What You Need To Know About Cement Board Installation For Tiling Your Shower
Cement board is a great choice for tiling your shower. It’s durable, waterproof, and easy to install. But before you start the installation process, there are a few things you need to know about cement board installation for tiling your shower. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about cement board installation for tiling your shower.
What Is Cement Board?
Cement board is a type of building material made from Portland cement, sand, and fiberglass mesh. It’s used as an underlayment for tile installations in wet areas such as showers and tub surrounds. Cement board is waterproof and provides a stable surface for tile installation. It also helps protect the wall from moisture damage and mold growth.
Cement board comes in various sizes and thicknesses, so it’s important to choose the right size and thickness for your project. The most common sizes are 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch, 5/8-inch, and 3/4-inch thick. The thicker the board, the more durable it will be.
When installing cement board in a shower or tub surround, it’s important to use a waterproof membrane between the cement board and the wall studs. This will help prevent water from seeping through the wall studs and damaging the wall.
It’s also important to use screws that are specifically designed for cement board installation. These screws are corrosion resistant and have special threads that grip into the cement board better than regular screws.
How To Install Cement Board
Installing cement board is relatively simple but it does require some preparation work before you begin. Here are the steps you need to take:
- Measure the area where you want to install the cement board.
- Cut the cement board to fit using a circular saw with a carbide blade.
- Apply a layer of thinset mortar to the back of each piece of cement board.
- Attach each piece of cement board to the wall studs using corrosion-resistant screws.
- Apply another layer of thinset mortar over all seams between pieces of cement board.
- Allow the mortar to dry completely before continuing with tile installation.
It’s important to make sure that all seams between pieces of cement board are sealed properly with thinset mortar. If not, water can seep through these seams and cause damage to your walls.
Once all pieces of cement board have been installed, it’s time to apply a waterproof membrane over them. This membrane will help keep water out of your walls and protect them from moisture damage.
Finally, once the membrane has been applied, you can begin tiling your shower or tub surround.
Tips For Installing Cement Board
Here are some tips for installing cement board:
- Use corrosion-resistant screws: Make sure you use corrosion-resistant screws when attaching pieces of cement board to wall studs.
- Use thinset mortar: Thinset mortar should be used both on the back of each piece of cement board as well as between seams between pieces of cement board.
- Apply waterproof membrane: A waterproof membrane should be applied over all pieces of installed cement boards before beginning tile installation.
Benefits Of Installing Cement Board
There are many benefits to installing cement boards in your shower or tub surround:
- Durability: Cement boards are very durable and can withstand moisture without warping or cracking.
- Waterproof: Cement boards are waterproof which makes them ideal for wet areas such as showers and tub surrounds.
- Easy Installation: Cement boards are easy to install and don’t require any special tools or skills.
Conclusion
Installing cement boards in your shower or tub surround is an easy way to ensure that your tile installation will last for years. Cement boards provide durability, waterproofing, and easy installation which makes them an ideal choice for tiling wet areas such as showers and tub surrounds. Just make sure that you follow all instructions carefully when installing them so that they will last for years without any problems.