What is the difference between Hardie board and cement board?

Category: home and garden indoor environmental quality
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Hardie Board is the best known brand of cement board siding, which is often called fiber cement. All fiber cement products are waterproof and designed to hold up in extremely strong rain, winds, hail and salt air. Hardie Board is also extremely fire resistant.



Simply so, what's the difference between durock and Hardie board?

Durock is a reliable cement product that contains glass mesh. It is the heavier of the two materials, which means it is more difficult to use and maneuver. HardieBacker is much more light, and it is also the best selling brand of cement board available. It is much cleaner because it does not have any glass in it.

Also Know, what thickness cement board should I use? Cement Board Thickness Cement backer board comes in two standard thicknesses, 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch. The industry standard is to use 1/2-inch-thick backer board on wall tile installations, such as a tub surround.

Keeping this in view, what's better Hardie board or WonderBoard?

WonderBoard is now called WonderBoard Lite and is 20 percent lighter than its previous iteration. But is this change enough to help this cement backer board compete with other big dogs of the industry, like Durock or HardieBacker? WonderBoard does have some limitations, such as edge integrity.

Do you need a vapor barrier behind cement board?

You still need a vapor barrier with cement board, although in this case the barrier can go behind the board. Cement board is heavy enough and breathable enough to take the moisture without a problem. By having the vapor barrier behind the cement board you stop the moisture going further into the wall.

29 Related Question Answers Found

Which side of Hardie board goes out?

Cement board has a smooth side and a rough side. Face the rough side out if you will be using thin-set mortar adhesive to install the tile but the smooth side out if you will be using latex mastic.

Is Hardie backer waterproof?

cement backer board is not waterproof,but water cant hurt it,even when soaked in water for months or even years

Which is better durock or Hardibacker?

HardieBacker board is definitely the go-to choice when it comes to tiling and counter tops. The Durock board is abrasive and can damage certain surfaces—particularly porcelain, vinyl, and enamel–whereas HardieBacker does not contain any abrasive materials and is, therefore, the preferable board for underlaying.

Can Hardie board be used in a shower?

It usually works fine for a kitchen backsplash or fireplace but as a shower tile backer board, it's a bad idea and against code. This also goes for moisture resistant drywall also known as green board.

What type of screws do you use for cement board?


Cement board attached to plywood or similar underlayment will hold with only 1 1/4-inch screws; for thick or heavy metal fixtures, use 1 5/8-inch screws. In general, 1 1/2-inch galvanized nails will hold the board firmly in place.

What is the best material to use for shower walls?

What is the best material to use for shower walls?
  1. Glass Tile. Glass tiles are exactly what they sound like, they are translucent tiles that give an extra shine to your bathroom.
  2. Stone Tile. Stone tile is tiling that looks like a natural marbling.
  3. Ceramic.
  4. Acrylic.

What kind of screws do you use for Hardibacker?

Cement Board Screws are designed for attaching HardieBacker or equivalent fiber cement backerboard to wood or light gauge steel studs. Backer-On's patented serrated head design countersinks for flush seating at any angle, providing a smooth surface for tile.

Should I use Hardibacker for backsplash?

You can certainly use Hardibacker if you want, but it presents a few challenges: First, 1/2" Hardi is not really 1/2" thick, but actually about 7/16", so if/when you but it up to existing sheetrock, there's a little "bump" there that can be tough to tile over.

Can concrete board be used outside?

It can be used on the exterior of buildings as a base for exterior plaster (stucco) systems and sometimes as the finish system itself. Cement board adds impact resistance and strength to the wall surface as compared to water resistant gypsum boards.

What is the best backer board for floor tile?


Cement board is a good, reliable backer board that works well on both floors and walls. Keep in mind that most tile setters err on the side of caution and brush a waterproofing membrane on top of cement board when it is in wet areas like showers or tub surrounds.

Is Wonderboard flammable?

Fire safety Wonderboard. Contrary to popular belief, the Wonderboard products are fireproof and they have a fire class C s3 d0 and B s2 d0 and the standard in accordance with EN 13501-1.

What kind of backing for a tile shower?

Whenever installing tile in any area of your house, you need a special substrate, or base layer. In showers, the standard substrate is tile backer, also called cement board or cement backer board. Ceramic and porcelain tile, more than almost any other surface material, needs a stable, flat, flex-free substrate.

Is backer board the same as cement board?

Also called a cementitious backer unit or CBU, backer board is made of cement, water, silica, limestone flour, and fibers such as Kevlar or fiberglass for strength. Because cement backer board is porous, thinset, grout, and mortar adhere well to it.

Is WonderBoard waterproof?

1/2" WonderBoard is unaffected by water but it is not waterproof. If the area behind the backerboard must be kept dry, a moisture barrier or waterproof membrane such as RedGard® Waterproofing and Crack Prevention Membrane must be used.

Do you need to tape cement board before tiling?


2 Answers. The thinset and mesh tape are to strengthen the seams. If you are going to tile over the cement board, you should tape the seams. If you just want to leave the corners untreated that will probably be fine, because that seam won't split the center of a tile.

Can I use deck screws for cement board?

There are screws made for concrete board. Bugle head like drywall screws but they are coated to resist corrosion and have sufficient strength to support the board. The heads are larger than deck screws or drywall screws, too. Rona, HD, HH will all have them.

How do you fill gaps in cement board?

The cement basis of the product dictates the use of thin-set mortar to properly repair cracks or holes.
  1. Step 1: For holes larger than 1/2-inch in diameter, use a carton knife or carbide-tipped tool to cut a V-shaped groove behind the edges of hole.
  2. Step 2: Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe down the area to be patched.