How to Install Floor Tile Backers
- 1). Set a piece of cement board underlayment in one corner of the floor. Run a pencil around the edge of it on the subfloor to mark out the perimeter. Pick up the cement board piece.
- 2). Spread thin set mortar over the marked out area, using a mortar trowel. Cover it completely to a depth of about 1/8 inch.
- 3). Set the piece of cement board back in place. Press firmly. Sink screws every 6 to 8 inches throughout the surface of the board.
- 4). Install the next board in the same manner, at the end of the first one. Repeat, laying the boards in courses, end to end. Cut as needed by scoring the surface with a razor knife and then snapping the board. Position the boards so there are no four-way intersections. Cover the whole floor.
- 5). Press drywall tape over all the seams between the boards. Spread mortar over the tape with a drywall knife, making it flat and smooth. Let set for 24 hours before tiling the floor.
