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Discussion Forum

cement board under wood flooring

sonnie | Posted in Construction Techniques on March 15, 2006 09:31am

My husband and I are arguing so I said I would ask in breaktime. We have put durorock and tile in the foyer and two bathrooms and will put wood flooring in the adjoining bedroom and familty room/kitchen. He wants to put the cement board down first under the wood so he can match the height of tile/cb. I say just use some type of threshold that would transition between the higher tile and lower wood. I can’t see going to that expense and time and the slight difference in height won’t bother me. He says it will make the wood flooring more stable. What do you think – overkill or necessary? 

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  1. User avater
    CloudHidden | Mar 15, 2006 09:37pm | #1

    What type of wood flooring? Fastened how?

    Either way, I say overkill. If you want consistent height, then add the right thickness of plywood. Cement board won't make the flooring more stable...and certainly not more so than ply would.

  2. pickings | Mar 15, 2006 10:13pm | #2

    As in all marital arguements....you, the wife, are correct. ;-). You nailed it right on the head.

    It would be a very expensive overkill to add anything under a wood floor in the other rooms. Tansition tresholds are the way to go. Once they are in, you will never notice the difference.

  3. xosder11 | Mar 15, 2006 10:52pm | #3

    What was the thickness of the durock? 1/2 or 1/4? I cant see the transition being anything considerable either way. I think the transitions are going to be acceptible. If you do end up going with any underlayment under the wood, don't use durock. It is a pain to cut, it is a major pain to screw, and...well it just isn't done that way. If anything, match it with a layer of plywood.

    Hey, at least he sweats the details, right?

    "Oh, this is the worst-looking hat I ever saw. What, when you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you though."

  4. User avater
    ErnieK | Mar 15, 2006 11:06pm | #4

    Durock is overkill, in addition to being tough to work under wood flooring. The best solution if the concern is transition would be plywood. For one, there would be less joints as an underlayment and should be significantly lighter and easier to handle. You, like my wife, are right, as usual.

  5. User avater
    JDRHI | Mar 15, 2006 11:52pm | #5

    I'll both agree and disagree with the previous posters.

    First...in agreement....cement board is not the substrate to use under wood flooring. Depending upon the height differential, choose a plywood of proper thickness and install it prior to the flooring. I would recomend installing the tile first in order to determine the actual height difference.

    Second.....in disagreement.... I believe it is worth the time, effort and cost in adding the additional plywood substrate in order to bring floor heights equal. I'm not a fan of transition strips. As with most everything else in life....proper prior planning always leads to a better finished product. Even something seemingly as mundane as differences in floor heights.

    Best of luck to ya!

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

    1. Cabin | Mar 16, 2006 01:09am | #6

      In my limited experience tiling. 1/2" concrete backer board and man made tile match up near perfectly with 3/4" t&g wood flooring. I used a matching siliconized caulk for the transition and it is still holding up after years of use.
      If you are using slate, marble, or granite use 1/4" concrete backer board and it will match up pretty good too with 3/4" t&g.
      To figure out if your flooring material will match with your tile stack a tile on the backer board with a scrap of cardboard in between to simulate mortar. Put this mock up next to a piece of your flooring material to check for elevation differences.
      Did you mention what type of flooring and tile you are using? I'm new at this computer thing and may have missed it.

      Edited 3/15/2006 6:11 pm ET by Cabin

      1. sonnie | Mar 16, 2006 03:38pm | #7

        Thanks for all the comments. I am glad that some of you agree this is overkill which my husband tends to do. (He built 24" concrete columns under the house which eliminated our ability to use the space for parking cars and the inspector told him that we could probably use the piers for bridge supports since they were so thick). We have put down 1/2" cement board and I am putting slate over it in the foyer and limestone in the bathrooms, (neither of which I have ever installed before.) So I know that these tiles and cement board will be higher but I am going to lay the tiles and if it is too high I will agree on the plywood under the flooring if I have to. I really just did not like the idea of the cement board so thanks for the advice.

        1. Notchman | Mar 16, 2006 04:30pm | #8

          I agree with bringing the woodfloor and tile/slate floors to the same height.  But to use Durock under the woodfloor would be a bad idea for one other, and important, reason:  It will provide very little withdrawal resistance for the flooring nails, or, if the flooring is to be stapled down, the staples may wrinkle up before they even penetrate the durock, which would be really problematic. 

          (Flooring nails would probably just blast a crumbly hole through the Durock, with only the nail tips in the subfloor securing the flooring planks.)

          As others have said, raise the elevation for the woodfloor substrate with plywood.....it will provide the best nailing/stapling base and your floor will lay nice and tight with no squeaks.

    2. User avater
      Soultrain | Mar 16, 2006 07:04pm | #9

      I agree - not a fan of transition strips.  A change in height, even a 1/4 inch can be a trip hazard.  Most people don't pick their feet up very high when they walk - espectially when they get older.

      Definitely would use ply underlayment to match the height though rather than cement board...

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