bathroom). You think that adding another 1/8" instead of the (less than a 1/16th) regular back buttering would add?

Also I wasn't able to find an 1/8" furring strip at any stores. Ripping something to work seemed like a lot more work to me than just adding some more depth in thinset.

 

[oh'mike]

Sounds like you might be using Hardibacker--which is not 1/2" thick--Durrock is 1/2"-consider using that.

I'd find a way to shim out the backer---do you have a table saw?

With a bed of mud that thick, your tiles will be sliding and very difficult to install--the squeeze out of thinset will add hours of removing---

 

[VinnieVega]

I may use 2-3 layers of tar paper to shim it out. At this point I don't know if it' worth taking every board down or just dealing with the thinset. Tar paper seems like a relatively painless route, and I have it here already. It would also add some water proofing protection (not that I need it in the area I'm talking about, but I'm much more likely to take a step backwards to make an improvement than otherwise) Ripping skinny shims on the table saw, and securing them to each and every stud seems grueling in comparison.

 

[firehawkmph]

Ripping thin shims on a table saw can be done in about ten minutes. Tacking them onto studs with a small air stapler or Brad tracker takes about two minutes. Why try and reinvent the wheel? I constantly see people come on here, ask for help, but not take what is reasonable and sound advice on how to do something properly. Instead they'll try and talk the advisers into their way. Do what you wish, but I think you're making a lot more work for yourself.
Mike Hawkins:smile:

 

[VinnieVega]

By using he same exact method, to do the same exact thing with tar paper I am trying to reinvent the wheel?

 

[ponch37300]

By using he same exact method, to do the same exact thing with tar paper I am trying to reinvent the wheel?

So you just want to go over the top of the backer with a few layers of tar paper? Then tile over that?