Ask The Experts

I had to rip out my bathroom floor because of a leaky toilet. The plywood subfloor was wet and moldy. I want to replace the subfloor with "Hardibacker" backer board but I want to make sure it does not contain any volatile organic compounds.

Thanks.

The product you mention is manufactured by James Hardie Building Products and is not a Columbia Forest Products panel. I have checked their MSDS(http://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/msds-interior-medium-density.pdf) and it does not appear that the product you mention contains any organic material other than cellulose and carbon black, neither of which would be considered voaltile under normal use in a residence. However, neither I nor anyone outside the James Hardie organization can make any claims relative to any of their products, so I would strongly recommend you check with them before proceeding. Their contact information for general information as well as emergency info is included on their MSDS. I hope this helps!