I get where you’re coming from, but is foam board always necessary? I mean, I’ve done a couple bathrooms with green board and a good waterproofing membrane over the seams, and they’ve held up fine—at least so far. Maybe it’s just luck or maybe it depends on how much water the area actually sees. Anyone else feel like sometimes the “premium” products are overkill for a basic hall bath?
I mean, I’ve done a couple bathrooms with green board and a good waterproofing membrane over the seams, and they’ve held up fine—at least so far.
- Green board with membrane can work, but it’s not bulletproof.
- Foam board’s pricey, but it’s lighter, easier to cut, and doesn’t soak up water if there’s a leak down the line.
- Had a job where a tiny plumbing drip went unnoticed—green board turned to mush, foam would’ve survived.
- For a powder room? Green board’s probably fine. Full shower or kids’ bath? I’d go foam or cement board.
- Sometimes “premium” is just peace of mind, especially if you don’t want to rip it all out in five years.
Title: Green Board—Worth It, or Just Greenwashing?
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to save a few bucks using green board, thinking, “Eh, it’s just a bathroom, how bad could it get?” Fast forward a couple years, and I’m pulling out soggy drywall like week-old lettuce. For rentals, I’ve started springing for foam or cement board in showers—yeah, it stings the wallet, but not as much as demoing tile and chasing leaks later. Powder rooms, though? Green board’s probably fine unless your guests are secretly running a car wash in there.
Been there too. I used green board behind a tub surround once, figuring it was “good enough” since it’s supposed to be moisture resistant. Two years later, I noticed some soft spots near the faucet—ripped it out and, yeah, it was a moldy mess. Not worth the hassle.
I get what you’re saying about powder rooms though.
That cracked me up. I’ve never had an issue with green board in half baths or low-moisture spots. But for anything with a shower or regular splashes? Cement board all day. Costs more up front, but it’s way less stressful than dealing with water damage down the road.“Green board’s probably fine unless your guests are secretly running a car wash in there.”
Honestly, if you’re already spending on tile and labor, skimping on the backer just doesn’t make sense to me anymore. Learned that lesson the hard way...
Yeah, totally get where you’re coming from. I tried to save a few bucks with green board in our old main bath, thinking, “how bad could it be?” Fast forward a couple years and I was cursing myself while scraping out soggy drywall. Never again for anything with a shower. For half baths, though, I still use it—no issues so far. But showers? Cement board or bust, even if it stings the wallet a bit more up front. Just not worth the redo.
