Cement Board

Always use cement board as a sturdy underlayment when considering a tile floor or tub/shower surround in the bathroom.

"What about a tile back splash in the kitchen behind the counter top?", you may ask.

Whatever you're possible decor may be (particularly around water), insist that your contractor uses a sturdy backerboard for outstanding protection from moisture, insects, and other things. Wherever there may be water involved, this is what you want underneath your tile - not drywall.

Even if you aren't going to tile the bathroom shower wall, you should still use backerboard for several reasons:

• It provides a strong support for even the heaviest tile or marble.
• Is virtually moisture proof and is not affected by water like ordinary "greenboard" drywall is.
• Will not rot, warp, or swell.
• Resistant to fire.
• Is impervious to insects (specifically termites).

There are other reasons but we think you are getting our drift here. It's just a wise thing to do, and also, depending upon which part of the country (world) you live in, enforceable building code requirements using cement board may already be in place for your municipality. Check with your local plumbing codes to make sure.

If you are going to install it yourself, you'll find that they generally come in sheets of (2) sizes:

a.) 3' x 5' x 1/4" ($10 per sheet) - This thickness is ideal for use when tiling a floor or counter top.

b.) 3' x 5' x 1/2" ($12 per sheet) - Half inch thickness is ideally suited for use as a backerboard in a shower or tub surround.

And always use specially designed rust proof backer-board screws for securing to sub-floor or framing studs.

Price per box is around $8 plus tax.