Best Tile Backer Board For Shower Walls

Plywood alone cannot be used as a substrate under tile in showers.

Best tile backer board for shower walls. Doesn t deteriorate when wet. When it comes to installing a tile backer board the easiest to install is usually the worst choice or most expensive option. Cement board is a cement backerboard designed for use with walls floors and countertops. Do a dry run and lay the backerboard down to fully cover the area you plan to tile.

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. It s hard flat and incredibly stable. Available in a wide variety of thicknesses and sizes they are compatible with virtually any substructure. Use on walls in moisture prone areas as a tile backerboard and as an underlayment for all tile vinyl and wood flooring applications.

Some homeowners believe that painting or priming plywood will render it suitable to use as shower tub backer board. James hardie hardiebacker 42 in. Wedi board tile backer board which shower tile backer board is best. Here s how to choose the best tile backer board for your project.

Choose a backer board that s the same thickness as the drywall so you have a seamless transition from one to the other. Whether it s a wall floor or countertop tile installation using the right substrate is crucial for preventing cracks and breaks in the tile and grout. Score the board with a utility knife then cut it using a jig saw with a carbide blade. Wedi building panels are lightweight internally waterproof and dimensionally stable making them fast clean and simple to work with.

Wedi building panels are so much more than a simple tile backer board and offer endless installation opportunities. Backer board is the best substrate for tile. To cut a backer board mark the board score it with a. I often get questions on what sort of tile backer board to use for showers and tub surrounds.

If needed cut the backerboard to fit in small spaces or around obstructions. Hardiebacker cement board is made better to install better and perform better. You don t need to use a backer board in the entire bathroom just in the wet shower area. 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.

That s why it was named the most preferred brand of backer board by tile installers and contractors according to the 2019 tile and stone report conducted by clearseas research in partnership with the national tile contractors association and tile magazine. The backerboard should completely cover the subfloor joints. Measure the work area and cut your boards to fit. Cement board is james hardie hardiebacker 42 in.