Tile On Drywall Vs Backer Board

Thick 4 x 8 ft.

Tile on drywall vs backer board.

Water resistant drywall is less expensive than cement or gypsum backer board but it shouldn t be used in very damp or wet areas. Some people go directly to the drywall. It can also be painted or used in non wet areas. It is made of cement water silica limestone flour and fibers such as kevlar or fiberglass for increased strength.

Install additional two by four backing in the wall where the joint between backer board and drywall will be. Diamondback tile backer type x provides the same moisture resistance as diamondback tile backer plus it has a specially formulated core for use in fire resistance rated designs. Easier to handle than cement board densshield tile backer cuts and installs like drywall without special tools or fasteners. Cement backer board is a mineral based pre fabricated wall unit usually 1 4 inch or 1 2 inch thick and 3 feet by 5 feet long.

While not considered backer board water resistant drywall can be used in spaces where occasional splashes may occur but which are otherwise dry such as a glass tile backsplash in the kitchen. Cement board is a very hard panel formed by cement slurry and reinforced fiberglass mesh. Or you could use there s a georgia pacific product called densarmor which is a tile backer and that will work very well and it s a lot easier to use than sometimes the cement backer boards are. But if wedi board transitions to wall board which then transitions to the ceiling then it s ok to use sealant between wedi and drywall as any sealant would then be covered by tile.

The sheets are made from a water repellent gypsum core covered by water resistant paper. Cement board also comes in panels but that s where its similarity to drywall ends. This product resists direct moisture making it a top choice for installation in areas of high humidity. This can be done prior to installing the extra drywall strip to close the space or screw a two by four to the back of the last drywall sheet.

Like regular drywall it s found at most home centers in 1 2 in. Densshield tile backer conforms to requirements of 2009 ibc irc code for tile backer in wet areas. Water resistant drywall is a good backer board choice behind sinks and other places where occasional splashing and high humidity could affect regular drywall. These products consist of a high performance water resistant gypsum board produced with certainteed s patented proprietary embedded glass reinforced gypsum egrg.