Although many builders used green board for shower enclosures, if you are replacing the shower enclosure you absolutely should get rid of the green board in favor of a cement board such as Hardibacker. The only difference between green board and regular drywall is the water/mold resistant paper covering– that’s right PAPER covering. You can use green board for the walls but not the ceilings (it’s known to sag over time) in a bathroom, but many people believe that you can get just as much mold/moisture protection from using regular drywall with a good primer.

When you have the green board off, you’ll want to inspect the studs for water damage and mold. Poke something sharp into the stud where you see water stains. If the pen/pencil/screwdriver you used to poke it goes into the wood easily, then you should have it evaluated. If the studs still have plenty of integrity, then don’t worry about water stains– as long as you know how the water got there and make sure that more water won’t be intruding!

If there’s a little bit of mold, you can treat it easily with products from your local hardware or lumber store. If there’s a lot of mold, you might want to have it evaluated.

If the stud cavity looks good, then talk to the installer of the new tub enclosure about how best to prepare the wall for the install. If this is a DIY project, refer to the manual that comes with your tub enclosure.

It’s hard for me to say how much it will cost without looking at the project. The materials and tools/fasteners are slightly more expensive than drywall. A licensed/insured/bonded installer in my area (Seattle) will cost around $50-70 per hour.

You’ll definitely be disturbing more that 6 square feet of wall surface, so if this is a rental property built before 1978 a new federal law REQUIRES you to use a contractor that is certified by the EPA. If you are doing the work yourself and this is a rental property, then this law requires YOU to be certified. (Yes, really! And the penalties for not following this law are severe.)

Let me know if this response only brings up more questions because I’ll be happy to answer them.

Cheers,
Eleanor

I am installing a new tub enclosure and I need to tear out the wall first. I am concerned that the green board and deeper may be rotted. How much would this cost? My house is a small rambler.

Thank you,
Sue