I have 3/4 hardwood in the living and dining rooms and was wanting to avoid any step transitions. Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.
Why cement board and not plywood? I have not seen cement board used as flooring. Plywood with tiles or linoleum. There is also gypcrete, put on as a liquid, self leveling,
You might run the risk of breakage due to a high traffic area...I would check the thickness of the tile you wish to install first...then decided on whether or not 1/4 cement board will be a)strong enough and b)the right thickness. I would visit my tile expert before purchase with all designs and measurements in hand first.
I do a lot of tile work.... If using 1/4 cement board, just make sure you have a sturdy, level surface underneath. The trick here is to make sure that you use plenty of nails to put is down. Follow the pattern on the cement board. You will not have any issues because of the thickness of the cement board.... and your transition will go a lot easier.
First decide what kind of tile you want to use for your entry. then measure it. Measure the difference in height between your hardwood and sub floor in your entry. Subtract the tile thickness + 1/8 for mortar (if using mortar). That will give you the necessary thickness of your cement board. You will probably have to use a threshold or transition strip of some sort to cover the seam even if you get the floors the exact same height, so I wouldn't stress too much.
This is a question for your local tile factory. But, 1/4 inch is rather thin. You'd have to be very careful keeping it level.
