Cement backerboard is a product made primarily as a substrate (waterproof base) for ceramic tile. It is normally installed over plywood or some other underlayment on walls, countertops or floors because it is unaffected by fluctuating temperature changes or the presence of moisture. Before you install the cement backerboad on your bathroom floor, you must first mark off the stud locations on your ceiling and joist locations on the walls because once you have troweled on the thinset, you want to be able to see the marks so you know where to fasten the backerboard screws. Also its always a good idea to protect your finished floors with a tarp of some type; this prevents your good floors from being scratched by the backerboard.

"Summary: Cement backerboard is a product made primarily as a substrate (waterproof base) for installing ceramic tile in your bathroom. Tile backer board comes in large sheets that need to be cut to size. You can cut backerboard by scoring the backer boad sheet and then breaking it in half. Use two inch backer board screws when Installing your cement backerboard to your walls, countertops and floors in your bathroom."

Cutting backer board is straightforward, using a drywall square or any metal square, mark the cut line. Then using a carbide backerboard scriber, maintain firm pressure as you incise the line. Next stand the backerboard sheet on its edge or you can just as easily turn it over and put pressure at the scored line to snap the backerboard at the line. With the two sides still intact and at a slight angle, use a utility knife to finish the job by cutting all the way through to take apart the two halves. You can’t have rough edges when putting the backerboard pieces together so use a masonry stone or contour plane with a serrated blade to smooth and flatten out the cut edge.

Mix and pour the thinset on your bathroom floor and using the smooth side of your notched trowel, spread the mortar in a thick consistent layer on the subfloor (hold the trowel at about a 25-30 degree angle). Once the thinset has been spread in front of you, turn over your notched trowel and using the notched side (at about a 60-degree angle), go over the mortar to create ridges. Don’t wait too long because the next step has to be done while the mortar is still wet. Grab your backer board and like a hinge tip it one end and line the first backerboard on a joist line. It is important to keep about one-eight of and inch space between the two backerboard pieces as this gives the mortar a place to bleed as you apply pressure to eliminate any air bubbles. One-quarter of an inch gap along the walls should be sufficient. Professional best practice is to stagger the joints as you lay down the backerboard then walk on the backerboard to set the mortar in place.

A phillips drill bit and a drill can be used to drive the two-inch backerboard screws at the joists to fasten the backerboad to the subfloor. You can also use one-and-one-quarter inch screws between the joists; a good rule of thumb is to fasten the screws at eight inch intermissions. Just make sure that the screws are flush with the backerboard surface. Next using three to four inch pregummed fibreglass mesh tape, cover all the gaps and joints between the backerboard sections. And to finish up the backerboard installation, apply a thin coat of thinset mortar over all sections of the tape using a margin trowel to scoop and apply the thinset being careful to feather all the edges so that the mortar is level and no high spots are apparent. Your bathroom floor is now ready to be tiled. The great thing about backerboard is that you can use it on your floors, walls and ceilings to provide a waterproof barrier under your ceramic tile when creating a wet room or shower enclosure in your home.

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