GREENE-BOARD vs. Cement and Fibre Cement based products:
You would be hard pressed to find a contractor that enjoys working with cement board. Its hard on tools, heavy, difficult to cut and has a tendency to crumble at the corners. Fibre cement is another option but once again it is heavy and difficult to cut. With GREENE-BOARD you get the great qualities offered by using a cement based product without the installation hassles. GREENE-BOARD is significantly lighter, easily scores and snaps using a utility knife and screws countersink without the need to pre-drill. Installation is far easier but you dont lose the durability or impact resistance that you would with gypsum based alternative.
GREENE-BOARD vs. Gypsum based products:
Gypsum based tile backers are very easy to work with and are very light but unfortunately they are not especially durable and they require additives to them to make them mould, fungus and water resistant. Gypsum alone absorbs water very quickly and turns to mush and the majority of gypsum products also have paper backings that act as nutrients for fungus and mould.
A standard gypsum tile backer has an impervious barrier on the one side, that gets puncturered when fastening it to the studs, a gypsum core that is normally silconized to make it relatively water resistant and a paper backing that is treated with chemicals to achieve mould and fungus resistance. The product is easy to work with but no more impact resistant than regular drywall and without all of the addidtives not ideal for use as a tile backer.
GREENE-BOARD vs. Polyethylene based products:
Polyethylene membranes act as resisliant, water-proof and durable surfaces great for ceramic tile underlayments or backer boards. They offer mould and fungus protection as they are an extremely hygenic product but unfortunately they are also very expensive.
Polyethylene membrane systems require other surfaces to adhere to before they can be used as a wall tile backer. This is an added expense when compared to GREENE-BOARD that acts as not only the tile backer but also as the wall board.
