Contractor using green board for shower

[Mike Girard]

My contractor's crew began tiling the bath/shower surround today. It was such a mess I pulled it all off before the mortar could dry resolving to at least get it properly started myself. In researching tiling, I learned that it is considered bad practice to use green board for shower and tub tiling Green board is what my contractor used. Now that it's all up, I don't want to have a confrontation about ripping it down and starting again, and I'm unwilling to do it myself. 

Three questions: One, Is green board even allowed for shower/tub surrounds in the Philadelphia Building Code? Many municipalities have forbidden it. 

Two, is there anything I can do to make the green board work, such as applying Redguard? I've seen a lot of people recommend Kerdi, but I don't have the budget for that. 

Three, is this an error so bad that I should not work with this contractor on future projects?

[Mark Redmann]

@Mike Girard 

It seems to me that you know the right answer, but will refuse to accept it. everyone has told you the answer to exactly what you asked of them.  You've even reiterated the answer 

"As to those who've said there's nothing wrong with green board, every how-to regarding tile placement recommends against it. One online tile guru says it's grounds for firing your contractor. There is a growing list of municipalities that forbid its use, but I am unable to find out if Philly is one of them. The argument is that it is water resistant, not waterproof and that a tile job done with it will have a lifespan of five years or less. It is also, apparently, a mold magnet. Of course there are exceptions, but these facts are often accompanied by horror stories and pictures of green board tiling projects gone wrong."

Then you started to throw a tantrum on here when no one came up with the magical solution you think is out there "Did no one see where I said I can't redo the job? I need a green board workaround stat."

Do yourself a favor and get out of your own way. You've read about this green board, people on BP have told you what to do, but yet you still want a different magical solution. For whatever reason, your head is up your rear end. Perhaps its because your over-budget on this project? You mention not having the means to rip it down and replace it with $15/sheet cement board. Why do a project if you can't have a buffer built in?  That's just crazy.

You go ahead and rip down someone elses work?  If I was the contractor, I would fire YOU! You think you'll get it started better than him?  Then do the damn job yourself!! There is no magical solution. The facts are the facts and now you have to decide what to do with those facts.