I have been using various types of 1 2 cement board on tub and shower walls and 1 4 fiber cement boards on bathrroom floors with 1 8 inch gap.
1 4 tile backer on shower walls.
Sheets but tile dealers carry other sizes including 1 4 in.
Thick 4 x 5 ft.
I use 15 lb felt with 100 overlap over the studs on walls.
The sheets are made from water resistant silicone treated gypsum reinforced on both sides by fiberglass mats.
This is a dusty job so use plastic to cover your doorways wear a respirator that s rated for dust cover the floor with a drop cloth and make sure there s plenty of ventilation.
Cement board is an easily installed diy tile underlayment providing a stable dependable tile setting substrate while eliminating the complicated lath and mortar floating process.
Screw each panel to the studs using 1 1 4 inch cement board drywall screws.
It s typically available in 1 2 in.
Smooth the cut edge.
Screws secure the cement board to the wall studs.
In this highly convenient inexpensive and popular application a moisture barrier of 4 or 6 mil thick plastic is installed directly over the wall studs.
The tile side is sealed with a waterproof coating.
When doing floors i use 1 4 x 14 notched trowel with thinset over the sub floor.
Measure your panels of cement backer board to fit the shower walls on each side.
James hardie 0 42 in x 36 in x 60 in hardiebacker with hydrodefense technology fiber cement backer board.
Begin with the length of the shower.
Also tile is heavy so put down blankets to protect the floors and tub from being damaged by falling.
Engineered to prevent damage to the sub floor or wall cavity if moisture seeps through grouted tile densshield tile backer is the first backer board with a built in moisture barrier.
But as k ledgebldr told you above 1 4 backerboard is not rigid enough.
Begin by removing the old tile or the fiberglass shower wall.
That s why it was named the most preferred brand of backer board by tile installers and contractors according to the 2019 tile and stone report conducted by clearseas research in partnership with the national tile contractors association and tile magazine.
Put on mask and ear protection and as needed mark and cut a panel to fit using an angle grinder.
It s the ideal ceramic tile underlayment for new construction bathroom remodeling pool areas and many other high humidity or wet areas 1.
Tile is laid onto the cement board with thinset mortar or mastic.
Do it yourselfers can use either 1 2 or 1 4 inch cement board in certain applications while other scenarios mandate 1 2 inch board.