Do I Need Cement Board For Tile Floor

Cement board commonly sold under trade names such as durock hardiebacker and wonderboard is now the standard underlayment used for ceramic porcelain or stone tile laid with thinset mortar adhesive cement board is used for most floor tile and has all but replaced plywood and drywall backer materials for wall tile applications in wet areas like showers and tub surrounds.

Do i need cement board for tile floor.

Cement board is an easily installed diy tile underlayment providing a stable dependable tile setting substrate while eliminating the complicated lath and mortar floating process. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile. On top of the 2 6 will be 3 4 subfloor thinset cement board redgard thinset tile. To attach the cement board to the studs you ll need special 1 1 4 in.

If you want to replace an old cracked tile floor or other type of flooring with new ceramic tile it s absolutely imperative that you create a solid setting base for the new tile. If you re working over a wood subfloor cement board is the right choice for your tile base. Use a polymer modified thin set a type of mortar to attach the backer board to the subfloor. In some cases it may not be feasible and you may need to settle for a thinner floor covering than ceramic tile such as vinyl tiles or laminate planks.

Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile. Uncoupling membrane cementboard has replaced a manually applied mortar bed to emerge as the standard underlayment for a tile floor. This provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking. It s available in sheets of many sizes with 3 foot by 5 foot sheets being the most common.

Cement board screws see fig. If you can t find them at a home center call tile specialty stores. I d like to get as close as possible to matching the height of the existing 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.

What you need for a tile base. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall. If i thinset the cement board down using a 1 4 x 1 4 trowel and screw it every 8 will the thinset end up being 1 8 thick.

These screws have a coating to resist corrosion a special wide head with cutting flutes and hi low threads for a strong grip. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. Cement backerboard is a thin layer of concrete with fiberglass mesh on both sides.