Product category:
Roofing
News Release from: Marley Eternit | Subject: Tile backing boards
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 October 2006
Cementing the future of tile backing
boards
Ian Barclay, general manager, technical services, Marley Eternit discusses 'Cementing the future of tile backing boards'.
The trend towards the increased use of ceramic tiles (as well as porcelain and terrazzo-style tiles) in both domestic and commercial applications shows no signs of waning, with some 60 million square metres of tiles sold in the UK every year But alongside the growth in sales of this form of wall and floor covering comes an increased risk of installation on an inappropriate substrate, with some seven per cent of the 240 million square metre plasterboard market sold into the wrong application - that is, bathrooms and kitchens and damp or wet areas in general
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 22 Jul 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Tiles are most commonly fixed to plasterboard, chipboard and plywood but none of these materials is naturally waterproof and more pressure than ever is being put on tiling foundations to perform in the face of a growing list of factors.
These include the trend towards multiple bathroom facilities, and not just in domestic properties.
More housebuilders and homeowners than ever before are keen to incorporate cloakrooms, en suites, power showers, wet rooms and steam cubicles into their dwellings and more and more offices are incorporating showers as well as toilets.
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Apartment buildings are also a potential breeding ground for tiling substrate problems, where failure in one dwelling unit can have a costly impact on many more.
The European influence has not just made itself felt with tiles generally but specifically too.
At the same time as the number of properties with multiple bathroom facilities increases, so too does the ratio of tiles to individual rooms, with more and more new house builders choosing to offer greater value for money and quality by featuring bathrooms and kitchens that, like their European counterparts, are fully tiled.
The trend for the kitchen to extend into the dining area or dining room has also aided the rapid growth of the past decade.
All of these factors have helped tile technology and design to make a quantum leap forward but the same cannot be said for their substrates.
Behind the scenes lurks a potential inconvenience at best and health and safety hazard at worst.
At a time when more pressure than ever before is being put on surfaces being waterproof and capable of bearing the weight of today's large format tiles, why do specifiers and contractors still stick with traditional backing boards? In America, whole houses are lined with fibre cement board.
Where it is not tiled, it is painted or papered over andhellip; and their homes are nowhere near the permanent structures that ours in the UK are.
That might go some way to explaining why 12mm fibre cement board is the most popular thickness in the UK - because it matches the thickness of plasterboard that is used everywhere that a waterproof board is not required.
Why bother when fibre cement has all the following benefits as well? Plasterboard, chipboard and plywood backing boards require special treatment, either off or on-site, to guarantee they will resist water but very often they are still fixed in an untreated state.
Then, if they become wet during the construction or utilisation phase, tiles become dislodged and they lose cohesion, grow mould and start to swell, smell and crumble.
The British Standards give clear guidance on the suitability of substrates for tiling onto.
BS 5385-1: 1995 Wall and floor tiling Part 1: Code of practice for the design and installation of internal ceramic and natural stone wall tiling and mosaics in normal conditions (Section 3.1.2.6) states that sheets and boards such as plasterboard, plywood and chipboard that are not dimensionally stable with changing humidity should not be used in wet or damp conditions.
Section 3.2.4.3 states that plasterboards should not become damp either during storage or after installation and BS 5385-4: 1992 Wall and floor tiling - Part 4: Code of practice for tiling and mosaics in specific conditions (Section 6.4) Damp and wet conditions adds water resistant materials should be used throughout and be capable of withstanding continuous contact with water without deterioration.
Fibre cement tile backing board, although relatively new to the tile backing scene, is unaffected by water as soon as it leaves the production line.
It does not require any special treatments other than the usual precautions taken when butting two pieces up to one another at corners, and is therefore time saving both before and during installation.
It is manufactured to meet the requirements of BS EN 12467:2004 Fibre cement sheets and is a Category B material (sheets which are intended for external applications, where they may be subjected to heat and moisture and occasional frost).
Tile backing boards with bevelled edges can be jointed just like plasterboard, with glass fibre tape and jointing paste, to achieve smooth, seam-free waterproof joints.
It is non-abrasive and unaffected by repeated wetting and drying and is particularly suitable for areas with high humidity and as a backing for tiling in wet areas such as shower compartments.
While the waterproofing is obviously the overriding benefit in wet areas, the boards (especially the 12mm thickness) can also contribute to sound insulating systems, have good impact resistance and Class 0 fire performance.
They also have good resistance to extreme temperatures, living organisms such as fungi, bacteria, insects and vermin, and chemicals.
Fibre cement tileboard is vapour permeable so if water does touch the surface it can be absorbed and then evaporate naturally and it does not deteriorate even when it is bearing the load of heavy contemporary tiles such as granite, stone and slate.
Unlike plasterboard, which has an inner layer of gypsum sandwiched between two outer layers of lining paper or wood based boards, fibre cement tileboard is a solid, homogeneous mix of Portland cement, organic reinforcing fibres and selected mineral fillers that provide high dimensional stability and low hydric movement.
Fibre cement tileboards can be fixed to a variety of timber or metal framing systems and can be cut using circular or jigsaws or even scored and snapped.
Screws or nails can be used without pre-drilling, but if holes have to be drilled a carbide tipped twist drill should be used.
In the current climate of increased pressure on surfaces to be waterproof and the greater repercussions in terms of numbers of people and properties affected, not to mention litigation, specifiers, contractors and merchants with the foresight to opt for tilebacking board that is naturally waterproof will be the ones most likely to keep their heads above water. Request a free brochure from Marley Eternit ...
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