Use moisture resistant wallboard in the shower
No matter how you plan to finish your shower walls, the wallboard you use to cover the framing must be water resistant. Even tiles can leak, and moisture seeping through the wallboard into the wood behind can be disastrous. For this reason, contractors use a special kind of wallboard called greenrock to cover shower walls. As the name implies, this wallboard is colored green and is slightly thicker than ordinary drywall. You install it and finish it in the same way as you would regular drywall.
Instructions
1. Install the first sheet of greenrock horizontally or vertically so that the vertical edges bisect the faces of studs. Greenrock sheets fit on studs spaced according to standard practice, so you shouldn't have to cut the first sheet. Screw it to the studs with drywall screws, sinking the heads just past the paper surface without ripping the paper.
2. Install full sheets wherever possible, but when you have to cut a sheet, do it by drawing a line on the surface with a pencil and straightedge, then scoring along this line with a sharp utility knife. Bend the sheet sharply and it will break along this line, then use the knife to cut along the back. Cut notches and holes with a drywall saw, which has a sharp point that you can stick through the sheet to begin the cut.
3. Install the sheets so that they overlap the flange of the shower stall but do not screw through the sheet into the stall. This will prevent damage to the wall if the stall shifts or moves.
4. Cover the heads of the screws with a coat of mud. Spread mud over the screw with a drywall blade and then use the blade to scrape off the excess.
5. Tape the seams of the greenrock with paper or fiberglass drywall tape and mud. Spread a line of mud along a seam that is a little wider than the tape. This line should have no voids or bubbles. Then measure out a piece of tape the length of the seam and lay it on top. Holding one end, begin scraping along the surface of the tape with a drywall blade to flatten the tape to the wall and squeeze excess mud from behind it. Remove the excess as you go and recycle it for future use.
6. Let the first coat of mud dry overnight, then use a 6-inch blade to apply a first top-coat over seams and screw heads. Extend the edges of this coat past the edges of the first coat and feather them into the flat surface of the greenrock. Let this coat dry overnight, and then apply a second top-coat.
7. Sand the mud lightly with 120-grit sandpaper in preparation for painting or installation of a wall covering.
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