Installing the right type of drywall is crucial for the long-term health of your bathroom’s walls and ceilings. You can avoid mold and bacteria growth by simply making sure your drywall contractor installs the correct drywall that is certified for its particular use. This blog covers the types of drywall that are installed in a standard bathroom, why some contractors purposely install the wrong drywall, and key takeaways.
In the shower areas of the bathroom, a professional and an experienced contractor will know to install a tiler backer. The most popular brand is DensShield which has built in moisture barrier properties making it resistant to moisture - hence minimizing the risk of mold growth in your shower areas! A simple rule of thumb is to install DensShield anywhere you plan to install a tile in the shower area.
Some key benefits of DensShield tile backer are:
1) It has a built-in moisture barrier
2) It absorbs less water than leading cement boards
3) A lot easier to handle and install compared to other tile backers
4) It comes in various sizes and even Type X 5/8” to meet any extra fire rated building codes
For the remaining of the bathroom walls and ceilings, the contractor will install a water and mold resistant drywall, more popularly known as a green or blue board. This type of drywall is resistant to moisture and mold and performs much better than the regular ½” drywalls in areas that are prone to mold. Green boards come in various lengths and are manufactured in both ½” and 5/8” thickness.
There are too many drywall contractors in the Toronto area that bid the lowest price in order to win the job. However, to make up the lost profits they install the cheapest and the wrong gypsum board in key areas of the house such as the bathrooms. Usually, these price focused contractors will install regular ½” drywall in the bathroom walls instead of a mold resistant green drywall!
Even worse, some contractors install green boards in wet shower areas instead of a DensShield tile backer. Years later the homeowner is left dealing with very expensive mold remediation, costing up-to thousands of dollars! It is very important that you have in writing from contractors to specific exactly the type of drywall they will install. There are many types of drywalls, each with their specific uses.
Working with an honest and reputable drywall contractor is very important because they always follow industry standards and never cut corners to save a few extra dollars for themselves. When working with contractors our advice for you is to make sure you ask them to specific the type of drywalls that will install in your bathroom and to walk you through the details. Installing the correct gypsum board will cost you a lot less in the long run and will keep your bathroom walls and ceilings mold-free.
At SULTAN Contractors all of our staff is trained to follow professional industry standards. We’re known for always doing what is right for our customers. During our first site visit we discuss all the details related to drywall and insulation with our customers to make sure they know exactly what and how we will be contributing to their project.
If you have any questions regarding drywall or insulation or would like to further ask questions related to this blog topic, feel free to contact us