DensGuard Tile Backer

[HammerMill88]

Say,

What do you guys know about DensGuard (same as DensShield?) made by Georgia Pacific? I have seen it at Lowe's and have seen a local contractor use it in showers - though he did not tape the joints.

Would it be a good substitute for Durock?

[tilerite]

This thread covered the topic of DensGuard and DensShield

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/...ight=densguard.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Joey,

You can't bury the bottom of this board in your mud pan. The install detail the manufacturer shows to "install it correctly" in a shower with a mud pan includes the extra task of mudding the lowest several inches of the walls.

[Deckert]

I think Densguard works pretty good for tub surrounds. I did all the seams, and where it meets the tub in SikaFlex. Tape and thinset like normal backer ( I did it as we set the tile). Never used it in a shower though.

[HammerMill88]

The literature - Installation Instructions- I have in my hand (from a piece of DensGuard) only showed it being used with a prefabbed shower pan and then caulking the joint where wall tile meets pans. They do say "Do not place in shower pan mortar bed. Leave minimum 1/8" gap and fill with flexible sealant." Literature also says to fiberglass tape and thinset the joints.

The website they give is

www.gp.com/build or 1-800-225-6119

Another misleading thing about the Instructions, is that they do keep referencing the grey acrylic coated side. I guess it was too expensive to edit the literature.

I noticed in the previous thread L.T. recommended maybe running the first foot or so with Durock. I question that, b/c I backed a tub surround where I wound up using a strip of Durock around 13" wide x 32" long with studs 16" O.C. and it seemed a little flimsy. I would either use a whole piece, if running it horizontally, or block smaller pieces of Durock (or any backer narrower than say 24") at the joint. The other option would be studs 12" O.C. I guess, but that may be overkill.