USG Fiberock Underlayment and Tile Backerboard User Manual
®
Fiberock
Underlayment and
Tile Backerboard
Installation
Guide
Interior Floors, Walls and
Countertops.
Fiberock® Underlayment and
Tile Backerboard
Fiberock® underlayment and tile backerboard are
all purpose substrates engineered to meet floor
underlayment and wall tile-backing needs
throughout a home. Under resilient flooring,
Fiberock underlayment provides a hard surface
that’s smooth and flat with no bumps or ridges to
show through or affect finished floor covering.
Behind and under tile or natural stone, Fiberock
tile backerboard provides the resistance to water
and mold that is required in bathrooms, kitchens
and entryways. With Fiberock panels, you can rely
on a single family of products to back all types of
tile and resilient flooring in the home.
Integral Water Resistance
This remarkable family of
products is completely different
from other substrates.
Manufactured with a unique,
proprietary technology,
panels feature a durable, waterresistant composition that
eliminates the swelling and
warping often experienced
with fiber cement, plywood,
oriented strand board (OSB),
lauan and other wood-based
underlayments.
Easy to Install
Fiberock panels score easily
and snap with minimal effort.
In fact, the International Certified
Floorcovering Installer Association
awarded
Fiberock underlayment
the “Installer Friendly Seal.”
Fiberock
Proven Performance
Fiberock panels are warranted
for 20 years. They have been
tested by the Tile Council of
North America (TCNA), using the
Robinson Floor Method, and are
approved for residential and light
commercial use (as defined by
TCNA).
Environmentally Friendly
Fiberock panels are made from
95 percent recycled material.
In recognition of the
environmentally sound alternative
these panels provide, United
States Gypsum Company earned
the Green Cross certificate from
Scientific Certification Systems,
a leading testing company that
evaluates environmental claims.
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Introduction
Installing Fiberock panels is quick
and easy. Just follow the simple
installation steps in this booklet
to create a perfect base for tile or
floor coverings.
Note: Do not use Fiberock panels
over concrete subfloors or over
cushion-backed vinyl.
Tools
Common tools like those shown
below are typically all that are
needed to install
Fiberock panels,
though additional, specialized
tools may be required with some
finish materials, such as tile and
natural stone.
Materials
Fiberock Panels
– Sizes and Packaging
Size
(thick x width x length) Units (pcs.)
1/4" x 4' x 4' 60
1/4" x 3' x 5' 60
3/8"
x 4' x 4' 60
3/8"
x 4' x 8' 40
3/8"
x 3' x 5' 60
1/2" x 3' x 5' 50
1/2" x 4' x 8' 30
5/8"
x 3' x 5' 40
5/8" x 4' x 8' 24
– Joint Reinforcement
Behind ceramic tile, use
Durock™ tile backer tape and
latex-based Type I mastic or
latex-modified thin-set mortar.
For sections that will be
painted, use paper tape and
setting-type joint compound.
–
Fasteners
Wall Application: For steel
stud applications (20 ga. or
equivalent), use 1-1/4" or
1-5/8"
Durock™ screws for
steel framing (or equivalent).
For wood stud applications,
use 1/4", 1-5/8" or 2-1/4"
Durock screws for wood
framing (or equivalent) or
1-1/2" hot-dipped galvanized
ring shank roofing nails.
Floor Application: Use 1-1/4"
Durock™ tile backer screws for
wood framing (or equivalent)
or 1-1/2" hot-dipped
galvanized ring shank roofing
nails. For resilient flooring, use
minimum 1/4" crown chisel
point staples, hot-dipped
galvanized ring shank nails or
corrosion-resistant screws.
Fastener length should
be approximately equal
to combined thickness of
underlayment and subfloor.
Fasteners should not
penetrate through subfloor.
–
Floor and Wall Framing
Floor Tile Applications:
Maximum joist spacing
24" o.c. The subfloor system
should be designed with a
minimum deflection limit
of L/360 for the span. Some
finish materials may require a
more rigid subassembly
(such as large format tile
and natural stone products
L/720). In these cases, follow
the manufacturer’s minimum
requirements. The subfloor
should be APA Span-Rated
Plywood or OSB with an
Exposure 1 classification
or better with tongue and
groove or back blocked at
the unsupported edges.
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Handling
Wall Applications: Maximum
stud spacing: 16" o.c.
Framing shall be designed
(based on stud properties
alone) not to exceed L/360
deflection for tile, L/240 for
surfaces that will be painted.
Maximum fastener spacing:
8" o.c. for wood and steel
framing; 6" o.c. for ceiling
applications.
–
Patching Compound
Use a high-quality patching
compound such as D
urock
Floor Patch or equivalent
approved by the resilient-
flooring manufacturer.
–
Adhesive/Mortar
Meeting ANSI A136.1: Type I
ceramic tile adhesive.
Meeting ANSI A118.1: dry-set
mortar.
Meeting ANSI A118.4: latex
portland cement mortar.
–
Grout meeting ANSI A118.7.
–
Ceramic tile meeting ANSI
A137.1.
–
Waterproof Membrane
If waterproofing is desired,
use
Durock™ tile membrane
installed with
Durock™ tile
membrane adhesive. See USG
literature piece CB492 for
Durock tile membrane product
information.
– Protect panels from the
elements with adequate
covering during delivery and
storage.
– Store panels flat on an even,
dry surface. Allow panels to
acclimate to temperature and
humidity at job site prior to
installation.
– Handle panels in an upright
position to prevent breakage.
Incorrect
Correct
Incorrect
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