Installing hardie backer board

Apply a supporting bed of mortar or modified thinset to your subfloor with your trowel. Using a sliding motion, firmly and evenly embed your HardieBacker Cement Board in the wet mortar. Set your screwheads flush with the surface. Be careful not to overdrive them. Fill all the joints with the same mortar used to set the tiles. Installing HardieBacker Cement Board to a wooden subfloor is as simple as that! HardieBacker Cement Board can be used with nearly any kind of tile, whether ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone.

Wipe the surface of your HardieBacker Cement Board clean with a damp sponge. Spread the modified thinset with a notched trowel appropriate for the size of tile you are installing. For best results, comb the ridges in one direction only. Twist or press and beat in tiles.

I want to address the subject of installing cement board products over a concrete substrate. It is imagined by some that products like Durock, Hardibacker and others can be used to fix imperfections in the surface of concrete or to override a previously painted or sealed concrete surface.

The dense, gray material is very heavy, so use the smaller size for replacing tub walls. The panels are nasty to handle because of their sharp edges, so wear heavy leather gloves.

Protect the surface of the tub with a heavy dropcloth. Be prepared for a noxious odor when you cut cement backerboard. No kidding. Wear a respirator when cutting this or any other cement-based product.