Cement board is a fantastic material to use as underlayment for a variety of tiling applications, especially for bathrooms and kitchens. With that being said, this material is by far not the only option you have at your disposal.
Today, we are here to look at seven different alternatives to cement board, and why you might want to use them.
What Is Cement Board?
Cement board is a special type of building material that is most often used to underlay the tiles in bathroom, shower, and bathtub walls and floors. It may also be used for general tile underlayment in kitchens, as well as to underlay floors, roofs, and walls. it may even be used to underlay kitchen countertops.
This material is made by mixing a slurry of cement and reinforcing it with fiberglass mesh and then allowing it to dry and cure. It, therefore, forms an extremely hard, dense, and durable panel.
These panels generally come in 3 x 5 feet, although they may also come in different sizes. You can also, of course, cut cement board into the right size.
Cement board is a rather expensive material, although its very high level of waterproofing does make it ideal for high moisture areas.
7 Alternatives to Cement Board
Let’s now take a quick glance at the seven best alternatives to cement board, and what they are best used for.
1. Drywall
One alternative you have to cement board is regular drywall, or in other words, gypsum panels. Drywall is made by sandwiching a gypsum slurry in between paper. It’s not overly heavy, it’s easy to work with, and it isn’t too expensive.
It’s a good option for underlaying walls in areas that don’t see too much moisture. From time to time, it may also be used to underlay floors in areas that don’t have too much moisture. It’s a fine material to work with if you don’t need huge amounts of durability or waterproofing.
For more information, read my detailed comparison of drywall and cement board.
2. Green Board
If you want something that is a bit cheaper and easier to work with than cement board, you might consider using green board. This material is also substantially lighter than cement board.
Green board is actually a very special type of drywall designed with an added layer of paper and wax on the outside, thus allowing for great moisture resistance. It is therefore often used in areas that see a lot of moisture, such as for shower and bathtub walls.
Although cement board may be more expensive, it is far more durable and waterproof.
For more information, read my detailed comparison of green board and cement board.
3. Plywood
If you are looking to underlay wooden floors as well as laminate floors, then your best option is good old plywood.
There are special types of plywood that are designed to be moisture resistant, if not totally waterproof, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Moreover, plywood is one of the few materials on this list that is far more durable than cement board.
Plywood can handle more impact, bear more weight, and is just more durable in general. This material does also tend to be easier to install than cement board. However, regular plywood is not usually something you would use for underlaying shower or bathtub tiles.
To learn more, read my article about the pros and cons of plywood and my detailed comparison of plywood and cement board.
4. Foam Board
If you need some kind of backer board for tiles that is extremely lightweight, then foam board is one of the best options to go with. Even large sheets are still very lightweight, therefore making this material very easy to work with.
Foam board is also easier to work with due to the fact that you can cut it with nothing more than a utility knife.
Furthermore, although cement board is nearly 100% waterproof, foam board is actually 100% waterproof. This, therefore, makes foam board a very ideal backer for bathroom applications where a lot of moisture is involved. However, foam board can be somewhat difficult to install, and it’s not all that durable.
5. Dimple Mats
Another option you have at your disposal here is the dimple mat, which is kind of like a rubber or plastic mat. This is ideal if you want to minimize height buildup, as they are very thin. This material is also 100% waterproof, not to mention that installation is quite simple.
However, this is usually something that you would put over a wooden subfloor and then install another floor over top of. Dimple mats are also typically not something that you would use for walls, but rather just for floors.
6. Mortar
Perhaps one of the most popular alternatives to cement board is mortar or dry pack mortar. Here, you first staple felt paper to a subfloor, and then add the mortar over top. It’s a really good option to go with for uneven floors because you can use the mortar to make things much more level.
In some cases, it may also be used as a backer for wall tiles, such as in showers and bathtubs, although it is generally better used for floors.
What is of course beneficial about mortar is that you don’t have to cut or fit any kind of board. That said, you do have to mix the mortar and get the right consistency. The other benefit of mortar is that once it dries and cures, it is extremely durable and more or less 100% waterproof.
7. Self-Leveling Underlayment
If your main goal is to level out an extremely uneven floor, then using some sort of self-leveling underlayment is ideal. Self-leveling underlayment, just like dry pack mortar, will also allow you to level out an uneven floor, but it’s actually much easier to use than mortar.
However, when using self-leveling underlayment, you have to make sure that all holes in the floor are sealed, or else it will run down. Self-leveling underlayment also dries very quickly, so you need to be prepared to work fast. Of course, due to its nature, this is not something that you would use for walls.
Should You Use a Cement Board or One of the Alternatives?
Whether to use cement board or one of the alternatives really depends on what your job is and what your floor currently looks like. For instance, if it’s a very high moisture area, then cement board is one of the best things to go with.
Although, dimple mats and foam boards are also totally waterproof, much lighter, and cheaper. That said, if your floors are not very level or even, you might want to use something like mortar or self-leveling underlayment.
Drywall and green board are also both great options to go with if there isn’t too much moisture involved. If you are laying down wooden floors, however, then plywood is the best option.
Summary
Now that you know what cement board is, and what all of the alternatives to it are, you can choose the best material for your next project.