Can hardi backer board be finished and painted like drywall?
Hope everyone is doing well. Preparing to drywall my basement and stumbled upon something online about hardi backerboard having a smooth side compared to other brands that can be painted and finished like drywall. Is this true because I have only used durock before. If it is not too difficult to mud and finish the smooth side I was considering using it opposed to drywall. Would I need 1/2 or 1/4 inch thickness because I’m assuming it works differently than drywall. I’m thinking to pros would be:
1. Extra insurance for mold
2. Easier to hold and transfer because it comes in 3×5 sheets
3. Cost just as much as 4×8 dens armor plus but is easier to get
4. Easier to hold by myself
The cons are:
1. Double the price in materials compared to mold resistant drywall
2. More seams to finish
3. Might be much harder to get a nice finish
Of course if it makes the job 10x harder not worth it. Not sure how hard it is to finish since they make a smooth side that can be painted. Hanging it I think would be easier but finishing is the problem. I’m willing to spend the extra money since I’m not paying for labor.
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We have some in our garage. It's taped and finished and looks fine for the garage. It was installed with roofing nails. I don't think you can really countersink a fastener like you can with drywall.
Hanging and finishing drywall is easier because it's thicker and stays flatter, cuts easily and has tapered edges. If you're worried about mold growing on your drywall, you should fix the cause, as it will harm more than the drywall.
1oo%
Hammer,
Add to the cons: The sheet dimensions don't match any common framing spacing.