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Hardibacker board vs Cement board for Garage/Mudroom shower.

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Hardibacker board vs Cement board for Garage/Mudroom shower. Jack 09-13-2006
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Posted by jeffreydesign on September 15, 2006, 12:04 am
It IS all *that* bad... just ask anyone who got it from 'casual
contact' with silica dust and now needs oxygen to survive. Better safe
than sorry, I'd say!

How to cut a circle or hole in hardibacker? It's EASY. Scribe the
circle or shape you want to punch out of the hardibacker and then
scribe an "X" in the middle. Use a hammer to lightly punch out the
center (X marks the spot) then break out the rest by hand - see it's
EASY and you won't die from the dust.

Jeff

Keith Williams wrote:
> jeffreylmiller@gmail.com says...
> > Hardibacker all the way -
> >
> > I want to voice a note of caution however, you should NOT use a power
> > saw to cut Hardibacker unless you are wearing a resperator, and you
> > should wear a resperator when sweeping up cuttings as well. Hardibacker
> > dust when inhaled can cause silicosis (a dangerous and sometimes fatal
> > lung disease)- and it doesn't take long exposures over many years to
> > get it either.
>
> It's not all *that* bad. The size of the particles has to be just
> right and it does take a while for silicosis to set in. A mask is
> a good idea (there is a warning on the label), and I do all the
> cutting (backer and tile) outside because it does make a mess.
>
> > It's better to just score and break it.
>
> How do you "break" the hole for a toilet waste line or dryer vent?
> I use a RotoZip. ;-)
>
> --
> Keith


Posted by Robert Gammon on September 15, 2006, 1:54 pm
jeffreydesign wrote:
> It IS all *that* bad... just ask anyone who got it from 'casual
> contact' with silica dust and now needs oxygen to survive. Better safe
> than sorry, I'd say!
>
> How to cut a circle or hole in hardibacker? It's EASY. Scribe the
> circle or shape you want to punch out of the hardibacker and then
> scribe an "X" in the middle. Use a hammer to lightly punch out the
> center (X marks the spot) then break out the rest by hand - see it's
> EASY and you won't die from the dust.
>
> Jeff
>
>
What Jeff is saying is equally true for BOTH HB and cement board. Both
contain cement. Cement dust is HAZARDOUS. Even if you are only EVER
going to use HB/Cementboard in this SOLE project and NEVER again in
your life, and you intend to saw it, then use a carbide tipped blade,
do it outdoors, stand upwind of the dust ejected from the saw, wear
goggles, and wear a dust mask too.

Scoring and hammering will NOT work with the other famous Hardie
products, HardiPanel, HardiPlank and HardiTrim. I watched the pros do
this on my house, and they were very cautious. Everyone was very careful
to stand upwind, everyone had protective eyewear on and anyone near the
saw had on a respirator

Posted by krw on September 16, 2006, 10:25 am
rgammon51@yahoo.com says...
> jeffreydesign wrote:
> > It IS all *that* bad... just ask anyone who got it from 'casual
> > contact' with silica dust and now needs oxygen to survive. Better safe
> > than sorry, I'd say!
> >
> > How to cut a circle or hole in hardibacker? It's EASY. Scribe the
> > circle or shape you want to punch out of the hardibacker and then
> > scribe an "X" in the middle. Use a hammer to lightly punch out the
> > center (X marks the spot) then break out the rest by hand - see it's
> > EASY and you won't die from the dust.
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> >
> What Jeff is saying is equally true for BOTH HB and cement board. Both
> contain cement. Cement dust is HAZARDOUS.

Yes, and Hardi* no more so. People mix cement all the time. I'm
not saying that it's not hazardous, just that people are going a
little overboard here.

> Even if you are only EVER
> going to use HB/Cementboard in this SOLE project and NEVER again in
> your life, and you intend to saw it, then use a carbide tipped blade,
> do it outdoors, stand upwind of the dust ejected from the saw, wear
> goggles, and wear a dust mask too.

