Table of Contents
What is the best way to cut Hardiebacker board?
A carbide-tipped scoring knife is recommended, but you can also use a utility knife or shears. Never use a high-speed grinder to cut cement board indoors, since this can create a dust hazard.
What blade do you use to cut Hardie board?
For a larger project, use a fiber cement saw blade with polycrystalline diamond tips; if you’re installing Hardie siding on a shed or other small building you can use a fiber cement saw blade with carbide tips. For installations with more or longer cuts, the carbide blade will burn out much more quickly.
Can you cut Hardie board with a regular saw blade?
You can use a jigsaw, table saw or circular saw, or another tool, as long as it’s equipped with the right kind of blade. Once prepared, cut the Hardie board as you would any other material. Mark your line; align the board against the guard as needed and slowly but firmly make the cut.
Can you cut Hardie board with a jigsaw?
A jigsaw can cut straight cuts, rounded cuts, and is the best choice if you need to cut a circular piece or an irregular shape out of the cement board. Fit the jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade or a carbide-grit blade.
Does it matter which side of Hardie board faces out?
Which side goes up, smooth or rough? Either is acceptable, but we recommend that the smooth side with the nailing pattern of every 8″ on center go up.
How do you cut Hardie board with a skill saw?
Fit your circular saw with a carbide-tipped wood-cutting blade (view example on Amazon), choosing one with as few teeth as possible in order to minimize the amount of dust given off as you saw. Operate your circular saw as you typically would, pushing it slowly and evenly through your cement backer board.
Will a Sawzall cut Hardie board?
A: You can cut cement backer board with a circular saw or grinder equipped with an abrasive or diamond blade. A reciprocating saw with an abrasive blade will also do the trick, and so will a backerboard scoring knife, which works like a standard razor knife but with a carbide cutting edge.
Can you cut cement board with circular saw?
Cement backer board can be cut with a carbide-tipped scoring tool, just score and snap the sheet, similar to cutting drywall. For straight cuts, use a circular saw fitted with a carbide-tipped woodcutting blade, but here’s a little secret: use a blade with the fewest number of teeth you can find.
Can you cut cement board with a hand saw?
While power saws make it a lot easier, it is possible to cut cement boards by hand.
Do you need to put thinset under Hardie board?
However, many manufacturers including, both Durock and Hardiebacker not only recommend that you use thinset under their backerboard, but they specify it and will void the warranty on their product if it’s not used. Thinset is going to create a solid surface under tile and prevent flexing that could lead to cracking.
Do you have to put plywood behind Hardie board?
Fiber cement siding should be installed over plywood, OSB, or sheathing. Building codes will usually require installing siding over water-resistant barriers and nailed into the studs every 16 or 24 inches.
Do you have to tape Hardie board?
For tile backer boards such as Durock, Wonderboard, Hardiebacker, Permabase, and others the seams between the board need to be treated with 2-inch alkali-resistant mesh tape.
Can I use drywall screws for cement board?
You don’t want to use regular drywall screws for cement boards. They can corrode, they can break down the edges of the boards, and they won’t drive in flush properly. Use ITW’s ROCK-ON and BACKER-ON screws instead.
What side of backer board goes up?
Screw the board in place Cement board has a smooth side and a rough side. Face the rough side out if you will be using thin-set mortar adhesive to install the tile but the smooth side out if you will be using latex mastic.
Do you have to pre drill cement board?
Fiberboard cement siding can be hand-nailed, but because it’s so much harder and more brittle than wood, you have to predrill holes near any edge. You can save yourself a bunch of time by using a pneumatic coil siding nail gun.
How do you cut Hardiebacker Hydrodefense?
Cuts easily with a hand tool (e.g., scoring knife, shears, utility knife) Cuts quick and clean, with easy score & snap. Cuts cleanly, with minimal dust and debris.
Should backer board go under toilet flange?
You should always put the flange on top of the finished floor. Keep in mind toilets and tiles are often the same material. And, if your floor is level (as it should be), you are distributing the PSI weight of the toilet over an area, not 100% over the bolts.
What happens if you don’t put thinset under Hardibacker?
It will make an enormous mess under the house (or whatever is under your bathroom). It is also more likely to make the floor uneven since it is hard to level thinset that is separated by gaps. The installation manual for HardieBacker suggests to embed it in thin-set and it should be installed over plywood.
Can I just screw down backer board?
Screw and Joints Do not use drywall screws as they are not recommended to be used to hold the backer board in place. All of your backer board pieces should be cut before they are placed on the floor. It is important to highlight that screws shall not be installed all the way down to the floor joists.
How thick is thinset under Hardibacker?
We recommend 1/4 in HardieBacker® board for floor applications, unless 1/2 in thickness is needed for transition. On existing structures: Ensure subfloor is not damaged. Replace any loose, warped, uneven or damaged sections of floor.
