New framing for a bath tub/shower is not exactly plumb. Underneath cement board is 30# felt which I installed but I now feel may be causing some problems in the corners as it is tough making tight corners.
Well the cement board is up and waves are definitely noticeable. With a level laid horizontally across the wall length, gaps as much as 1/4″ where measured.
Can a DIY tile setter make up the gaps with more thinset or should I remove the cement board and try again? I’ve read other posts here about using 3/8″ plywood ontop of studs, followed by felt and the cement board. Would this help even out the dips and waves or do I need to fur out objectionable studs one by one?
Thanks for any comments or suggestions.
Tim
Replies
I'd furr out the studs... the thinset will squeeze out between the tiles if you try to make up for wavy wall with it.
Ian
Definitely get the framing as perfect as possible before adding the CBU. It's much easier to plane out the framing than it is to make tile look flat over un-flat backer. Also, you can use 6 mil poly behind the CBU instead of felt. It's a lot easier to get it tight around the inside corners.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Getting all the studs level and plumb sounds like the only way to go. Will adding a thin layer of plywood over the studs serve any good pupose?
Not really. The thing to do is to get an 8' straightedge and see which studs are straight and which are not. Sometimes you can 'sister' new studs onto the sides of the old ones, and make the new ones straight, plumb, and in plane.
Hard to level a stud. A stud is a vertical member, level is a horizontal reference. Ohhhh Magoo!
So is "Plumb" the correct term in this case?
Yeah, that and "in-plane" (meaning top and bottom plates are a straight line, so your wall forms a flat plane). But then I've been accused of being half a bubble off, so take my words with a grain of salt.
If you don't plan to rip it out, you would have to float out thinset into the shallow areas and let that set up overnight prior to tiling.
Been there and done that, off with the cement board and align the studs. Tile just seems to magnify the dips and doodles, and you would probably always regret it. You could plane the 'proud' studs or 'fur' the 'shallow' studs, but I prefer straightening the stud itself. Set you circ saw to 45 bevel and cut the stud horizontally in the offending area, push and nail the resulting slot together if the stud is 'proud' or drive a shim into the resulting slot if the stud is 'shallow'. If truly out of whack multiple cuts may be required. As for the tarpaper I run mine horizontally around the tub so there is no overlap in the corners, excpect for the small amount of overlap between successive courses of tarpaper.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!