Green board in the news - worth the hype for bathrooms?

Green board’s fine for a half-bath, honestly. I’ve done a couple myself and never had issues as long as there’s no shower or tub. Tried the waterproof paint route once - looked good, but I wouldn’t trust it if there’s any real moisture. Had a buddy who doubled up with green board and a membrane behind his shower tile… ended up with mold anyway because of a tiny leak he didn’t catch. Cement board’s a pain to cut, but it’s peace of mind where it counts. For just a toilet and sink, I’d save the cash.

Had a client insist on green board everywhere, even behind the vanity. Honestly, for just a sink and toilet, it’s probably overkill. Like you said,

“Cement board’s a pain to cut, but it’s peace of mind where it counts.”

I hear you - green board everywhere seems like a bit much, especially if there’s no tub or shower. I’ve always just used regular drywall behind vanities and toilets, never had any issues with moisture. Curious though, has anyone actually seen green board fail in a powder room? Or is it just one of those “better safe than sorry” things that gets pushed by code or cautious clients?

Title: Green board in the news - worth the hype for bathrooms?

Honestly, I’ve demoed a bunch of powder rooms over the years and never once seen regular drywall give up the ghost behind a toilet or sink. Unless you’ve got kids who treat the bathroom like a water park, I just don’t see the point. Feels like overkill driven by marketing and code paranoia more than real-world problems.

- Green board’s always seemed like a “just in case” thing to me, especially in half baths or powder rooms where there’s barely any moisture.
- Regular drywall’s held up fine in my house for years, even with two teenagers.
- If you’re gutting a bathroom and the price difference is tiny, maybe it’s worth it for peace of mind.
- But honestly, I’d rather save the cash and put it toward better fixtures or tile.
- Unless you’ve got major splash zones, I’d skip it.