Asked on Aug 28, 2019
Can you attach subway tile to a sheetrock wall using an adhesive?
by
1cs1267
Can you attach subway tile to a sheetrock wall using an adhesive? This will be a backsplash, and I wonder if it possible to do the application without using backer board etc.
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You can use a tile mastic adhesive specially designed for that purpose applied directly to the drywall. It can used straight out of the container. Make sure you have sanded off any sheen to the paint and filled any low spots. We just finished a ceramic tile backslash using MAPEI Type 1 Mastic bought at Lowe's. One major drawback to mastics is they are not waterproof and will fail in a very wet environment. You should be okay using it for a backslash, but not for a shower wall or flooring.
If the sheetrock was unpainted before being wallpapered, then use a sealer/primer like Kilz. Make sure the seams between pieces of sheetrock (if any) were taped and compounded and all nail/screw indentations are filled and sanded smooth. You want to make sure the surface is a smooth as possible. You may need two coats of primer depending on the condition of the sheetrock. Let the primer fully cure and then tile away.