Tile Over Subfloor

Elements of a solid subfloor.

Tile over subfloor.

It is an orange colored membrane designed as a backer for tile. If you are installing ceramic tile over another surface it is important to follow specific recommendations and steps to make sure there will be proper bonding. Manufacturers generally recommend that the deflection of the subfloor system be limited to no more than span 360 under total load. When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor you don t have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1 8 inch thick which most slabs are.

While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto. Use thinset with a higher latex content. If ceramic or porcelain tiles are installed on an uneven surface you run the risk of allowing the tiles to crack or loosen. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk.

The plywood will expand and contract at a different rate as the tile causing cracks to develop in the grout lines or tiles over time. Use the right. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. While you can lay tile directly over a concrete slab using thin set adhesive don t make the mistake of applying tile directly to a plywood subfloor.

However you re not out of the woods. No matter how firm the subfloor. Ceramic tiling can be installed onto 23 32 osb subflooring panels where the panels are supported by 16 o c. Thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile.

If the underlying flooring structure which usually consists of floor joists a subfloor and an underlayment is not in good shape the ceramic tile floor will flex underfoot leading to cracked grout joints and a ruined installation. The best method is to refasten the subfloor then add a layer of plywood. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood. First of all tile definitely should not be put down over a wood sub floor.

If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. Wooden subfloors in older houses need to be strengthened and stabilized before backer board and tile are installed. They require a subfloor that s designed to account for this without any fluctuation or movement. Ceramic and porcelain tile are among the most rigid materials for flooring.

Ceramic tile over wood tile concrete or vinyl should be installed by using appropriate products that will allow the right adhesion between surfaces. However there is a new product by schluter called the ditra system. According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons.