What is JIT BOARD?
JIT BOARD is a construction board made of extruded polystyrene, which is totally waterproof, because of the 100% airtight molecular structure,faced on either side with a fibreglass mesh, which is embedded into a thin cement polymer mortar.
What are its benefits?
Being extremely strong, JIT BOARD can be used as a structural element in the floor. It will not only take a load of 30 tonnes per square metre, so it's ideal for putting under your floor, but it keeps your floor warmer, longer, by not allowing heat to penetrate down into the concrete substrate below. In addition ,JIT tile backer board good water resistance so that they are widely used in wetroom and bathroom.
Why do I need JIT BOARD?
Because JIT BOARD will save you money by acting as a very efficient insulation barrier. It reflects the heat upwards into the floor tile instead of allowing the heat to warm up the concrete slab below. Besedes, it not only has the function of heat insulation and strong waterproofness, but also provides a base for the ceramic tile.
How can you prove this?
By using JIT BOARD, you will find that after switching on your heating, your floor tiles will warm up in about 10-15 minutes. Without JIT BOARD, it could take anything from 2-3 hours, or more. The benefit is self-evident.
What thickness JIT BOARD do I need?
The thicker the JIT BOARD the better the heat insulation, but obviously if you have an existing floor that you want to insulate, you may well be governed by the thickness you can add to the floor because of the height from the finished floor to the underside of your door. Even by using 6mm JIT BOARD you will notice the benefit of insulating with JIT BOARD.Generally speaking,,6mm and 12mm are used for floor while thicker than 20mm are usually for wall partition.
How does JIT BOARD compare to plasterboard?
It doesn’t there really is no comparison. Standard plasterboard offers approximately 1/6th the U value of an equal thickness of JIT BOARD. and yet is approximately 7 times heavier. When used in wet areas, such as bathrooms or showers, JIT BOARD is totally waterproof whereas plasterboard will absorb water unless it is of the waterproof variety which will cost considerably more.
Compare a few characteristics of JIT BOARD against plasterboard
JIT BOARD is 1/7th the weight of Plasterboard
JIT BOARD is waterproof, ordinary plasterboard is not.
JIT BOARD (10mm) has a U value of 2.7 against 12.8 W/M2 K of 12.5mm
Where else could I use JIT BOARD?
It can be used on walls, ceilings and floors in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, lofts, and conservatories to name a few. In fact the list is endless.
How do I cut JIT BOARD?
Simply use a Stanley knife.
How do I join JIT BOARDS together?
On floors you butt them up laid in a staggered fashion, just the way a brick wall is built. On walls they can be butted up & mechanically fixed using plugs & screws.
How do I fix JIT BOARD to walls?
JIT can be either fixed to timber battens with screws and screw cups or fixed directly to brick or block walls by drilling, plugging and screwing the boards to the wall. If the wall is to be plaster finished, the joints should be reinforced with a plaster scrim
How many fixings do I need to secure JIT BOARD to the floor or wall?
In a JIT BOARD 1250mm long, fifteen fixings equally spaced are required on the floor or wall . If adhesive is to be used either on the floor or the wall, boards should be fully bonded and per sqm just needs 6 fixings .
How many fixings do I need to secure JIT BOARD to the ceiling?
For a JIT BOARD 1250mm long, 12 fixings are required, 4 along either length & 4 down the middle.
How do I fix JIT BOARD to concrete floors?
Lay a 5mm bed of cementitious flexible floor tile adhesive and lay the boards in a chequer plate fashion (like bonding brickwork) onto the adhesive. Firmly bed and allow the adhesive to set before allowing work to continue on the board surface - approximately 24 hours.
How do I fix JIT BOARD to wooden floors?
If the floor is sound and level, JIT BOARDS can be mechanically fixed using screws With large heads, or washers under the head, to enable the screws to 'bite down' into the JIT BOARD. If the flooring is uneven, the floor should be levelled using plywood first, before fixing the JIT BOARD to the floor.
What adhesive should I use to fix JIT BOARD?
It is recommended that a flexible cementitious floor tile adhesive be used. Solvent-based adhesives must NOT be used as these could cause damage to the JIT BOARDS.
What if there is a gap between the boards when they are laid side by side?
Lay PVC or electrical type adhesive tape over the gap to stop tile adhesive filling the gap thereby creating a 'cold bridge'.
In the process of installation,how to deal with the joints between two boards?
Self-adhesive fiberglass mesh can be applied where doesn’t have strict waterproof requirement .While in the places that needs to be highly waterproof, waterproof tapes are needed for strengthening.Actually, as long as the joints and the other interchanges get handled, there will be no worries behind.
Can JIT BOARD be used for superficial decoration?
JIT BOARD is a basic construction board ,rather than a superficial decorative materials.On the board should tile ceramic or other equivalently non combustible material.
The fire resistant performance of JIT BOARD
JIT BOARD is categorised as "Class E" in accordance to EN 13501-1. This means the building boards are combustible. JIT BOARD is generally applied in areas where moisture is much and/or contacting with water is huge; therefore, the boards require to be covered with ceramic tiles or other similar non-combustible decorative materials. The surface of JIT BOARD is cement, so that the surface material can resist small amount of sparks caused by electro welding etc.
The differences between JIT BOARD and pure XPS board
A pure XPS board's surface looks relatively smooth, which needs to be processed before applying firmly onto the wall. However, JIT BOARDS require no special treatment before sticking onto the wall.
After applying onto the wall, tiles cannot be fixed immediately on XPS boards. Treatments including using mesh and polymer mortar should be done before fixing the ceramic tiles. For JIT BOARDS, the treatment processes have already completed when coming out of the factory.
Pure XPS boards can have very strong stress resistance, but lacking adequate rigidity and impact resistance, so they will crack easily. For JIT BOARD, because the both sides are coated with mesh and polymer mortar as strong backings, the whole board has got strong rigidity and impact resistant performance. That's why JIT BOARD of 2cm thickness or above can be fixed onto wooden or metal studs, as a partition wall.
After all, JIT BOARD has all the advantages that XPS board can have, and has overcome the disadvantages of the latter.
How to store JIT BOARD?
To ensure the boards flat ,the boards should keep level. Boards can't exposed to fire or other organic solvent so that board can be provented from ultraviolet radiation during long-term storage. Slight bowing caused by incorrect storage or transport, for example, is not permanent and does not represent a technical defect. Slight curving can be rectified through storing the boards flat.
How about the Package?
In order to avoid the damage during shipping and protect the boards, we usually use carton for packing. In this package method, the boards can be placed in any way , flat, side or even erect plank.The space of container can be fully made use of and the cost of transportation will relatively reduced. We suggest keeping the boards flat and dry if there if a long-term storage.
