How To Install Wonderboard For Tile Floor

Wonderboard is a popular brand of fiber cement backer board.

How to install wonderboard for tile floor. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water. If you re installing tiles or stonework on the floor on walls or on a countertop you need an underlayment of concrete board for stability and moisture protection and wonderboard fits the bill. To achieve the ideal flat surface most contractors rely on the backer board cement backer board is a thin layer of concrete designed to be setting surface upon which tile can be installed.

The backer board comes in different sizes and you will pick the right one depending on the type of floor you are installing. 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. When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor you don t have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1 8 inch thick which most slabs are. Cement board installation on floors.

1 clear all debris from wonderboard lite and vacuum to eliminate excess dust or dirt. When installing wonderboard lite in wet areas such as showers nail or staple 15 pound roofing felt or 4 mil polyethylene sheeting the to the studs first. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. 2 use a thin set mortar and spread with a notch trowel see trowel for correct size based on tile dimensions.

Fasten the panels onto the studs using the same 1 8th inch spacing as a floor installation. Tile backer boards like hardibacker board wonderboard permabase and durock cement backer board installs. However you re not out of the woods. Or you can apply redgard waterproofing and crack prevention liquid to the face of the wonderboard.

Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Install the tile or stone. It s similar to such competing brands as hardiebacker durock and fiberock.