Good Morning Tim,
We are remodeling our 1914 bathroom. At all of our new walls, including the shower, we are applying cement board and ceramic tile.
We have two existing plaster walls on two sides of the new whirlpool tub, do we need to replace these walls with the cement board, too? We have heard conflicting options. One person said that plaster is similar in properties to cement board, and for a tub area, plaster would be fine. We will be applying ceramic tile over these 2 walls.
Jennifer L. Wenger, IIDA
Saint Paul, MN
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Jennifer,
Whoever told you it was OK to apply tile to plaster is wrong. Yes, plaster does have some cement in it, but it is primarily lime. Plaster does deteriorate over time when subjected to water. What's more, if it is applied to wood lath strips, you will have a huge wood rot problem. Finally, I doubt the plaster is in the same plane. The cement board must be in the same plane for the tile to look perfect.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB