Is Backer Board Required For Floor Tile

For flooring the backer board should be installed over a 5 8 inch thick osb or plywood base.

Is backer board required for floor tile. And if you re building a new house or remodeling a kitchen you ll also want to put backer board behind the backsplash. Tile flooring is water resistant and durable when combined with backer board which is impervious to moisture and helps create a flat base. How to install tile backer board. It is also used in shower and tub enclosures or anywhere with significant wetness issues as a means of helping to create a moisture barrier.

This includes bathroom floors and any other tile flooring in your house what builders call the wet areas. Tile backer boards can be used with underfloor heating systems and are preferable to xps boards which are much less able to bear weight and can only be used in small areas. Backerboard or cement board comes in sheets much like drywall and is used in a couple of ways. Backer board is also used under floor tile when there s a wood sub floor.

Cement backer board is often used as a tile base on plywood or osb subfloor. Cement board is james hardie hardiebacker 1 4 in. If you have a larger area to cover with the underfloor heating then installing backer board is necessary to prevent the floor giving way. Half inch cement backer board is ideal for most tiling jobs including walls floors countertops and ceilings.

James hardie hardiebacker 1 4 in. Works under interior floors to provide a solid foundation for tile vinyl wood and other flooring. Installing tile raises the surface level of the floor. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood.

In most cases you can apply tile directly to the concrete. When backer board is selected as a floor tile underlayment and is installed correctly it provides an excellent substrate for tile in kitchens entries foyers bathrooms and more. Make sure to tape the seams and corners of the backer board according the manufacturer recommendations. Cement board is a cement backerboard designed for use with floors and countertops.

It is used on flooring installations as a means of creating a stable and easier to work with subfloor. According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons. This provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking. Cement board will also work as a countertop backerboard and underlayment for tile granite and other stone surfaces.

For countertops use 3 4 inch plywood beneath the backer board. Install a cement based backer board following the manufacturer s instructions. Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent.