Tile Subfloor Options

For ceramic tile the tile council recommends using joists that are 16 inches on center a 3 4 inch thick plywood subfloor and a 1 2 inch thick cement backer board or concrete slab.

Tile subfloor options.

A successful tile installation project requires a level surface. It is important to distinguish the components of a flooring system in order to understand the best installation. Janseptember 22 2009 at 4 40 pm. If the structure is adequate the use of a cement based floor patch that allows for the needed height may be the best choice.

2x2x1 125 inch tiles with osb wood on top and closed cell polystyrene insulation xps on the bottom. If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. Exterior grade plywood is the preferred subfloor under tile rather than osb since it deflects less and is more resistant to water and moisture.

Once properly in place and cured the tile can be installed. If you want a tile floor that isn t cold underfoot put down a basement subfloor before you install your tile. Trowel able and pourable underlayment a number of trowel able and pourable tile underlayment options are available. Concrete backer board has a solid concrete core and both sides are faced with fiberglass.

You ve probably seen this resilient flooring in health clubs and gyms. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. Subfloor systems eliminate the cake layer approach and give you all layers fused into tiles that can be attached to each other at a higher price than the methods above.

In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. A plywood subfloor should be a minimum of 5 8 thick depending on joist spacing topped by 1 2 cement backer board. For sheet rubber in rolls.

Concrete backer board durock and wonderboard which is the standard material for tile underlayment. Barricade is one such example. Rubber tile or rubber sheets 3 8 sq. Backer board this is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain.

For tiles and 1 5 sq.