Unless you’re a DIY expert, you can’t be expected to know every in-and-out of home improvement. So if you’re interested in upgrading your bathroom to a wet room, you’ll almost definitely encounter terms like ‘tile backer board’ that you aren’t familiar with.

The brief guide below explains what tile backer board is, why you should use it in a wet room, what it’s made from, where you can get it, and how Wetroomstop can help.

What Is Tile Backer Board? 

Tile backer boards are the foundation of any good wet room. They provide a waterproof base for both your walls and floors, and prevent water from reaching the drywall or floorboards.      

They are attached to the drywall with screws or nails. Because they’re made from cement they provide the perfect backing for tiles, which can be easily set over the top with thinset, grout or mortar.

6mm tile backer board is the most common kind used. ‘6mm’ refers to its thickness. If you need thicker tile backer board 12mm is also available.

What Is Tile Backer Board Made From?

There are lots of different kinds of tile backer board. They’re made from aggregated (broken down) cement mixed with a variety of materials. The exact mixture depends on the manufacturer, but it's common for them to contain materials like Kevlar and fibreglass for increased strength.

What unites all different kinds of tile backer board is that they don't contain any organic matter. This means they're resistant to mould, rot, bending, warping and shrinking.

Why Should You Use Tile Backer Board?

You should install (or have installed) tile backer board underneath any tiles that have direct contact with running water. That’s because tile backer board stops water seeping through to the drywall underneath.

The best example is tiling around your shower: the shower spray will hit the tiles directly, so it's important to provide them with as much waterproofing as possible. If you don't have tile backer board around your shower, the water will seep through to the drywall underneath, and drywall absorbs moisture over time. That would lead to mould, rotten wall studs, and loose tiles. In short, everything you don’t want.

Even moisture-resistant drywall (also known as greenboard) isn’t good enough. The clue is in the name: it’s water-resistant, not waterproof. While it’s better than normal drywall, you’ll still need to use tile backer board.

Do Wet Rooms Need Tile Backer Board?

Wet rooms most definitely need tile backer board.

The point of a wet room is that it’s a space in which everything can get wet. Because your shower isn’t sectioned off with glass panels, doors or shower curtains, its spray can hit everything in the room. This means that if there’s a part of the room that isn’t fully waterproofed, then your home might develop water damage, which is expensive and difficult to repair. You’ll therefore need tile backer board floor and walls.

Fortunately, tile backer board is common in the UK. If you’re installing a wet room as a DIY project and need tile backer board, Screwfix would have what you need, or failing that, the kind of tile backer board Wickes have is the same as described above.

Contact Wetroomstop Today

You could ‘DIY’ anything you like if you have the time, money and expertise. But when it comes to something like a wet room, it’s easy to go wrong. And if you do go wrong, you’ll be faced with extensive water damage and expensive bills.

That’s where we come in. 

We’re Wetroomstop, the wet room specialists. We have more than 20 years' experience in both wet room design and production, so you can't go wrong with us! We use advanced foam products that can convert any bathroom into a wet room, even when other providers say they can't. Our tanking (waterproofing) is as water-tight as it gets, leaving water nowhere to go but down the drain.

So, are you interested in transforming your old, tired bathroom into a fresh and modern wet room? Then why not tell us what you need through our contact form? Alternatively, you could email us at Info@Wetroomstop.com, or call us at 02039665876. Our friendly, professional team are ready and waiting to hear from you. Or if you’re not ready yet, check out our blog for the latest wet room ideas (particularly small wet room ideas), tips and advice.