{"id":1420,"date":"2022-09-12T14:40:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/?p=1420"},"modified":"2022-09-12T14:40:21","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:40:21","slug":"prime-cement-board-before-tiling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/prime-cement-board-before-tiling","title":{"rendered":"Do You Need To Prime Cement Board Before Tiling?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I decided to remove the old carpets in the two bedrooms of my home, I was looking forward to replacing them with tiles – since I hadn’t done this sort of project before. The project ended up giving me first-hand knowledge of laying tiles on a plywood substrate. In addition, I learned important lessons about priming and sealing options before tiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before tiling, there is no need to prime cement boards unless they will be exposed to extreme weather or natural conditions. Even if there is no need to prime most cement backer boards, a suitable underlayment or uncoupling mat can further protect the tiled surface from movement and moisture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is there never a requirement to prime cement boards before tiling? Well, it\u2019s not that straightforward. Let\u2019s discuss a few essential factors relating to prime or not-to-prime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Prime Cement Board?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Cement
Cement boards fitted to studwork<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Priming reduces porosity and makes the surface less absorbent. In addition, paintable surfaces minimize the risk of chemical reaction with cement-based adhesives<\/strong>. It acts as an undercoat to strengthen the tile adhesion surface and allows paint coatings to bond better to the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand the necessity for priming or not, we need to understand what cement backer boards<\/a> are. Cement boards are standard for tiles and have replaced drywall backer materials, especially in bathrooms. The cement backer boards provide a smooth surface just below the tiles. Therefore, it is convenient when planning to tile on wooden subfloors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As their name states, cement boards are a composite of cement and sand and different additives such as lime and fiber for specific purposes. Cement boards come in 1\/4-inch to 1 1\/2-inch thick sizes<\/a>, are light weight, and easy to cut and handle. In addition, they provide some form of waterproofing and bond well with thin-set or mortar, therefore being a welcome buffer between the subfloor and the tile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Priming?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Priming a surface, in most cases, is needed before painting, but less often needed before tiling. Primers are white in color, latex-based, and water-resistant with adhesive bonding capabilities<\/strong>. It also has a high resin content to seal cement surfaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaster primer<\/a> is mainly a sealer applied to the boards for added water resistance and curb dampness and moisture<\/a>. Plaster primer is a solvent-based primer on a masonry surface. If you use plaster boards as backboards for tiling, or your tiling surfaces are power floated surfaces, you can use plaster primer before tiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is It Necessary To Prime Backer Boards Before Tiling?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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A midway-through wall tiling project.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It is imperative to protect tiles from water or moisture and dampness; therefore, it is essential to ensure the tiled surface is adequately prepared and water-resistant. Primer is quite an effect option for water resistance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before tiling, the priming of cement boards is optional as most cement boards do not require it; however, it is critical to have a clean, smooth surface free of dust and defects. Also, ensure to adequately seal the cement board edges and board-and-wall corners with thin-set or silicon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cement boards already have additives like fiber and lime that make them waterproof. In addition, thin-set mortar tile adhesive has similar waterproof characteristics to help curb moisture rising from below the substrate. For example, Hardie backer boards do not need primer. If you are unsure, opt for a primer on your cement board or use an uncoupling mat above the cement boards before tiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This YouTube video<\/a> covers how to prime cement before before tiling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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