We hired a contractor to redo our master bath and are now involved in a dispute. Mostly due to him using regular sheetrock with redguard waterproofing membrane over it in our shower ...our community adheres to the 2006 IBC and we KNOW this is against code and that the manufacturer of redguard doesn't recommend their product used in this manner. He is still twisting the language to say he is correct in using these products. Is there anyplace that it's written by experts that this is NOT the way you build a shower to last?? Thanks!

rgwenick1

Chapter 7 2006 IRC, speaks clearly to this. Drywall SHALL not be used in wet location , building officials have every right to stop non-compliant work!

Bljack

That's a yes but... drywall as defined by astm blah blah blah. There's glass mat and fiber reinforced gypsum panels both approved as backings for tile in wet areas. Kerdi is about the best method and is approved for wet areas with regular sheetrock as it's solid backing in such areas, even in commercial steam room applications. I'd love to meet a building inspector who really did know code and stopped things when he saw things that were wrong. I'd certainly show up on a job with a shower liner flat on the floor a whole lot less often. Unless an inspector sees lamp wire coming from the circuit box or only 10 screws per sheet of drywall, or a joist cut almost in half to accomodate a soil pipe, they are not likely to say a thing. I wish it were not the case and the hacks out there know it.