Tiling a Shower or Tub Surround

For you "weekend warriors" who are trying your hand at laying ceramic tile; here is a helpful tip. Especially if you are going to be holding onto the property as a rental. Make sure you use Cement, or fiber-cement board as a tile backer rather than the green, water resistant gypsum board. The cement board known under trade names like Hardi-backer, can be found at homecenters like The Home Depot or Lowes. Any tile contractor worth his salt is going to use the cement type board as opposed to greenboard when there is direct water contact with the tile. Of course using cement and lath is an alternative but most newcomers would not have the patience or skill to tackle that.