Retract the utility knife's blade to prevent breakage.
Backer board is a type of wallboard that provides a stable, waterproof substrate for tile installations. Green drywall is a water-resistant wallboard that home builders use in bathrooms, dank basements or other locations where moisture buildup is a potential problem. If you need to replace backer board with green wallboard, you must remove the backer board entirely, as well as all the nails that hold it up. After that, you can install the green drywall as you would regular drywall.
Instructions
1. Cover any fragile bathroom appliances or fixtures with layers of cardboard, heavy blankets and drop cloths. Backer board is made of concrete, so the falling debris will damage porcelain or enamel surfaces. Use a plastic drop cloth for the top layer in order to make the clean up easier.
2. Locate the underlying wood studs. To do this, look for nail heads that appear in roughly straight vertical lines. If for some reason you cannot see the nail heads, use an electronic stud finder to locate the studs, then mark them with a pencil.
3. Use either a carbide-blade cutter or a utility knife to score a line down the middle of the areas between the studs. The goal is to make the removal easier by weakening the backer board. Also, the scoring process will create manageable pieces for later disposal. If you use a utility knife, retract the blade so that only a short corner protrudes (roughly 1/8 to 1/4 inch). This will prevent the blade from snapping in half.
4. Use a hammer to bash the backer board at the score lines. Once you break through, use your hands to pull away the backer board piece by piece. Repeat the process until all the backer board is gone.
5. Use the claw of the hammer to pry away the nails that held up the backer board. Take your time. If you miss one and then attempt to install the green drywall over it, you will damage the drywall.
6. Install the green drywall. To do this, use a measuring tape and a utility knife to cut the green drywall to size. Then use a screw gun and drywall screws to install the board. Put in one screw every 5 to 8 inches along each wood stud.
7. Roll up the plastic drop cloth and dispose of the debris.
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