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Roland Dalrymple
Roland Dalrymple has owned Quality Floor in Pittsburg/Frontenac for 15 years. He received his degree in Building Construction Tech at Pittsburg State and has been in the construction related field all his life. For more information or to reach Roland please call 620-231-2690.
Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering
2012-04-20 10:29:37
Backer board
Q: I got a couple of bids on a bathroom tile project. One includes a backer board, the other does not. Are there any standards concerning this?
A: Yes. There are industry standards on backer board, as well as all other tile procedures, set by the TCNA, or the Tile Council of North America. inc. You will want to be sure that your tile professional follows industry standard, or you will risk tile failure. Most tile failures can be attributed to incorrect installation, and this is especially true in wet areas such as bathrooms. The two biggest contributing factors are incorrect or omitted underlayment, and application to backer boards that did not follow factory specifications. In wet areas, underlayment is essential as moisture may be absorbed into the wood subfloor which will eventually cause the tile to separate from the wood, or the tiles to crack due to improper support. Also, the trapped moisture can cause mold to develop. Another consideration is that underlayment should be set in a mortar bed. Many contractors will fasten it directly to the subfloor. Remember, mortar is for support and to prevent voids. Finally, underlayment must be fastened according to manufacture’s instructions. For example, cementitious backer calls for 1-1/2 inch galvanized nails rather than drywall screws because the screws do not have a large enough head to properly secure the board, leaving the board subject to deterioration, which leads to the installation to fail. There are a range of different installation processes that are acceptable within the standards, which may account for the differences between the bids and bidders. If you want to be certain that the job is done right, ask if they follow the TCNA standards, and best practices concerning backer board.
 
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