Shower Backer Board Cement Vs Concrete Wall

Cement board is easily cut with a hand saw or a power saw.

Shower backer board cement vs concrete wall.

The core of these boards is made up of a combination of cement and concrete that will not absorb any water and therefore will undergo no damage even if exposed directly to water. I use 15 lb felt with 100 overlap over the studs on walls. The wedi backer board hardibacker and wonderboard. Cement board is porous so grout and mortar adhere to it well.

Screws secure the cement board to the wall studs. Cement board and plastic sheeting. When installed properly they will give you many many years of durable shower construction. These materials bridge the gap between expense and effectiveness.

Wonderboard is a type of cement board used for tiling in wet places especially bathrooms. Backer board cement board comparison review written by fred daues on january 4 2013 in wedi shower systems this review was done to test the performance of 3 different cement boards for ceramic tile installation. The smaller dimensions of cement board make the installation of it on large walls more difficult but cement board panels fit vertically in 3 foot wide showers or horizontally behind a standard 5 foot bathtub. Kerdi board by schlüter is one brand name of polystyrene backerboard for tile.

Any of them can work well if properly detailed. Will soften if water seeps through joints or gets behind the waterproof surface. Installing cement backerboard is one of the more popular choices for a shower wall substrate. Then the cement board is installed on top of the plastic sheeting.

There are other brand names of polystyrene backerboard as well as other materials to choose from including cement backerboard. Fiberglass mats irritate bare skin. All of these backerboard options have advantages and disadvantages. I have been using various types of 1 2 cement board on tub and shower walls and 1 4 fiber cement boards on bathrroom floors with 1 8 inch gap.

Easier to cut and fasten than cement board. Drywall panels fit between wall studs spaced 16 inches or 24 inches apart. Cement backerboards include hardiebacker durock fiberboard wonderboard and similar products. Cement backer board is often used as a tile base on plywood or osb subfloor.

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. The name backer board comes from its use as a subsurface for tile installation especially in showers and tub enclosures. Lighter in weight than cement board. In most cases you can apply tile directly to the concrete.

It can be nailed or screwed into almost any material including cinderblock brick and concrete. Cement backer board on concrete as a subfloor or underlayment is usually not recommended or needed.