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Portland cement boards have been the default tile substrate for decades. For many years, that substrate was built on-site with mortar and metal lath, but innovation brought that process from the jobsite to the manufacturing plant. Portland cement is still being mixed with water, aggregates, and embedded reinforcement, but now, the forming happens in a factory, not on the jobsite, speeding up the construction process and, in turn, reducing labor costs.
Embracing the efficiency brought on by these manufactured products, the cement board industry hasn’t looked back—but it also hasn’t done much to advance. While using Portland cement boards creates a great rigid substrate to set tile, it has considerable downsides that are hard to ignore:
- It’s heavy.
- It’s abrasive on tools.
- Cutting it throws silica dust—which now carries real compliance obligations under OSHA’s 2016 respirable crystalline silica rule.
These jobsite problems can be solved with magnesium oxide (MgO) cement boards.
MgO backer boards are produced by the same process of forming cement with aggregates and embedding reinforcement, but the cement technology used differs from Portland cement. Lighter weight, free of crystalline silica, and easy to cut, MgO backer boards have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional cement boards.
None of this makes traditional cement board obsolete. It’s a proven product with a long track record. However, the same durability Portland cement provides can be achieved with MgO board.
For installers looking to cut labor time, reduce the burden of carrying and cutting, and avoid the regulatory and health risks of crystalline silica, MgO board is worth a look on the next job.
Triton® manufactures backer board using its patented MgO cement technology. Triton® Backer Board has been installed in over a million houses in America and has quickly become a trusted product for many of the nation’s leading tile installation companies.
Triton® Waterproof Backer Board takes the factory-to-jobsite efficiency a step further: by applying Triton’s ANSI A118.10-approved WP membrane to the board at the plant, the boards further reduce the time and labor required on a jobsite. Contractors have reported saving as much as 40% on labor costs when using Triton® Waterproof Backer instead of applying the membrane over traditional cement board with thinset mortar.
To learn more about Triton’s products, visit www.triton-mgo.com/products.
Written by Will Myers, Triton MgO
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