Episode 2037
Stop Using That Green Board! Your Shower Will Thank You
Get ready to toss that old green drywall out the window—Eric G is here to school us on why using the right materials can save us from a DIY disaster! We're diving into the absurd world of home improvement where outdated practices still linger like that weird smell in your fridge. Eric dishes out the wisdom on how to avoid the common pitfalls of using water-resistant drywall in wet areas, and trust me, you don’t want to tile over that bad boy. Plus, we're chatting about the latest recalls—because nothing says “fun” like a potential laceration hazard from your tools! And in a delightful twist, we unveil Behr's 2026 Color of the Year, “Hidden Gem,” because what’s home improvement without a splash of trendy paint? So, grab your earbuds, and let’s get this home makeover party started!
Eric G dives into the nitty-gritty of home improvement in this midweek episode, and boy, does he have a lot to say! First off, there's the classic trap of using outdated materials for modern projects. You know, the kind of stuff that makes you wonder if your grandpa was right all along about how things were better back in his day? Spoiler alert: they weren’t. Eric hilariously mocks the misconception that green board is the go-to for tiling showers. Let’s just say, if you think slapping some green board under your tiles is going to keep things dry, I've got a bridge to sell you. Instead, he suggests foam boards—because why use something that will inevitably fail when you can invest a bit more for something that’ll actually last? Prepare for a wild ride as he gives a shout-out to modern products that are way better than the traditional, outdated options. If you’re still clinging to concrete board like it’s a life raft, it’s time to jump ship!
Takeaways:
- Using outdated materials like green board for tile projects is a huge mistake—just don't do it!
- If you want your shower to actually work, invest in good waterproof products, not just moisture-resistant ones.
- Guys, when paying contractors, ditch the checks and go for credit cards for safety—it's like an insurance policy!
- Behr's 2026 Color of the Year is a smoky jade; it's chic and totally the vibe for your walls!
- Avoid mud set pans unless you enjoy the thrill of potential leaks—seriously, stick with modern tile pans instead.
- Keep an eye out for recalls—your Leatherman multi-tool might just be out to get you!
Links referenced in this episode:
- monumentgrills.com
- lowes.com
- leatherman.com
- aroundthehouseonline.com
- youtube.com/aroundthehousewithEricG
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Monument Grills
- Lowe's
- WEDI
- Ardex
- Leatherman
- Kia
- Amazon
- TTI
- Bear Paint Company
To get your questions answered by Eric G give us a call in the studio at 833-239-4144 24/7 and Eric G will get back to you and answer your question and you might end up in a future episode of Around the House.
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:The House with Eric G. Your go to source for everything home improvement.
Speaker B:Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric.
Speaker C:G. Is here to guide you through.
Speaker B:The latest tips, tricks and trends.
Speaker B:So grab your toolbox, put on your thinking cap and let's get to work right here on around the House with.
Speaker C:Eric G. Welcome to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker C:I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker C:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker C:Check them out@monument grills.com for your next barbecue and you can go over to Lowe's.com as well.
Speaker C:They've got them hiding over there.
Speaker C:Heck, they might have one in your store.
Speaker C:Ready to rock.
Speaker C:Ready to barbecue.
Speaker C:In this midweek update, I thought I'd talk about some stuff that we're not going to get into last weekend show, of course, and this weekend show and I thought we'd talk a minute about using products that are updated.
Speaker C:So many of us learned 20, 30, 40 or some of you maybe 50 years ago how to do things.
Speaker C:And like anything in construction, we get things updated, things get better, things change because of how we build things.
Speaker C:And one of the ones that I want to talk about, and it's a common issue that I see out there is I think the misconception is that green, that water resistant drywall or Sheetrock as a brand is great for tile.
Speaker C:I see this happening more and more often on social media pages and anything out there where people start their shower system, they put up the green board and they tile right over the top of it.
Speaker C:And I can't tell you what, this is a huge mistake.
Speaker C:Water resistant is one thing, but it is still a thin piece of paper over the talk over the top there of a compressed product.
Speaker C:And it is not meant to get wet.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's moisture resistant.
Speaker C:You should not be putting tile over the top of this if you want to be doing tile.
Speaker C:There are so many better products out there from WEDI to Ardex to the orange stuff out there.
Speaker C:You should be using one of the composites.
Speaker C:I don't use concrete board anymore for tile because again, it's just an outdated way of doing it.
Speaker C:I would much rather use one of the foam boards.
Speaker C:They're waterproof, they're easy to install and you know, you have something that is underneath it that is going to hold up for years to come.
Speaker C:I have seen old homes, second floor, you put down the concrete board and what happens?
Speaker C:There's enough movement in the floor system, that concrete board starts to come apart, and now you're redoing a bathroom floor.
Speaker C:Nobody wants to do that.
Speaker C:So really, this is all about making sure that you're using the right product, the right substrate, and the right prep under tile.
Speaker C:So toss the green board.
Speaker C:I would look at one of the foam boards, put it under there.
Speaker C:The stuff is safe, easy to use.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's a little bit more money, but it's waterproof.
Speaker C:And if you follow the manufacturer's directions, you're going to have something that is going to be dialed in and ready to go.
Speaker C:That way you do the project once, you're not doing it again.
Speaker C:I'm not a fan of mud set pans.
Speaker C:I know there's some of you guys out there that do them.
Speaker C:I think there's just more efficient ways to do it.
