How do I get tiles off of shower walls?? The sheet rock is bulging and tiles pooching out?

Question

Any helpers out there?? One side of our shower is on the outside backyard wall side of our house.....I just noticed the tiles are bulging out on the bottom of the shower wall on two sides .....I can see that the caulking between the tiles are cracked and I expect the sheet rock is wet if the wall that holds the tiles is bulging and the tiles pooching out...I'm new to this..any suggestions on the way to fix this???What to do and how to get the tiles off the wall and how far up to take the tiles off and replace??? Thanks

Answer 1

A bit of a messy job; but since you have to replace the substrate anyway; just begin by removing a tile or two; then get into the rest of the walls/walls with a Wonder Bar; and hammer if need be.

Tarp the tub/shower, and floor around, and have something at the door to allow residue to remain in the bath area. Carpet/drop cloth etc.

Plan on replacing all of the tile as well as the substrate.

Check the condition of the studs/ any insulation/ the inside of the exterior wall/ and allow dry time. It seems somewhere you have a leak and that needs to be addressed before any installation takes place.

Before replacing add a vapor barrier then I'd probably use construction grade 3 inch foam panels; then Concrete backer board; then tile

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Multiple thousands of sq. ft. of tile

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

I would rip it out right away all of if (Better to it all once correctly then having to do another section again in a few month or years). It is signs of a problem that will only continue to get worse. I would tear it out make sure there are no signs of mold or other damage. Allow it to completely dry out before continuing. The use of green sheet rock is moisture resistant not water proof I would not use in a tub surrounds and shower stalls as it is still susceptible to water damage. Green Board was meant for general use around sinks bathroom ceilings ect. Where there is occasional water or shorter periods of higher humidity like in the bathroom. It was never meant for constant exposure to water. Use concrete backer board (some times called wonder board)!

For removing tiles it is not easy to recycle them once they have been used you are better buying new to do the surround (Wont be that many but if cost is an issue you can get from a reuse store or a tile center end of line stuff that they have discounted to clear out because there is only usually enough of them left for small jobs)

When you install backer board you will see on the tub there is a but of a lip that comes up the wall 90 degrees the board needs to go over this so that any water that dose get past the tiles get directed back in to the tub and not behind it. Also do not rest the backer board directly on the tub edge leave a small space for movement. Tape the seams with a mortar and fiberglass tape. Don’t use regular drywall screws or nails as they will corrode too quickly and cause future problems. Use hot dipped galvanized.

After all this you are ready to re tile.

Answer 3

If you plan on staying in this house for a while don't even hesitate. Based on what you described I would rip the tiles and the sheetrock of immediately. After cleaning everything and making sure you do not have any mold where moisture apparently did its job and your tiles were bulging, I would install new green sheetrock and cover that with wonder board or hardi board. Both are great backing for tiles and in a shower situation I would not tile without them. Once you have that done go ahead and tile. You mentioned caulking between the tiles, if you can use 1/8 to 1/4" spacers and than use sanded grout not caulking. It will last longer, look better, will not mold over etc.
Good luck

Answer 4

sheetrock should not be used in a shower, even the green moisture resistant kind. the temperature difference between the shower and areas adjacent to it will cause moisture which will eventually cause it to deteriorate. it all needs to be taken out if there. if there is hardiboard or cement board behind the tile and the problem seems to be lack of adhesion to it the problem may be easily solved by taking off the loose tiles and resticking them with some mortar. if you end up tearing the stuff out to the studs the moisture barrier mentioned above is a good idea but the layer of sheetrock under the backer board is a bad idea and not neccessary. i'm hoping it is a tub/shower and not a full shower as taking it all out will be much more difficult and expensive...good luck

Answer 5

Rock Shower Walls