Cement Board Manufacturers

Cementitious Board Manufacturers

Cement board is readily available. Just about any ceramic tile supplier stocks this commodity. It is often 1/2 inch thick and comes in pieces three feet wide by either four, five or six feet long. Be sure to get a set of installation instructions from your supplier! Don't listen to him/her if they say to just put it down with galvanized roofing nails. There is more to it than that!

There are just a few companies that make cement backerboard for ceramic tile installations. Basically, all of the products are the same. The board comes in different sizes and often two thicknesses. One half inch thick material is used for wall tile installations. One quarter inch thickness is often used for countertops. The cement board is held together by a layer of fiberglass mesh on each outer surface. USG Corporation's product has small Styrofoam balls in it to reduce weight. Their product also has two sides to it. The rougher side is for thinset applications. The smooth side is for organic mastics.

You can find these cement boards in home centers and ceramic tile outlet stores. Be sure to obtain written installation instructions for the product you choose. They all differ slightly from one another.

• Georgia Pacific Corp.
  Their product is called ToughRock®. 
• United States Gypsum Company USG
  Their product is called Durock. 
• Fin Pan, Inc.
  Their product is called Util-A-Crete.
• American Gypsum 
• CertainTeed

• James Hardie Building Products
  Their product is called HardieBacker™ Cement Board.

• Custom Building Products
  WonderBoard® Cement Backerboard
  RhinoBoard® Fiber Cement Backerboard
  EasyBoard® Ultra Light Backerboard

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