# Hardiebacker 500 in shower enclosure question (does board facing matter?)



## DyerWolf (May 5, 2007)

This may be a no-brainer; but it's my first time using the stuff. I've walled in my entire shower enclosure using 1/2 inch Hardiebacker. For every piece, except for the one going over the roughed-in shower pipe, I've placed the boards facing so that the little dots which show where to drill the screws are facing out. The problem is, that I got moving too quickly & drilled the hole for the shower pipe so that the only way it will fit is with the rough, textured side facing out.

Is that a problem? (I don't need the dots to know where the screws go; I'm mostly concerned whether Hardiebacker is equally moisture resistant on either face...)

Thanks!


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

There's nothing in the instructions that says there is a restriction as to which side to expose. The nailing pattern side just helps when installing it on the floor.
Ron


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

The orientation of the sheet shouldn't make or break you. Honestly, thinset mortar will bond to either pretty well.

You've spooked me regarding the moisture resistance comment. Backerboard is in no way going to prevent the passage of moisture. It can get wet and will not decay or degrade, but it won't stop water from permeating, which water inevitably will do.

You *must* apply a waterproofer or a waterproofing membrane to the backerboard before tiling. You can use a membrane system called Kerdi, or you can use a topical brush-on waterproofer such as RedGuard. 

Also, don't forget to mud and tape the backerboard seams with thinset and alkali resistant mesh backerboard tape before waterproofing the backer. This is critical to prevent cracking at the grout joints.


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## DyerWolf (May 5, 2007)

thekctermite said:


> ...You've spooked me regarding the moisture resistance comment. Backerboard is in no way going to prevent the passage of moisture. It can get wet and will not decay or degrade, but it won't stop water from permeating, which water inevitably will do.
> 
> You *must* apply a waterproofer or a waterproofing membrane to the backerboard before tiling. You can use a membrane system called Kerdi, or you can use a topical brush-on waterproofer such as RedGuard.
> 
> Also, don't forget to mud and tape the backerboard seams with thinset and alkali resistant mesh backerboard tape before waterproofing the backer. This is critical to prevent cracking at the grout joints.


 
Thanks for the warning - thankfully I have three gallons of Redgard waiting for me to finish taping the seams (fiberglass tape) & mudding with thinset. I'm applying two coats.

The question occurred to me because _*I  *_got spooked thinking about mounting the greenboard adjacent to the shower enclosure (which _does_ have a proper (i.e. green) face to leave exposed) - and wondered if I hadn't missed something in the instructions...

Again thanks for the tips.


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