Best Tile Backer Board For Walls

Membrane faced board only.

Best tile backer board for walls.

You ve probably heard of hardiebacker tile backer board. It s hard flat and incredibly stable. The backerboard should completely cover the subfloor joints. Georgia pacific s densshield is one such product.

The facing serves as an integrated waterproofing membrane so you don t need to install a separate layer of plastic behind the tile backer or a sheet membrane over the backer. 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. If needed cut the backerboard to fit in small spaces or around obstructions.

Plywood and osb substrates can warp and mold with water damage but tile backer board will do neither. Hardibacker is the best known fiber cement board fiber cement board. Do a dry run and lay the backerboard down to fully cover the area you plan to tile. Fiber cement board and cement board are closely related.

It s a sort of gray beige colored board and is available at any hardware box store. One type of tile backer board is made with a water resistant facing on both sides of the board. 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.

Wedi building panels are lightweight internally waterproof and dimensionally stable making them fast clean and simple to work with. Fiberock is another popular product in this category. 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.