I'm getting ready to have a contractor build a hearth platform and attach tiles to the wall behind where the stove will go. The wall tiles will extend all the way to the ceiling and will be this type of tile: https://www.tileshop.com/products/copper-rust-random-rectified-6-3-x-23-5-in-655470 The edges of the wall tile will be irregular, for a more rustic look. The plan is to put cementboard behind the tiles and thinset, for extra protection for the wall. The contractor said the last time he did that, he cut out the drywall and attached the cementboard to the studs directly, so the tiles ended up flush against the wall along the edges of the tiled area. However, I'd rather avoid that extra mess and expense, and I'm also thinking the drywall would offer another little measure of protection for the studs, though the drywall itself is combustible.
Has anyone mounted cementboard on top of drywall, and then had the wall tiles sort of floating out by a little? (I'm envisioning that the cementboard wouldn't be quite as wide as the tile area, so wouldn't be visible, and/or its edges could be painted the same color as the wall.) If you've done something like this, are you happy with how it looks? I tried searching online for pictures to give me a better sense of how it would look, but my search terms are not coming up with anything of this sort.
Has anyone mounted cementboard on top of drywall, and then had the wall tiles sort of floating out by a little? (I'm envisioning that the cementboard wouldn't be quite as wide as the tile area, so wouldn't be visible, and/or its edges could be painted the same color as the wall.) If you've done something like this, are you happy with how it looks? I tried searching online for pictures to give me a better sense of how it would look, but my search terms are not coming up with anything of this sort.
