(NAPSA)—Before laying the next tile in your home improve- ment project, make sure you won’t have to undo and repeat the job. The surface you're installing tiles on must be upto the job. Key to any successful tile installation is choosing a strong, uniform surface that provides moisture durability so the integrity of the wall or floor will still stand up to moisture. At one time, the top choice for tile substrate construction was trowel-applied portland cement, but it can be both difficult and time consumingto install. Fortunately, there is an alternative that pro- vides virtually the samelevels of water durability and structural stability as portland cement, yet can easily be installed by a remodeling contractoror proficient do-it-yourselfer: cement board panels. The panels, called Durock Cement Board, are manufactured by USG, a leading building products manufacturer. They consist of a core of portland cement with a glass fiber mesh embedded in front and back surfaces and along one edge. The boards are available in 42-inch and %s-inch thicknesses for floor, wall and countertop applications, and “einch thick for floors and counter- tops only. The panels are nailed to wood studs using hot-dipped galvanized Backing up the beauty ofa tile wall or floor with cement board panels is both smart and simple. roofing nails or are screw attached with special 14-inch wood screws. Once the panels are attached, the joints are treated with glass fiber mesh tape and organic adhesive or latex-fortified mortar (depending on the bond coat being used for the tile) to form a continuous surface that is ready to accepttile. Free Brochure You can get a free, helpful, illus- trated brochure that provides step- by-step instructions for installing cement board panels and ceramic tile. For a copy, call (800) USGAYOUorvisit www.usg.com.
