- 1). Thoroughly clean the floor with floor cleanser and a mop. Rinse it well. Let it dry for 24 hours.
- 2). Lay the first sheet of HardiBacker at one end of the floor, in the corner. Trace a line around it, onto the floor, using your pencil. Lift the board away, leaving just the marked floor.
- 3). Spread down thin set mortar over the marked out area, using your notched trowel. Cover the area completely. The notches in the trowel should create a consistent depth to the mortar, of about 1/8th inch.
- 4). Set the HardiBacker back in place in the mortar. Shoot screws every six inches or so throughout the face of the board, straight down into the subfloor. (Note: Some types of HardiBacker will have grids of dots on the surface to show where to put the screws.)
- 5). Repeat the process to lay the next sheet of HardiBacker off the end of the first one, tracing around it, spreading down mortar, and setting the board in the mortar. Repeat, laying a row of end-to-end HardiBacker boards. Cut the last sheet as needed to fit, by scoring it with your razor knife along a level and bending it there until it snaps.
- 6). Lay the next course of HardiBacker boards starting at the other end of the room, to prevent the ends of the boards from forming four-way intersections. Cut the last board as needed. Repeat for each course, covering the whole floor.
- 7). Press mesh drywall tape along the seams of the HardiBacker boards. Use a drywall knife to spread mortar over the tape, getting it smooth and flat. Let it set for 12 hours before applying tiles.
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