No goggles, but the rest is pretty much what I do. Three
bathrooms, laundry, and a couple of closets, so far. Do you wear a
dust mask and goggles when you mix the thinset too?

> Scoring and hammering will NOT work with the other famous Hardie
> products, HardiPanel, HardiPlank and HardiTrim. I watched the pros do
> this on my house, and they were very cautious. Everyone was very careful
> to stand upwind, everyone had protective eyewear on and anyone near the
> saw had on a respirator

Did they do the same for fiberglass installation? My bet is that's
the next "disaster" in the news.

--
Keith

Posted by shawn on September 14, 2006, 2:16 am
i did my shower with hardibacker, i cut it by scoring line per
instructions...for other cuts i just used my angle grinder blade (use a
good respiration mask as breathing the dust is bad)

I knew nothing about it when i bought it, i thought it was water proof
(after seeing the displays in the store where it was in water) so it
sat in my trailer bed for a few weeks and a few rains, I noticed it is
pressed layers and if submerged long enough mositure will wick up a
little into the layers from the edges and can de layer the edges....not
that it is a concern just make sure you read the installation
instructions part on avoiding wicking moisture at the wall to floor
joint.

Anyways i liked it as tiling went fast on it nice surface, seems pretty
durable...i dont think i'd worry about it.

dont know nuthin about floors i'm on a slab. Read hardi's online
instructions and faq they're pretty complete.




Jack wrote:
> I am finishing a new bathroom just off my mudroom/garage. I am trying
> to decide if I should back ceramic tile with cement board or Hardi
> backer. This will be for a very heavy use shower.. wash out camping
> stuff.. push kids in when they come home from football practice all
> muddy... not a powder room for makeup.. but a heavy use
> shower/bathroom.
>
> Cost: HB is about a buck more per sheet.. not enough to be a
> deal-killer if Hardi-backer is better.
>
> I have cut and hung a few sheets of cement board to finish off another
> bathroom, it is heavy, but do-able. Obviiosly HB is lighter, and
> would be easier to handle, but is it as durable in a heavy use shower?
>
> Do I need a special blade for HB? I picked up a 5 dollar blade at
> Harbor Freight that rips right through cement board, but at another
> place I saw a blade especially for hardibacker and it was 50 bucks. Do
> I need that special blade for HB?
>
> Floor will be slate, is HB good to back slate floor tiles in a heavy
> use area? Or am I better off using Cement board?


Posted by RicodJour on September 15, 2006, 9:27 am

Jack wrote:
> I am finishing a new bathroom just off my mudroom/garage. I am trying
> to decide if I should back ceramic tile with cement board or Hardi
> backer. This will be for a very heavy use shower.. wash out camping
> stuff.. push kids in when they come home from football practice all
> muddy... not a powder room for makeup.. but a heavy use
> shower/bathroom.
>
> Cost: HB is about a buck more per sheet.. not enough to be a
> deal-killer if Hardi-backer is better.
>
> I have cut and hung a few sheets of cement board to finish off another
> bathroom, it is heavy, but do-able. Obviiosly HB is lighter, and
> would be easier to handle, but is it as durable in a heavy use shower?
>
> Do I need a special blade for HB? I picked up a 5 dollar blade at
> Harbor Freight that rips right through cement board, but at another
> place I saw a blade especially for hardibacker and it was 50 bucks. Do
> I need that special blade for HB?
>
> Floor will be slate, is HB good to back slate floor tiles in a heavy
> use area? Or am I better off using Cement board?

Before you make any decisions, check out Wedi board. I've used all of
the other backer boards and Wedi is by far my favorite. It's a Dow
foam board with a fiberglass mesh reinforced acrylic cement coating on
both sides. It's very light - try walking up stairs carrying four or
five boards of 1/2" cement-based backer board some time - cuts like a
dream, just like drywall, is totally waterproof, adds insulation, is a
vapor barrier and if the seams are caulked with polyurethane it's
perfect for steam showers and such.

R


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