Install Tile Backer Around a Tub
In a high-moisture application, such as a tub enclosure, you can ensure a solid, water-resistant substructure for ceramic tile with the proper application of a cementitious tile backerboard base. Tile backerboard comes in several thicknesses; ½-inch is recommended as the minimum thickness for all vertical wall applications.
Instructions
1. Cover the wall studs at the area to be covered with tile backerboard with 15-lb. roofing felt. Attach the felt with a staple gun. Run continuous horizontal pieces of felt around the perimeter of the tub enclosure, installing the first horizontal piece just above the lip of the tub edge. Make certain to fit the felt tightly into corners and that each subsequent horizontal piece laps over the piece directly below it by a minimum of two inches. Install felt to three to four inches above the height at which the tile backerboard will be installed.
2. Install tile backerboard sheets horizontally across the back wall of the tub enclosure. Leave approximately ¼ inch of space above the surface of the tub platform, making certain the backerboard is level and tight to the upturned edge of the tub unit. Attach the backerboard at each wall stud with backerboard screws spaced approximately 8 at the ends and 12 inches apart in the field. If a single continuous sheet does not span the full length of the tub, the vertical edges of each sheet must be cut to split on a wall stud.
3. Repeat the process on the end walls, beginning with the bottom piece. Measure backerboard pieces to the necessary width, and mark cut lines with a chalk line. Cut the backerboard to size with a jigsaw or circular saw equipped with a masonry or carbide blade.
4. Lay out and cut openings for plumbing control and showerhead piping prior to installing backerboard on the drain end of the tub.
5. Cover all edges, horizontal and vertical joints and inside corners with fiberglass webbed tape. The tile backerboard substructure is now ready for tile installation.
Tags: tile backerboard, Backer Around, horizontal piece, inches apart, Install Tile