Use and Care Guide

Cutting is a snap!
Simply score and snap
two sides with
a single blade.
And the cut edge
will always be clean.
Tile is never installed in interior building areas that are permanently under water. In fact, cement board has a
liability in its design in that it allows water to freely pass through it, wetting the plywood in floor applications
or framing members in unprotected wall cavities. If a secondary moisture barrier isn’t installed, moisture
can, and will, damage the stud cavity.
DensShield
®
Tile Backer isn’t designed or intended to be permanently immersed in water. The fact is that the
built-in acrylic coating on DensShield Tile Backer stops moisture at the surface, preventing tile failures and
damage to the wall cavity. Regardless of the water immersion demonstrations of other boards, DensShield
Tile Backer is a vastly superior tile backer for the application of installing tile in interiors of buildings.
33
Why does Georgia-Pacific say DensShield
®
Tile
Backer saves labor time versus cement board?
• Cutting. With DensShield
®
Tile Backer, cutting is as simple
as score and snap. The only tool needed is a standard utility
knife and the cut edge will always be clean. With heavy
cement board, cutting and scoring is difficult. With DensShield
Tile Backer panels, cutouts for water supply piping, shower
heads, etc., are easily and accurately cut, giving a less
expensive and better, cleaner overall tile backer installation
than can be achieved with cement backers.
• Fastening. DensShield Tile Backer can be fastened close to
its edge without edge breakout.
• Unique Sizes, Less Waste. DensShield Tile Backer is available in
1
⁄29 (12.7 mm) thick 48 x 58 (1,220 mm x
1,524 mm), 329 x 58 (813 mm x 1,524 mm) and 48 x 88 (1,220 x 2,438 mm) lengths. These sizes blend with
conventional 169 (406 mm) o.c. or 249 (610 mm) o.c. wall frame spacing. It is also available in
5
⁄89 (15.9 mm)
thick 48 x 88 (1,220 x 2,438 mm) panels. In a shower stall, 48 x 88 (1,220 x 2,438 mm) panels provide full
coverage with little or no waste.
5
⁄89 (15.9 mm) DensShield
®
Fireguard
®
Type X requires no furring or
aligning of the framing to match
5
⁄89 (15.9 mm) gypsum board.
• No Moisture Barrier to Install. With DensShield Tile Backer panels, there is no extra expense or labor to
add a waterproof membrane against the framing. Additional vapor barriers behind DensShield Tile Backer
are not required or recommended. Cement backers are highly porous, which means a secondary barrier is
needed and required by TCNA in wet areas to protect the wall cavity.
• One Person to Install. DensShield Tile Backer is so lightweight and easy to handle that a single installer
can carry and easily install it, even in difficult applications. The result, of course, is lower installation cost.
34
Cement board maximum wall stud spacing is 169 (406 mm) o.c. Can I use DensShield
Tile Backer 249 (610 mm) o.c. for wall framing?
With
1
⁄29 (12.7 mm) DensShield Tile Backer, framing may be spaced up to 249 (610 mm) o.c. with proper
blocking or backing located approximately 19 (25 mm) above the top of the tub or receptor and at horizontal
joints where tile is to be installed. Using
1
⁄29 48 x 58 (12.7 mm x 1,220 mm x 1,524 mm) or
1
⁄29 48 x 88 (12.7 mm
x 1,220 mm x 2,438 mm) DensShield Tile Backer blends with 249 (610 mm) o.c. wall framing and reduces
the number of seams in the wet area.
5
⁄89 (15.9 mm) DensShield Tile Backer may be used 249 (610 mm) o.c.
without back blocking.
35
When I use cement board to keep the stud cavity dry, a moisture barrier membrane should
be placed over the studs. Do DensShield Tile Backer panels require the same?
No. DensShield Tile Backer requires no additional moisture barriers. DensShield Tile Backer repels surface
water and has a built-in moisture barrier. Cement backer products are unaffected by moisture but are
highly porous. TCNA requires use of a secondary barrier behind cement and fiber cement backers in wet
areas. Without the additional step of adding a moisture barrier (extra labor and material) to cement backers,
moisture and mold damage can occur to the wall cavity.
14 DENSSHIELD Questions & Answers