Instead of Durock, use??

[Richard]

I seem to have read that using Durock/concrete board as a tile backer in a shower has been improved upon?

What I think I read was that Durock will/can allow moisture to absorb into it and therefor, (I presume) leach to the back side. Another product was supposed to be better and more waterproof.

We're getting ready for a shower install project and if there is a better product then I'm open to using it....however, I have no idea of what it is.

Comments??

Benefits/downfalls of using Durock verses other?

 

[RobertN]

Well, Durock is shorter route to Cameron Park, but the freeway will get you there faster. Best to get there from Motherlode... Stop by Back Forty BBQ along the way.

We just moved our fire station from the temporary building on Durock, to the rebuilt facility on Ponderosa. It is really nice.

Hehehehehe

Durock is one of the local roads here...

Comments??

Benefits/downfalls of using Durock verses other?

 

[radioman]

They are using membranes now. google shower membrane and you will find all sorts of new products for showers now.

 

[Richard]

They are using membranes now. google shower membrane and you will find all sorts of new products for showers now.

In the basement shower, I had durock screwed to the studs. We then applied some kind of purple sealer over the Durock (as well as tape on the seams if I recall) *and* we then used a membrane liner on the floor and perhaps up to knee height. (I don't think it went much higher but I didn't install it, the shower/tiler pro guy did)

The tile of course, went over all of that 'stuff'

 

[keegs]

I used Durock about 10 years ago on two bathrooms. I used it on the vertical surfaces only. I hung it about a 1/4 inch above the tub surfaces and ran a bead of silicone caulk in that gap. I taped the joints with mastic and when that dried I ran a skim coat of mastic over the surface of the Durock and when that was dry I installed the tile. It's held up great.

I know of two other tile backer products sold at Lowes. I've used the thinner blue and yellow board...(not sure what it's called) on the bathroom floor in our summer place. I don't have any history on it though.. The floor application instructions were to put it down in a bed of thinset and then screw it down with those special screws. After it set up I layed the tile in thinset over that.

 

[dmccarty]

When I rebuilt the bathrooms at our old city house I used the cement board by Harde I think. Not sure why I used them other than they had it at HD. Is Durock sold at Lowes?

There is an ANSI standard for installing tile. I cannot remember the number but a search should find it. I followed the standard for the products and installation.

Tile and cement board is not water proof, at least the stuff I was installing 10+ years ago was not, so you need a drain plain to get the water from behind the cement board back into the tub/shower.

When I rebuilt the tubs I know I put tar paper as part of the drainage plain and maybe plastic underneath. This was tied into the tub so that water would drain back into the tub.

Search for the ANSI standard and see what the cement board maker says about installation. They should spec out the details.

Later,
Dan

 

[JRobyn]

I have (had) the same issues/questions. Hardie now makes tile backer for floor and wall. I liked the look of it - it seems a lot more durable than the Durock, which is always beat to he** at Lowes and HD. But it is a bit thinner (0.4in I think) than 1/2 in Durock, so there may be match-up issues where it transitions to sheetrock. I wound up sub-contracting my wet area tiling to a pro. We asked about the new Hardie. He plans to continue to use the Durock for the time being because they know and trust it based on many years of good experience.

 

[jinman]

I believe HardieBacker 1/4" or HardieBacker 500 boards are good choices. I don't know how much an improvement the are on Durock, but they are popular around here.

 

[RippySkippy]

They are using membranes now. google shower membrane and you will find all sorts of new products for showers now.

One of the shower membrane products is Kerdi, surround your shower with "normal" drywall, thin-set the kerdi to the drywall, thin-set the tile to the kerdi. Great product, easy to work with, many online vendors.

 

[Marlowe]

I used Durock on the first two showers I built and it's still holding up fine. It was heavy to work with, required a special blade to cut it, special screws to hang it, and seemed brittle. Eight years later the shower's are still fine. Since then I've used Hardie backer on several floors. It's easier to work with and a bit lighter. The next shower I build I plan to use Hardie backer in half inch stuff unless something changes my mind.