A suggestion has come up to use GP DensShield as an underlayment/vapor barrier under a heavy (paver-type) hand-made Mexican kitchen tile instead of cement board. Any thoughts as to whether or not this is a good idea/product? TIA –
T. Jeffery Clarke
Quidvis Recte Factum Quamvis Humile Praeclarum (Whatever is built well, no matter how humble, is noble)
Edited 9/4/2002 10:46:53 AM ET by Jeff Clarke
Replies
We used the denshield in our bathroom for the walls behind the shower. It's much lighter weight, and I was sure as DIYers we would drop the cement board and crack or chip the tub, which we wanted to keep. At any rate, when we got around to putting in new tile on the floor for the same bathroom, it didn't even occur to me to use the denshield. I don't think it's structural enough to use on the floor. The cement board is cheaper anyway, isn't it?
Personally I'd use Wonderboard even over any other cement board because I noticed how much heavier it is which leads me to believe its stronger but be sure to use Thinset under the boards before you nail or screw it down
BE well
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I wouldn't worry about its ability to handle the weight- Dens shield is rated (per the mfg) for use on residential and light commercial floors. Also it's recognized by both the TCA and ANSI.
A big advantage it has over traditional CBUs is the waterproof coating. The key to successful installations using dens shield is to carefully follow the manufacturer's specifications in preparing the subfloor and installing the product. GP's website (www.gp.com) has a lot of info on this.
Personally, I find it easier to work with and faster to install than durock. In my area they are the same price for 3x5 sheets. However, its biggest vulnerability is that if you break the waterproof outer coating, the inner gypsum core is exposed, which does not handle moisture well. Because of this, if heavy duty waterproofing is required I usually recommend a CBU floor with a trowel-on waterproofing membrane.
Andy