Download the installation recommendations

Specific recommendations for eXP® Tile Backer installation

• Do not embed eXP® Tile Backer® into mortar bed in showers. Install with gray side facing away from the framing, apply tile/finishes to the gray side.
• Score/cut from the gray side using a standard utility knife. Cut outs are made easily with a utility knife or saw. Panel joints must be tight.
• Fill gaps and inside corners with flexible sealant.
• Drive fasteners flush with the panel surface; do not countersink. Use corrosion resistant buglehead screw for steel and wood framing or a galvanized roofing nail for wood framing.
• Hold tile backer boards in firm contact with the framing member while driving fasteners.
• Fastening should proceed from center portion of the panels toward the edges and ends. Take care to avoid breaking the facer of the tile backer board. Remove improperly driven nails or screws.
• Provide minimum 1/4” (6.4 mm) clearance between boards and adjacent concrete or masonry to minimize wicking of moisture.
• Embed alkali-resistant fiberglass tape with the tile setting material at tile backer board joints prior to tile installation.
• Maintain a room temperature of not less than 40˚F (4˚C) during application of tile backer boards.
• Install fire-rated assemblies in accordance with the details found in the UL Fire Resistance Directory or the Gypsum Association’s GA-600, Fire-Resistance Design Manual.

General installation guidelines:

• Install gypsum panels in accordance with methods described in ASTM C840 and GA-216. Note that cutting and scoring should be from the backside of the panels.
• Examine and inspect framing materials to which gypsum panels are to be applied. Remedy all defects prior to installation of the gypsum board.
• Apply gypsum panels first to ceilings at right angles to framing members, then to walls. Use boards of maximum practical length so that the minimum number of end joints occur. Bring panel edges into contact with each other but do not force them into place
• Install batt or blanket ceiling insulation BEFORE the gypsum panels on ceilings when installing a vapor retarder behind the gypsum panels. Install the insulation IMMEDIATELY after the gypsum panels when using loose-fill insulation. Avoid installation practices that might allow condensation to form behind panels.
• Locate gypsum panel joints at openings so that no joint will occur within 12 in. (305 mm) of the edges of the opening unless installing control joints at these locations. Stagger vertical end joints. Joints on opposite sides of a partition should not occur on the same stud.
• Hold gypsum panels in firm contact with the framing member while driving fasteners. Fastening should proceed from the center portion of the panels toward the edges and ends. Set fasteners with heads slightly below the surface of the panels. Take care to avoid breaking the fiberglass mat of the gypsum panel. Remove improperly driven nails or screws.
• Provide minimum 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) clearance between boards and adjacent concrete or masonry to minimize wicking of moisture.
• Maintain a room temperature of not less than 40˚F (4˚C) during the application of gypsum panels.

Safety:

• Installers should wear long pants and a long-sleeved, loose-fitting shirt. Use protective gloves and special eye protection (goggles or safety glasses with side shield). Wear a dust mask when sanding; you may need additional breathing protection in extremely dusty conditions. Do not use a power saw to cut this product.
• Caution: Because this product contains fiberglass, dust and glass fibers may be released during normal handling, which could result in eye or skin irritation or cause difficulty in breathing. Wherever possible, avoid contact with the skin and eyes and avoid breathing dust or fibers that may be released during installation. Consult the SDS for this product before use.