So is it me, or is there a trick to putting down the backer board for tile?
Those 'self counter-sinking' screws are worthless as far as trying to self counter-sinking. To get them flush we ended up predrilling holes for the Screw shaft and a bigger counter -sink hole for the screw head.
Is that how its done? Without pre-drilling we could not get the Screws to Counter-sink.
I've tried with both regular cement board and hardybacker board.
Thanks, Scott<
Normal.
Drill choice?
Oren
Uh... I hate to ask at this point, but if the backer board had a textured side, you installed it UP. right?
Dots up (they mark the nominal screw locations). The side the sticker is on is down, IIRC.
Yep, Dot side up.
Still PIA to put the Screws in. Even if on the dot...
Scott >> Uh... I hate to ask at this point, but if the backer board had a
We used a Cordless 18v Makita... Drilled the Counter Sink holes then went back and drilled the screw shaft hole. This allows the backer board to be sucked down to the subfloor.
Scott >
"Scott Townsend" wrote in news:ycuvg.174410$F snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
You don't screw it in. You nail it with galv roofing nails.
Excerpt from:
FASTENERS
For floors and walls:
After drilling pilot holes for a bathroom-and-a-half, laundry, and a couple of closets, I tried just screwing the "backer-on" screws in directly. I had a few that didn't sink all the way (used a spackling knife to "feel" for the heads and had to replace them. It went pretty yeasy, except when I was a little out of position and the driver slipped; nice blood blister on my left index finger. :-(
Perhaps, but it's easier to make sure there is *nothing* protruding. Screws are cheap.
Once the screws are seen snugging the board down to the floor, one understands that nails won't work. Again, screws are cheap.
It was easier to rescrew those sticking up, or replace the screws.
Hmm - I just screw it down w/o pre-drilling. I have used an 18V Milwaukee drill and more recently a Makita 18VLTX impact driver. I used the backer board screws. I drive them flush or slightly below the surface. This leaves a bit of ground up, displaced, material on the surface. I knock that off with a 6" putty knife and sweep the floor before I begin the tile job. I prefer the screws with square drive.
Which leads us to ask; Is the drill stalling when you try to drive the screws all the way in, or are they stripping the holes?
According to Al Bundy :
Your reference also mentioned screws.
Why wouldn't you use screws?
I use 2 1/2" #8 deck screws, no predrill. That may be overkill, but the subfloors NEVER move, they wouldn't dare ;-)
Standard drywall screws are thin with shallow threads, and I think too short. As such, under these sorts of stresses (eg: differential joist movement), they can pull out.
I've seen 3/4" plywood floors done with 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" #10 "standard" screws that can be (or have) popped out with relatively little difficulty. Hence my preference for 2 1/2" deck screws. Better threads and longer length.
Phillips heads are evil, and should be banned ;-)
Long live square head deck screws!
I wouldn't dream of using nails. Unless ring shanked. But screws are better overall.
[My 12V dewalt is fully capable of taking a 3" #12 robertson/square head and driving it all the way through a 2x4, head and all without any predrilling. It only stops when it runs out of thread in contact with the lumber - the shank - on the other side ;-).]Thank you all for your replies.
I am using the HardiBacker Cement type board for the floor, 1/2" Its on top of 3/4" T&G Plywood on top of the Manufactured I Beam Joists.
the Screws I've uses are 'special' for the backer board. They are in the Tile section at Home Chepo. Supposed to have some barb type fins on the underside of the head to help counter sync the screws.
They are Philips, and I've either stripped the head or Broken the bit trying to get them counter sunk.
We've used Cordless, and corded Drills. The best was actually a low speed, High tork Right angle drill. Well after predrilling the holes the Makita
18v Cordless was fine.
You can do that with hardibacker? Deck screws would be impossible. Even self countersinking screws have a hard time with it.
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