Preferred Kerdi Shower Wall Material

[cbaum]

One recommendation I have for people interested in any schluter products is find a local distributor on the schluter website rather than simply a reseller. I found a reseller and they wanted $110 for a 4x8 1/2" kerdi board. I then stumbled upon a distributor who was charging $65 for the same board. I ended up getting a pan, all-set thinset, kerdi band, drain, and some walls from them for almost 45% off what the reseller was asking.

$65 is still a bit more than a $15 sheet of drywall, but kerdi board can't mold or rot. It's also easy to cut with a utility knife and easy to put up. If you have a local distributor, it can take some of the sting away.

[cx]

Originally Posted by Charlie

but kerdi board can't mold or rot. It's also easy to cut with a utility knife and easy to put up.

Drywall, kept dry, can't mold or rot, either, Charlie, and it's easy to cut with a utility knife. The foam may be a bit easier to install - or not, when you consider the need for special fasteners and extra care in fastening.

Different strokes, but I don't see the foam boards taking over the industry just yet.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Kman]

One advantage of Kerdiboard over sheetrock is that if you have a plumbing leak inside the wall, Kerdiboard will hold up without issue, but sheetrock would fall apart after a short period of exposure to water.

[jadnashua]

The foam used in KerdiBoard is a denser version of the foam coffee cup you may use...it's waterproof on its own. The coverings make the board stiffer and help improve the vapor transmission, and help keep it from being damaged, but thinset sticks to the foam well, too. You only need to treat KerdiBoard penetrations...something that may damage only one face isn't an issue as long as it's not too deep.

Embedding the Kerdi fabric into the thinset is the critical thing...as the thinset doesn't technically bond to the fabric like it does to a tile, it gets held on because it must flow around the fleece fibers, and once it cures, it gets locked in place sort of like pouring liquid wax on a fabric. That particular bond is only in the >50psi range, while the bond to the tile might be in excess of 400psi. The paper on drywall has lots of texture for the cement to grow crystals into, so that bond is as good as the bond to the paper and the gypsum.

[speed51133]

if your wall leaks, kerdi board or drywall, you will have to demo.

Floor and decor is a distributor of Schluter. $100 a sheet for half inch board. Where did you find a 4x8 sheet for $65?
https://www.flooranddecor.com/shower...oaAmXiEALw_wcB

that price seems right for a 4x5 sheet, not 4x8. https://www.masterwholesale.com/schl...~48%22~x~64%22

[cbaum]

Tile market of Delaware is where I got all my Schluter stuff and tile. Their prices were really good. Here's a snippet of my purchase order:

[ss3964spd]

Distributors around here won't sell to the general public. When I was trying to order my custom size Durock foam shower pan the Durock distributors wouldn't even talk to me, and I was even armed with the local Rep's info.

[cbaum]

That's odd. Tile Market of Delaware has 3 retail locations, showrooms, designers, etc. And a full slate of Schluter and Wedi stuff in stock, although they did have to order me the schluter metal shelves and the tileable grate.

[speed51133]

wow, that is a good price...

so I take it floor and decor is NOT a distributor then???

[cbaum]

Looks like they are listed as a reseller on the Schluter site.

Try this to find a distributor: https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us...ributor-finder

[Kman]

Originally Posted by Mike

if your wall leaks, kerdi board or drywall, you will have to demo

Why would you need to demo a shower if it got the Kerdiboard wet inside the wall?

[speed51133]

well, if the surface of the board got wet you don't have to. but if the surface of drywall with membrane gets wet, you don't have to either. if water gets past the board either in a seam/joint/hole it is demo time.

[Kman]

I could understand removing the sheetrock on the other side of the wall if water gets in the cavity. But I don't understand demolishing the shower made with Kerdiboard because of water on the backside. It's waterproof just like the side with tile on it.

[Davy]

I've never used Kerdiboard but can you remove tiles off of it without tearing a big hole in it?

[jadnashua]

Removing a tile from KerdiBoard will likely tear the outside covering off. Now, the board is waterproof without that, so it wouldn't be as catastrophic as pulling the fleece off of the membrane since Kerdi membrane would bond to it, and a bead of KerdiFix at the junction should work. The outside of KerdiBoard is more textured rather than a fleece.