- #DOES IT MATTER WHAT SIDE OF HARDIBACKER FACES OUT HOW TO#
- #DOES IT MATTER WHAT SIDE OF HARDIBACKER FACES OUT WINDOWS#
Now use the scoring tool or a utility knife to slice through the fiberglass mesh on the back of the sheet to separate the two pieces. Bend the sheet back against your knee the backer board will snap along the scored line. Stand the backer board sheet on edge and place your knee against the back of the sheet, directly behind the scored line. Repeat three or four times to deepen the groove. Now draw the scoring tool along the edge of the straightedge, scratching a groove into the surface. Hold the other end of the straightedge with your hand. (A regular pencil will become too dull from drawing lines on such a hard surface.) Set a straightedge, such as a 4-foot level or perfectly straight board, on the cut line.
#DOES IT MATTER WHAT SIDE OF HARDIBACKER FACES OUT HOW TO#
Here's how to use the scoring tool: Lay the backer board on a flat surface and mark the cut line with a carpenter's pencil. Costing just $10 or so, the scoring tool features a single, durable tungsten-carbide tip that easily slices into the rock-hard surface of the cement backer board. In fact, you can use a drywall utility knife to score backer board, but a better option is a carbide-tipped scoring tool. The simplest way to cut cement backer board is to score the surface and snap the sheet along the scored line, similar to the way you'd cut drywall.
#DOES IT MATTER WHAT SIDE OF HARDIBACKER FACES OUT WINDOWS#
Always make the cuts outdoors and well away from open windows and doors.) Wear eye goggles and a dual-cartridge respirator when cutting backer board.
(A word of caution: Cutting cement backer board produces crystalline silica dust, which can irritate your eyes and lungs. Fortunately, there are a few different options. The one challenge DIYers face when working with cement backer board is how to cut the rock-hard panels.
A 3 x 5–foot sheet of 1/4-inch backer board costs between $9 and $11 the same-size sheet in 1/2 inch costs about $12 to $14. Backer board is commonly available in four thicknesses-1/4, 1/2, 7/16, and 5/8 inch-and in two sizes: 3 feet x 5 feet and 4 feet x 8 feet. One type is very hard and heavy-similar to concrete-and the other is softer, lighter, and more fibrous. There are two basic types, both made primarily of portland cement.
If you're still not a believer, consider that pros use backer board on just about every job, including walls, floors, and countertops.īacker board is a flat, hard panel designed to serve as a substrate for tile. Instead, you can use thin-set mortar, which greatly simplifies the installation.Ĭement backer board creates a much flatter, harder substrate than plywood, which can warp, sag, or rot. The reason: For most installations, it eliminates the need to set tile in a thick bed of mortar. Media Platforms Design Team The advent of cement backer board has made it possible for do-it-yourselfers to lay tile like a pro.