Cement board is brutal to deal with, no argument there. I’ve had to vacuum out my car after a dump run more than once because of all the dust and little shards. I get why people like the “set it and forget it” aspect of cement board, but honestly, for most bathroom walls that aren’t in the shower or right behind a tub, green board with a solid primer and maybe even a moisture-resistant paint seems like plenty.
I’m with you on the old plaster—my last place had original lath and plaster in the bathroom, and aside from some hairline cracks, it was still going strong after 80+ years. Makes me wonder if we’re overengineering things just because we can.
Curious if anyone’s actually had green board fail in a non-shower area? I keep hearing horror stories online but never met someone who’s seen it firsthand. Maybe it’s just one of those internet things that gets blown out of proportion...
Green board horror stories seem to float around, but in all the years I’ve been gutting and redoing bathrooms, I can’t say I’ve ever seen it fail on a regular wall—unless there’s some kind of plumbing leak or the ventilation is just terrible. Most of the time, if there’s an issue, it’s because something else went wrong first. Like, I’ve pulled out green board that looked rough behind a leaky toilet, but drywall (even green board) isn’t really meant to stand up to standing water anyway.
I’m curious—has anyone actually seen mold or rot from green board in a spot that wasn’t constantly wet? Or is this one of those cases where manufacturers and code officials are just playing it ultra-safe? Sometimes I wonder if we’re making things harder than they need to be, especially outside of direct splash zones. Anyone ever get pushback from inspectors for using green board instead of cement board in those areas? That’s happened to me once or twice and it always feels like overkill...
I’ve had the same thought—sometimes it feels like we’re just layering on extra work for peace of mind.
That’s been my experience too. I once opened up a 1920s bathroom wall (original green board, or whatever was “green” back then) and it was still solid except right behind a busted supply line. Outside of that, I’ve never seen green board go bad unless water was literally pouring on it. Inspectors can be sticklers though... had one insist on cement board behind a vanity that never sees a drop. Sometimes I think old houses are just tougher than the codes give them credit for.“Most of the time, if there’s an issue, it’s because something else went wrong first.”
Green board always seemed like the “just in case” solution to me, too. I mean, unless you’re planning to turn your bathroom into a car wash, regular drywall holds up surprisingly well if you keep leaks in check. I had a similar run-in with an inspector who wanted cement board everywhere—felt like overkill, but I guess they’re just covering their bases. Old houses really do seem to shrug off stuff that newer builds can’t handle. Maybe it’s all those decades of character (or just thicker plaster).
unless you’re planning to turn your bathroom into a car wash, regular drywall holds up surprisingly well if you keep leaks in check.
Haha, totally get that. I’ve seen 50-year-old drywall in bathrooms still going strong—just a little paint touch-up here and there. Inspectors do love their cement board, though. Maybe they’ve seen too many horror stories? I’ll admit, I use green board behind vanities or in half-baths, but for showers, it’s cement board or bust. Old plaster walls really are tanks compared to the new stuff... they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.