How to proceed with partially stripped soggy shower wall?

Question

I noticed my shower wall was "soft" lower down, so I began pulling off tiles and found the drywall behind to be wet. SEE PHOTO:
http://picasaweb.google.com/summitguy/Shower

I seems that one wall is wet to about 4ft high, another to about 5ft. This is more than half of the wall at the ceiling is at 7ft.

My plan is to dry it out, then put in new concete backerboard, and new tiles.

1] Since more than half the wall is wet, I'm guessing it would be best to just strip the entire wall and redo it all rather than just re-tiling the bottom? Wasting a bit of money, but at least I'd not have 2 different types of tiles on the wall.

2] I haven't looked at the roof... if it feels solid and the upper wall is dry, do I need to go there?

3] As can be seen from the photo, one wall has plastic vapor barrier, while the other does not! Any idea why? I should install plastic under the new concete board on the one that doesn't have it, right?

Thanks!

In response to fisherman, YES the roof is tile... do I need to do it if it seems firm and the top part of the wall is dry?

Also, the wall without vapor barrier is not an outside wall, is in INSIDE. The outside wall is the one that has barrier. Should they both have it?

Answer 1

You've already answered some of your questions.

thousands of sq. ft of tile. and multiple bathroom remodels

[e-mail]. I'll be happy to help.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

I only read part way through to the point where the drywall is wet! I stopped!! So should you!

Don't waste time trying to dry out the drywall. It has lost its strength, and is totally waterlogged. the parts that may feel dry have probably wicked up water, and are useless also!

Just tear it ALL out, and redo the walls with moisture resistant green or blue colored drywall!!

First though, make upa bleach and water mixture, about 50/50 and spray all the studs and as many exposed areas as possible to kill any fungus, mold, and mildew spores that have started to mature from the damp drywall!!

You may even want to consider a water proof plastic membrane before you tile, so you don't have to do this again!!!

The moisture barrier is either on an outside wall, or there is a bedroom on the other side, and this was a feeble attempt to control moisture leeching into the other room!!

If your bathrrom cieling is sound, and has no signs of mold or mildew, you can leave it alone!

Answer 3

without seeing the photo, the outside is the wall that needs the vapor barrier..
For ease of the job, strip the entire wall of drywall(or wetwall) and replace with new. Make sure the outerwall insulation is not wet, or replace that as well. The inner wall does not get vapor barrier. After the concrete backerboard, on goes a rubberized coating which is brushed on. Various product names, ASk.
I am putting ceramic tiles on painted drywall. Have done this successfully for 30 years without a leakage problem.

Answer 4

We are still in the process of redoing our bathroom and the same thing happened to us. Sheetrock is NOT supposed to go behind tile in a shower. Its supposed to be cement board. My guess is this is in the corner of the tub where the spicket and faucet are? Water has probably pooled up on the inside edge of the tub and soaked through. The sheetrock is not able to be saved... when we pulled off the tile in our bathroom, the sheetrock was like paper and ate up with black mold, which can cause health problems. We ripped all the sheetrock out just for good measures. We found once we got further into it that right above the seam of the sheet rock (they were laying horizontally) was water damaged too but not nearly as bad as lower portion. Its better to do it all, right the first time than in a few years have this problem on the sheetrock above this. We decided against putting tile up again and put up shower walls instead. You can buy paper less sheetrock or green board. The lowes here didnt sell greenboard anymore... Dont you love how you PLAN on doing a small thing and it turns into a whole over haul? *sigh* me too! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Fisherman did get it right.
The plastic vapor barrier on the exterior wall
is part of the insulation system. (Not needed
on the interior wall, - Looks like block anyway.)
Maintain or restore its integrity.
Send a lump of coal for Christmas to whoever
did the original wall with regular sheet-rock.

Answer 6

ive done alot of these
#1 correct
#2 only if it has tile too
#3 that is probably an exterior wall ...YES?
noneed for plastic
this was caused by failing grout and or tub and tile caulk remember to seal your new grout and use the extra to do any other grout you have