I just removed the top 6" of tile from my bathroom wall which is tiled from the floor to about 4 feet up. I just didn't like the pattern of tiles at the top. The tile seems to have been attached to the drywall with cement, not tile adhesive.
Removing the tile completely destroyed the drywall behind it, so I cut it out entirely & will now buy new drywall & replace this 6" strip that runs all around the bathroom.
Since the one edge of the drywall that I'm replacing is still covered by tile, I can't tape & join it properly. That edge is also not a clean edge, but crumbly. But I can't go any further because the tile I'm keeping is there.
My question is this: How can I make this repair strong if I can only tape one edge? Can I fill the crumbly edge with joint compound & hope to get a good bond between old & new drywall?
I do not plan to re-tile over the new section, but will put in a wood moulding with a ledge, so the whole repaired area will be hidden, but not by tile. There are studs every 16" in the area to be replaced - the new piece of drywall will definitely be securely attached to the studs & the drywall above, but nervous about the connection to the drywall below, as explained above.