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