Do I Need Concrete Backer Board For Laminate Flooring

In this step i only take out a few pieces of cement board at a time.

Do i need concrete backer board for laminate flooring.

If your cement backer board is smooth and flat you may need to tape the seams and fill in any low spots i can t see any reason why you couldn t apply vinyl flooring over it. For flooring the backer board should be installed over a 5 8 inch thick osb or plywood base. No thinset underneath the backer board. Now it s time to start installing the cement board.

The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. It is also used in shower and tub enclosures or anywhere with significant wetness issues as a means of helping to create a moisture barrier. It is used on flooring installations as a means of creating a stable and easier to work with subfloor. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.

This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall. Good luck with your project. And for walls and ceilings apply 1 2 inch or 5 8 inch backer board screwed directly to the wall studs or joists. Cement board seams require mesh tape and thinset 1.

Once it s out i then spread thin set onto the floor. For countertops use 3 4 inch plywood beneath the backer board. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile. I do this so it goes back in the exact place that it was in before i moved it.

Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Just the other day i saw a video featuring someone fastening hardibacker directly to the subfloor with nothing underneath it. Backerboard or cement board comes in sheets much like drywall and is used in a couple of ways.