Half the cost of a fiber cement board siding job is labor, so you can save thousands of dollars by installing it yourself. A siding pro shows the tools and tricks needed for a weathertight ...

Hardie Board, WonderBoard and Durock are all classified as cement boards. These sheet goods are made with a mixture of Portland cement and sand instead of the powdery gypsum that’s used in drywall.

The advent of cement backer board has made it possible for do-it-yourselfers to lay tile like a pro. The reason: For most installations, it eliminates the need to set tile in a thick bed of mortar.