Speaker C:And the problem is with the mud set pans is if you do it perfectly, they work well.
Speaker C:But one little tiny mistake and you have a leaker, which means you're starting over.
Speaker C:I would much rather do something like one of the tile pans that are ready to go.
Speaker C:You can set it, forget it and go.
Speaker C:You don't have multiple days in it.
Speaker C:And I tell you what, when I did my steam shower, that was the best way to do it.
Speaker C:I did the wedi vapor 85 system behind it, worked really well, has stayed not only waterproof, but steam proof.
Speaker C:And that's something you should be thinking about.
Speaker C:If you're doing a steam shower, make sure that you're doing this correctly.
Speaker C:Make sure you got it dialed in.
Speaker C:But don't forget, it has to be vapor proof as well.
Speaker C:Just because it's waterproof doesn't mean it's vapor proof.
Speaker C:So you want to make sure that you've got the right system behind it that is rated for that steam shower and you'll be good to go.
Speaker C:And the next thing I want everybody to be careful with out there, I'm seeing more and more of this small cabinet companies, small contractors going out of business, closing up, locking up, and they're done.
Speaker C:So be very careful with how you do your deposits out there, how you pay people.
Speaker C:Now if you write a check, for instance, guess what?
Speaker C:You have no recourse on that.
Speaker C:But if you pay with a credit card, you, you now have somebody that will, well, adjudicate any issues like that.
Speaker C:If you paid a deposit and they disappeared, you could probably go back to that credit card company and have a discussion and maybe get your money back.
Speaker C:However, if you write a check now you're calling your attorney.
Speaker C:So the first thing I would do is if there is a way to pay for that with a credit card or debit card or pay for it that way where you get that protection on that down payment, you might be protected.
Speaker C:So I would sure take a look at that.
Speaker C:It might cost you 1, 2, 3% more.
Speaker C:But to me, that's an insurance policy that would really help you out.
Speaker C:For you designers out there, be really careful.
Speaker C:I'm seeing you guys get caught in the middle out there where your consumer, your client writes you a check, you take the money, you order the materials company goes out of business.
Speaker C:Now you as a designer is stuck in the middle because you were paid and your supplier can't be found.
Speaker C:So take a little time, watch out for that.
Speaker C:And yeah, when in doubt, pay with plastic.
Speaker C:That way you've got some recourse for you and you'll be in a better shape to maybe get that back, some of it or all of it.
Speaker C:And that's a win.
Speaker C:And sorry for the people out there that are losing money, but we're starting to see this.
Speaker C:We kind of go through cycles with this and it gets to be an issue out there.
Speaker C:So be careful out there, guys.
Speaker C:It's a little sketchy from time to time.
Speaker C:Let's take a look here on the recalls list.
Speaker C:Leatherman recalls charge plus multi tools due to laceration hazard, the tip of the knife blade doesn't fully fold into the handle, pausing a laceration hazard.
Speaker C:You can take a look at that.
Speaker C:About 17,000 of them out there.
Speaker C:Go to leatherman.com and look at the charge recall on that and you can send it in to the firm to be repaired free of charge.
Speaker C:They'll take care of it for you.
Speaker C:That's cool.
Speaker C:There is Kia recalls garlic presses due to laceration and ingestion hazards.
Speaker C:Only 43,000 of those out there.
Speaker C:And Amazon recalls Amazon Basics premium foam Euro top mattress due to fire hazard violates federal standards on mattress flammability.
Speaker C: About: Speaker C:TTI made these consumer power tools recalls rigid framing nailers due to laceration hazard.
Speaker C:The dual action engagement system on the nailers can malfunction and involuntary discharge a nail by pulling the trigger alone, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.
Speaker C: There's about: Speaker C:So that's a big one right there.
Speaker C:If you've got one of those, you might want to take a peek.
Speaker C:That could be a serious issue for you.
Speaker C:And of course.
Speaker C:One more thing here.
Speaker C: r Paint Company announces the: Speaker C:It's a smoky jade that embodies understated elegance and timeless sophistication.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm reading it from their press release.
Speaker C: , they released their: Speaker C:It's really pretty.
Speaker C:I really like it.
Speaker C:I think it's a color that I've been looking at for the last year, and I was looking to paint some stuff with it.
Speaker C:I tell you what, it is great.
Speaker C:So we start looking at these colors of the year.
Speaker C:And the cool thing with the color of the year is that really, that shows us the trends of where design is going for the next few years now, every company will come out that makes paint will come out with their color of the year, but it really shows us what we see in the hot new color trends.
Speaker C:And this hidden gem, I really like it.
Speaker C:I think it's a pretty moody, nice gray green color.
Speaker C:It's got a little bit of that 70s hint to it, but a lighter, really more refined, updated look.
Speaker C:So really cool.
Speaker C: You can find that: Speaker C:I'll put it up on Facebook here to see what people think.
Speaker C:I think it's cool.
Speaker C:It's a great color.
Speaker C:Curious to see what the other ones come out with, but we'll see that as we come up into later in the year.
Speaker C:All right, guys, I got some work to do today.
Speaker C:I'll let you keep going on your day.
Speaker C:Thanks for tuning into around the House.
Speaker C:We got a great show coming up this weekend, and I can't wait to show you in the next few weeks.
Speaker C:We got some killer interviews with people that have never been on the radio before, and these are going to be some great episodes.
Speaker C:I'm super excited.
Speaker C:I'm Eric G. Thanks for tuning in to around the House.
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