My contractor uses SHEETROCK® Drywall Joint Tape to tape outside the shower stall and a "classic" fiberglass mesh joint tape FibaTape inside the stall.
While the latter is mold-resistant, is it still good only for outside of the shower stall, and a more advanced FibaTape Mold-X10 should be used inside?
Or would it be years (if ever) until I see the difference?
Quit annoying the contractor
No, keep him honest.
*If the shower stall is lined with cement board then fiberglass tape and thinset is correct. If it is drywall then nothing will help.
Why don't you just ask him why he is doing it that way?
A good portion of the shower stall is lined with cement board but some "less exposed" ones areas are lined with Sheetrock, like the rest of the bathroom. But I am wondering if using a paper-based tape anywhere in the bathroom is a good idea, especially on the untiled (painted) wall on the side of the sink?
I decided to post my question here after the contractor said there is no point to set the max temperature limitation on the valve. It was a red flag to me.
The surface of sheet rock is paper. Why worry about paper tape?
Maybe, but probably not. Some use paper tape everywhere. Use a quality kitchen/bathroom primer and paint with mildewcide added and you will be good to go 20 years provided your bath has adequate ventilation.
He is doing it right..
If you wanted a mold resistant room you could/should have requested paperless sheetrock , mold resistant mest tape and USG Durabond and Easysand Joint Compound for the whole room UP FRONT...Mold really doesn't like the setting type compounds for some reason....The ENTIRE wall gets mudded like you'ld do when plastering because the the sheetrock has a fiberglass face and is VERY rough....It isVERY expensive and I've only done it a few times all of which were indoor spas or lap pool rooms...In short your being a PITA..... ; ) .....Use your exhaust fan and you will be fine...Opening the window helps as well...
The tape used is the least factor to be concerned with. Is he using FibaTape Mold-x10 over drywall in the shower? OR is he using it over cement board?
My personal opinion, after seeing so many problems and failures, is that any gypsum based product, even if it is rated for shower use, will probably fail or cause problems in time.
re: I decided to post my question here after the contractor said there is no point to set the max temperature limitation on the valve. It was a red flag to me.
I didn't set the max temp for either of my 2 showers. My "kids" are old enough that scolding is not a concern and I don't want to be limited to a certain range for those times when I'm trying to eke the last drop of hot water out of my tank.
Just like asking him *why* he's using 2 different types of tape, did you ask him *why* he said there was no point is setting the max temp on the valve? If he has a valid reason, then maybe you can lower that red flag.
The OP already said the shower is CEMENT board with mesh tape....It's the use of paper tape in the rest of the bathroom he is concerned about molding for some reason that's beyond me , given the sheetrock is covered with paper....The contractor is doing it right....
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