just a question is cement board ie Hardibacker aqua panel waterproof ? and who uses backer board and who uses cement board in wet areas ? have only used cement board once myself

no pete
cement backer boards are not fully water proof. they will eventually absorb water all the way through whereas wedi and marmox dont. that is why its not actually 'belt and braces' to tank cement based boards, its the way they should really be treated in continous wet areas.

i know plasterboards if tanked are suitable at times but, if they do get wet or damp even via the rear side, then they run the risk of mould but as you know cement based boards dont suffer from mould and carry more weight so i personally would always go for a cement based board over plasterboard, everytime. if the budget is there, then i would always go for wedi/marmox/dukka ahead of everything due to being water proof, stronger in tile weight capacity , easier to carry and cut and the big thing now, thermally efficient!!

ed

Ed you should be working yes that's what i thought its just that i got the impression maybe wrongly that peeps were using it like backerboard and not tanking it as the manufactures sort of imply its waterproof imo

hi pete,

heres a clip from a document i put up a while back on hardie backer board...theres a sentence from their literature.. thay says ''unaffected by water for short periods of time'', so even though they are in a round about way suggesting that they are unaffected by water, they make sure they cover them selves with the added line of 'short periods of time ;0)

HARDIE BACKER BOARDSTechnical helpline 0800 917 3975 W Loading James Hardie Europe JamesHardie.co.uk ...

. Hardiebacker boards are cement based boards containing fibre cement. (No mesh)

. They contain ‘Mould block technology’ and come with a 10 year guarantee!
. Boards are unaffected by water for ‘short periods of time’ and are dimensionally stable, unlike plywood boards which can rot, warp and disintigrate over time.

. HardieBoard has a ‘EZ Grid Pattern’ inpregnated onto its surface to ensure a better bond with adhesive.
. Hardieboards come in 2 sizes, Hardibacker 250 and Hardibacker 500.
. Cut boards by using a hardie scribe firmly applied approx 3 times and then snap the boards.
. WARNING! – HARDIEBACKER BOARDS CONTAIN SILLICA DUST! – Always wear a mask/respirator and reduce the amount of dust by using dust reducing tools ie shears, jigsaw etc & cutting out side.

hi pete i use the knauf cement boards,i find them much easier to cut than hardi

i use them on there own in wet areas and i rarely tank them,i have a sample of a peice of board which is set in a clear plastic framed water tank it has mosaics attached...also the adhesive lines are visible and also tile is grouted it has been in this box for years

it hasnt broken down,swelled..tiles havent come off,grout hasnt discoloured either

i agree its probably not as good as product as wedi etc but i find it affordable on my jobs and for domestic showers etc i am happy to install it as it is.

just my opinion

Originally Posted by kilty55

hi pete i use the knauf cement boards,i find them much easier to cut than hardi

i use them on there own in wet areas and i rarely tank them,i have a sample of a peice of board which is set in a clear plastic framed water tank it has mosaics attached...also the adhesive lines are visible and also tile is grouted it has been in this box for years

it hasnt broken down,swelled..tiles havent come off,grout hasnt discoloured either

i agree its probably not as good as product as wedi etc but i find it affordable on my jobs and for domestic showers etc i am happy to install it as it is.

just my opinion

yes it is unaffected by water but water can pass through it so can get to the substrate behind they seem to forget to tell you that lol this what knaff aquapanel say as i said only used it once so i am a newb lol

Resistant to mould and mildew,
Aquapanel will not deteriorate
in water. It retains its strength even
if fully immerse

A purpose designed tile backing
board, Aquapanel solves the
problems experienced when
traditional backing materials get
wet. So no more costly call backs to
replace rotten or damaged boards

PS Jamie you should be at work to