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Choosing the proper underlayment for your flooring
Floors that last under all conditions
Floor and wall underlayment provides stability, a flat and even surface and something that your adhesive can hold onto.
If your floor or wall is not strong or prone to moisture be sure and choose the right material for the job!
Underlayments are typically made of three types of material
- Plywood Underlayment - Easy to cut and install, plywood is the best for vinyl tiles, wood parquet and laminate tiles. Its smooth
surface is ideal for thin tiles that could show imperfections in the flooring. Most plywood used for underlayment has marks for
screws or nails when attaching the plywood. Plywood can be used for ceramic tiles or stone tiles if moisture won't be an issue.
- Cement Backerboard - Made up of mostly portland cement, backerboard comes in two varieties.
- Fiber Backerboard - Fibers run through the board and it's fairly smooth
- Mesh Reinforced - Fiberglass mesh wraps around both sides of the board with one side being rough and the other pitted, but smooth.
Use backerboard screws for installing this type of underlayment. Seal your joints with mesh tape or thinset mortar.
- Greenboard - Cheap and easy to install, greenboard is basically drywall that can tolerate small amounts of moisture. Too much moisture and it
will fall apart over time. Use greenboard for walls that aren't prone to moisture. Don't use next to tubs and showers.
Best suited backing for your tile type:
Ceramic or Stone floor and Countertops - Use Cement Backerboard
Resilient Floor tiles - Plywood
Ceramic or Stone Wall tiles with moisture inherent - Cement Backerboard
Ceramic or Stone wall tile in dry areas - Backerboard or Greenboard
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