I just remodeled our hall bath. Took out old 1965 white square tiles and used a plastic surround instead of sheet rock and tile.

If you want tile, a water proofing membrane is a better idea than just cement board alone.

Do the floor tile last.

Thanks HandyMac. You mean do both, water proofing membrane + cement board, correct?

We just redid our 1919 main floor bathroom. The floor tiles, which were badly cracked, were set in 4" concrete. Thank goodness we have an unfinished basement because it made the tile removal mess easier to clean up.

We used cement board for all of the bathroom walls that were going to be tiled.

We laid tile on the shower floor and there is a rubber membrane underneath the tile and it goes a bit up the walls. No cement board there.

final tip - get a plumber who is familiar with old plumbing. You may pay more for their services - it is worth the money.

is there a window in your tub/shower area?

You can install cement board and then the membrane.

I think that you should try to do the remodel keeping with the period of the house. You may want to consider using a bathroom designer or having a designer look at your plans.

With or without membrane,bed cement board on floor in a portland product.