It wasn’t so long ago when using greenboard (moisture-resistant drywall) behind ceramic bathroom tile was A-OK. No more; and in fact the building code in most places requires backer board now.
It’s actually a great idea. It makes for much stronger walls, and can’t be beat from a moisture standpoint. And if you use HardiBacker Cement Board, you get the benefit of mold resistance. That’s an important thing. That toxic black mold is nothing to fool with.
We had a big storm here is south Republic of Texas a while back, and the resulting homeowner insurance claims brought State Farm and other insurance companies virtually to their knees.
I once worked with a fellow who kept a trailer home (oh, I’m sorry, I mean manufactured home) in the woods and only used it during hunting season. Turns out one year he breathed many mold spores that were floating around.
The stuff thrives on humidity and there’s plenty of that in the woods. And the trailer was closed up most of the year. The end result? The bone in his hip started degrading and he had to have a replacement. Not very hip, eh?
Anyhow, back to the topic. Be sure to install cement backer board on walls and plywood subfloors wherever you’re going to lay tile or natural stone.
Just a few things to keep in mind:
Wear a respirator when cutting this stuff or you’ll end up breathing silica dust.
A lot of you have been asking when I was going to post more articles from the deck design and building series. Understandable, since for many of us, spring has sprung.
Well, the good news is that I just posted the next two today. The first next one in the series is Setting Posts in Deck Construction. Makes sense because the prior one explained (in excruciating detail!) how to lay out the post spots.
The next one is Deck Building: Beams and Joists. Along with the posts, these structural components determine how it all holds up, meets building code, and carries the load. After all, your parties will be craaazy, yes?
I recently wrote telling you that I had posted an article on deck design fundamentals and that I had more articles in the series. Yesterday I skipped the gym (grrr!) and got busy posting the next two of them.
I’ve already discussed the first article in a recent post. Article number 2 is all about wood framing concepts. It’s not really rocket science, but it’s important to have a firm grasp on components like posts, floor joists, beams, and the type of concrete to use when setting posts.
Moving on from there, we come to article number 3: Lumber sizing and spacing. This is a critical planning stage of the project. Basically, the larger the lumber, the greater spacing between components. Well, there’s more to it than that, but when you read the article you can dig into the meat of it.
Even though all these concepts are generally accepted by deck contractors, you still need to consider your location and local building codes. For example, if you build stairs with handrails there are safety standards. Obey the code.
If you live in a climate like mine (South Texas), this is a great time to get busy with the building. If you’re farther north and still in the grip of winter like a head lock, you’ve got time to kick back and do extensive planning.
I hope you found this post and the related articles helpful. Check out all the home improvement articles on many topics: electrical, green building and energy efficiency, flooring, woodworking, and more.
Yes, here in the USA it’s getting to be that time again; most of us will be getting back some of the money the government has been “holding” for us all year. It’s tax refund season! And who knows how the money will eventually flow from the Obama administration economic stimulus package.
So what to do with the money? Chances are that most people won’t be putting in the market, even though it’s a good time to do so. And since most homes aren’t selling it’s a good time to do some remodeling to raise the home’s selling value. Boost that home equity.
Kitchen renovations are always a good idea, as are bathroom face lifts. Installing wall paneling is an easy project that can make the difference between “Blah” and “Ahh”.
One of the big questions is whether you should hire a building contractor or do the work yourself. In some cases, a contractor is needed. A good example is when licensing is required. A lot of electrical work falls in this category. It really depends on the local building code.
Another one is re-roofing, as far as I’m concerned. I did one about twenty years ago, and I’d rather take a whipping!
I hope you found this post helpful. Feel free to visit the main page for free remodeling articles.
