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Should You Use Aqua-Board & Durock Cement Board in Your Bathroom?
The picture on your left shows the correct areas to use Aqua-Board drywall (green) and Durock NextGen Concrete Backboards (gray). The open framing above and below the tub will also get covered with Durock. Ceramic tile will go over the Durock panels and the Aqua-Board is to be painted.
If you are planning a complete bathroom renovation and looking for ways to save money, the one area you do not want to skimp on is the drywall and concrete backer boards (for tub and shower areas to be tiled). Considering that the average 5′ x 8′ bathroom will only require about 8 sheets of drywall (4′ x 8′) the extra cost to use Aqua-Guard drywall throughout the entire bathroom will only be an additional $80. The cost to tape and finish the Aqua-Baord is the same as regular drywall.
With bathroom renovations costing upwards of $5000, does it make sense to go cheap on drywall and save the $80? Absolutely not! Get the good stuff and do it right. Areas with ceramic tile, marble or granite should have Durock NextGen Concrete board installed (or equal type of concrete board if Durock is not available in your area).
What are these products? See below for more information…
Aqua-Board “Moisture Resistant” Drywall:
Aqua-Board is a moisture resistant drywall (not water resistant) and should be used anywhere moisture is present on a regular basis such as a bathroom. The brand carried by most lumber yards and drywall suppliers is green and 1/2″ thick. Aqua-Board is ideal for use throughout the whole bathroom and is fine for use around one piece full height tub and shower units (if it is to be painted). If you plan to use ceramic tile, marble, granite or any other product that could allow moisture to penetrate through to the wall behind, use Durock NextGen cement board in those areas.
Durock® NextGen Cement Board:
This is a concrete panel reinforced with fiberglass strands. It should always be used behind ceramic tile, marble and granite (anything that could allow moisture to penetrate into the surface behind it. The latest product is the Durock NextGen Concrete Backerboard and is much easier and lighter to work with than concrete backerboards used in the past. Check out the video below to see how this new board is cut and installed – video is from US Gypsum Corporation.
Buy The Good Stuff:
Aqua-Board will cost you about $21.00 a sheet (4′x 8′ x 1/2″) and Durock NextGen Cement Board (or equal product) will cost you about $23.00 a sheet (3′ x 5′ x 1/2″). Overall the extra cost on materials to use these products in a typical 5′ x 8′ bathroom with a regular bathtub is only going to be about $200.00. This is a small price to pay for the huge difference in quality and durability these products will make in years to come.
Most lumber yards will stock Aqua Board, Although it may have a different brand name, the lumber yard should know exactly what you are talking about if you ask for it by this name. If not, try asking for moisture resistant drywall, it is usually green or blue and labeled to indicated it is moisture resistant.
Bottom line… spend the extra money and do it right, you’ll be glad you did!
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It’s very important to understand the different properties of boards, for example:
green board is moisture resistant (NOT WATERPROOF), whereas cement board can be thought of as waterproof; remaining strong when wet. A good contractor could use green board in the bathroom, but behind fixtures, bath and shower walls, he would use cement board to prevent problems down the line. Paper is an absorptive material to have on any potentially moist wall (leads to structural weaknesses), whereas cement, stone/tiles remain supportive.