In today’s market, tile installers have numerous options when looking for tile backer boards — cement, gypsum, magnesium, as well as drywall plaster board or wood products — each with its own set of features and benefits. With a two host of recent industry issues, including the tightening of labor markets, issues associated with moisture intrusion into wall cavities, heightened awareness of mold-related health problems, and a need for increased productivity at the jobsite, lightweight and waterproof foam tile backer boards are serving as a well-suited solution for projects in the U.S. and Canada. To meet these changing demands, companies must modify their approach and offer new products aimed at solving these problems for installers.
In the current landscape, cement tile backer boards are still the most widely used as they are low cost, and provide exceptional hardness, stiffness, water and mold resistance, dimensional stability, and compatibility. Despite being water- and mold-resistant, if not properly waterproofed, cement boards absorb water and, overtime, allow water to migrate into underlying subfloors and wood framing, which can result in mold growth and rot. Cement boards are also very heavy, abrasive and dusty, and require additional time and resources for transporting, cutting and installing. Despite these disadvantages and lack of waterproofing, many tile installers continue to use cement backer boards as they are a cost-effective solution when waterproofing is not required.