This makes cement backerboard a good choice for large format tile floors, as well as for older homes that may have more uneven subfloors. When properly installed with a coat of thinset beneath it, cement backerboard won’t flex like plywood, and won’t contribute to problems like lippage. This, however, creates an uneven substrate that can result in lippage, or tile corners that stick up above the rest of the floor.Ĭement backerboard solves both these issues. The solution to fixing this movement with plywood is to screw it down in several areas to the subfloor. Since tile can’t flex, it eventually cracked and broke. This was because anything larger was likely to develop cracks, because the substrate or underlayment beneath it often moved. Flex and Lippageįor many decades, the largest tile most people ever installed was around 8-inches. While you can technically install most tiles on any smooth, clean substrate, using cement backerboard will give you superior results every time. One of the first questions that many people before installation is whether to use plywood or cement board under tile. One thing that can always help an installation go more smoothly, however, is using the right underlayment. Unfortunately, there many ways that a tile installation can fail from the wrong setting materials to inadequate back-buttering of large format tiles. Whether it’s made of stone, ceramic, porcelain, or glass tile enhances many different settings with its beauty and durability.
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