Green board’s definitely had its moment in my house, too—mostly in spots where it’s more about humidity than actual water contact. I’ll admit, I’ve tried to “cheat” with regular drywall and a thick paint job before... didn’t end well. Learned my lesson the hard way after a few soggy corners. Cement board is a pain to cut, but worth it near any real splash zone. For everything else, green board plus a solid primer seems to hold up. Not glamorous, but it works.
Cement board is a pain to cut, but worth it near any real splash zone.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve tried shortcuts in my 1920s place—never pays off. Green board’s fine for walls, but anywhere near a tub or shower, cement board’s the only thing that’s lasted. Cutting it’s a hassle, but beats patching mushy drywall later.
Definitely hear you on the cement board hassle—it’s heavy, messy, and my scoring skills are questionable at best. Still, I keep coming back to it for the wettest spots. Tried green board once behind a cheap tub surround, thinking I’d save a few bucks and time. Ended up with soft spots after just a couple years. Not worth the redo.
That said, I’ve used green board for the upper half of bathroom walls (away from direct water) and it’s held up fine. For me, it’s about picking battles—cement board where water hits, green board where it doesn’t. I do wonder if newer moisture-resistant drywall is any better than the old stuff, though... anyone actually seen a big difference? For now, I’m not risking it in the splash zone. My wallet can’t handle another “surprise” repair.
Can’t blame you for sticking with cement board in the wet zones. It’s a pain to work with, but nothing beats the peace of mind. I’ve had similar luck as you—green board above the tile line has been fine, but anywhere near water, it just doesn’t hold up. Tried some of that newer purple stuff once (supposed to be even more moisture resistant), but honestly, it didn’t seem much different in real life. Maybe it’s better in theory than practice.
Totally agree it’s about picking your battles. If it means not opening up a wall again in a few years, I’ll wrestle with the heavy boards every time. The mess is temporary... mold and rot aren’t.
- Ran into the same thing with purple board—looked good on paper, but didn’t hold up any better than green board once the shower steam started hitting it every day.
- Cement board’s a pain, but I’d rather deal with sore arms than a call-back for mushy drywall.
- One time, I tried to save a few bucks using green board behind a tub surround. Regretted it two years later when I had to rip out soggy drywall and redo everything. Lesson learned... sometimes the old-school way is just safer.
- Anyone else notice the “moisture resistant” labels seem to mean less in real life than in marketing? Maybe I’m just cynical after too many bathroom renos.
