How to Install Hardi Backerboard Tile

If you're tiling a bathroom, installing Hardi backerboard first will give you a level surface on which to tile.

Things You'll Need

• Backerboard screws
• Tile
• Mastic
• Grout
• Scraper
• Trowel
• X-Acto knife

Instructions

1. Remove the old floor so you can lay backerboard down on the original plywood. This will give you a smooth surface and eliminate any possibility of the floor rising up underneath your backerboard in the future. If you are dealing with carpet or wood, remove the carpet and pad, or the wood, and the staples or nails. If you're working with linoleum, scrape the old flooring off.

2. Place your backerboard. Cut the board around any obstructions with an X-Acto knife. Screw the backerboard to the floor with backerboard screws. Drive the screws down into the board so that the board is level throughout your tiling area, and there are no screw heads sticking out.

3. Apply mastic with a trowel, starting in a corner. Lay the tile as you go until the entire area is covered. Let the tile sit for a couple of hours while the mastic sets. Unless you have a lot of experience laying tile, use tile spacers to keep your tile straight and uniform.

4. Apply the grout. Use a sponge to completely fill in the joints between the tile. The sponge will allow you to get the grout into hard-to-reach spots. Let the grout set for at least 24 hours. Once it has hardened, wipe it down with a wet sponge until the tile is clean and the grout is only in the joints.

5. Add water-proofing to the grouted joints to keep it from flaking and protect the grout from water damage.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish