Board For Under Tile

Do it yourselfers can use either 1 2 or 1 4 inch cement board in certain applications while other scenarios mandate 1 2 inch board.

Board for under tile.

Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Tile needs to be installed on a backer board to keep the assembly stiff otherwise the assembly will flex at the grout joints allowing water to seep behind the tile and rot the substructure. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile.

Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. If you use a too thin cement board it won t successfully support the tile s weight. This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall. Here s how to choose the best tile backer board for your project.

If you follow all these steps you ll have a stiff monolithic crack free floor. Thickness offers strength cement boards generally come in 1 4 inch 1 2 inch and 5 8 inch thicknesses. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. Some homeowners believe that painting or priming plywood will render it suitable to use as shower tub backer board.

Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile. This provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking. Use a polymer modified thin set a type of mortar to attach the backer board to the subfloor. Tile is hard and will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load and many wood surfaces can expand or contract negatively impacting their ability to stay level and support the weight.

Lay the tile in thin set set the tiles using the same latex modified thin set and techniques used for the cement board. This is not true. But with many non organic shower backer boards available as alternatives there is little reason to use greenboard. The polymer modified thin set provides additional strength and helps eliminate any movement between the backer board and the subfloor.

Only mix as much thin set as you can use in a half hour and be sure to have solid support under each tile. This is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain tile backer board comes in four foot by eight foot and three foot by five. Plywood alone cannot be used as a substrate under tile in showers.