Under Tile Board

The polymer modified thin set provides additional strength and helps eliminate any movement between the backer board and the subfloor.

Under tile board.

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. The tile look panels included in some shower and tub surround kits are sometimes referred to as tileboard but there is a critical difference between shower panels and true tileboard. This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile.

Cement based backer board. Now largely regarded as the very best underlayment for ceramic tile in any application floors walls and countertops cement based backer board goes by many names. It is made of cement water silica limestone flour and fibers such as kevlar or fiberglass for increased strength. Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile.

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. Screws secure the cement board to the wall studs. Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Lay the tile in thin set set the tiles using the same latex modified thin set and techniques used for the cement board.

In this highly convenient inexpensive and popular application a moisture barrier of 4 or 6 mil thick plastic is installed directly over the wall studs. If you follow all these steps you ll have a stiff monolithic crack free floor. This provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking. Tile is laid onto the cement board with thinset mortar or mastic.

It is generically called cement board or backer board or it can also be referred to by one of the common brand names such as densshield hardiebacker and wonderboard. If you must install over such surfaces it is best to install a backer board over the old surface and install the tile on the backer board. Tile backer is used under tile flooring and in tile showers or bathtub areas to prevent damage to the tile installation if moisture gets behind the tile. Then the cement board is installed on top of the plastic sheeting.

Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. Only mix as much thin set as you can use in a half hour and be sure to have solid support under each tile.