How to tile the top of a shower..

[dstarnes]

On new construction, I have been having the top of my showers tiled for looks. I am buying a standard 4 ft shower(fiberglass). I have been having tile installed from the top of the shower up towards the ceiling. Gives a dressy look. The problem is where the drywall goes over the lip around the top of the shower. This make drywall have a slight arc in it. When you tile it is very noticeable that the tile is not running straight up or square...any suggestions on this...Some have suggested putting lath strips on wall to bring wall out over flange..this is ok but not if the wall is large. Can you just build up the mastic on the top and have it thin where the drywall goes over the flange trying to make the tile flat???

[jimbo]

This drywall bulge is one of the reasons I never liked the one piece fibreglass modules. I don't know any easy way to deal with it.

Taste is very personal, but adding a classy touch like tile, seems to me to call attention the the "pedestrian" fibreglass.

[hj]

Tile lines are vertical so anything that tapers is going to be obvious. The only way to eliminate the bulge is to either furr the entire wall, or notch the shower into the studs, which is not always possible unless the recess is a very tight fit to the stall.

[frenchie]

Do a search, this has been dealth with a number of times.

The other solution is to butt the drywall to the lip, rather than go over it, and fill the gap with setting compound, then tape over the fill.

Mastic is not appropriate for damp locations, your tiles'll be falling off in short order. Use thinset.

Neither is drywall, unless you use a surface-applied membrane as well.

I would use thinner-then-the-sheetrock wonderboard, shim out the studs.

[jimbo]

Although it may not be "by the book", I don't think he will have trouble with tile applied up there at the 6'+ level, with the mastic. There have been a lot of showers done over the years with mastic, and they did not all just fall apart.

[frenchie]

well... yeah... but I've taken apart too many moldering drywall & mastic showers in my time, to not dis-recommend it.

Nasty, nasty, nasty. Black, smelly, moldy... yuk. hate it.

[jadnashua]

Technically, above the shower head is not considered a wet area. Yes, it does sometimes get a little spray, but nothing like those areas below the head. I'd still use thinset, it's cheaper and then you'd have no problems.