Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Question about cement board...

Hello, I am just about to tile my tub/shower enclosure. I read quite a few different places that Concrete backer board (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100113523), and not Durock (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100321601), does not need a moisture barrier behind/infront of it. Is this true or do I need to put a barrier behind my concrete. Thanks for any help.

You should install a vapor barrier on the stud edges prior to the installation of the cbu. CBU can be coated with a product such as Redgard for moisture, but the vapor barrier is much easier. CBU will wick a certain amount of moisture should it get wet (hopefully that won't happen) BUT why chance it?

Last time I checked, a 3gal thing of RedGard was like $140 too... :eek:

Hedgehog

Durock is cement board, just made by a different manufacturer than your wonderboard link. No cement board is waterproof, and all require either a vapor barrier behind them or a waterproofing system over the face of them. Your tile and grout will not be waterproof either, and vapor/moisture will make its way to the cement board, no question about it. That's why you need either vapor barrier or a surface applied waterproofing system.:)

Hedgehog

Durock is cement board, just made by a different manufacturer than your wonderboard link. No cement board is waterproof, and all require either a vapor barrier behind them or a waterproofing system over the face of them. Your tile and grout will not be waterproof either, and vapor/moisture will make its way to the cement board, no question about it. That's why you need either vapor barrier or a surface applied waterproofing system.:)

Thanks, thats what I was thinking too, just wanted to make sure before I did all that work for nothing :p