Laying Ceramic Tile On Subfloor

Lift one sheet leave the rest in place and spread thinset directly onto the subfloor filling the area left by the sheet use a 1 4 x 1 4 notch trowel.

Laying ceramic tile on subfloor.

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. Ceramic tiling can be installed onto 23 32 osb subflooring panels where the panels are supported by 16 o c. Begin laying tiles at the center point of the two layout lines setting each tile into the mortar by tapping it gently with a rubber mallet. If the old subfloor is covered with a thick bed of mortar that s in good condition you can tile over it.

Mix your thinset according to the instructions on the bag. Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Roll on a layer of latex primer sealer. For best results lightly press and twist the tiles to get full contact between the mortar and the tile.

Use plastic spacers at each tile corner to maintain even grout lines between the tiles. Spacers are available where tile is sold. If ceramic or porcelain tiles are installed on an uneven surface you run the risk of allowing the tiles to crack or loosen. This prepares and seals the surface for the.

If the subfloor doesn t have enough stability you can usually but not always remedy the situation by installing cement backer board also called cementboard. Ceramic and porcelain tile are among the most rigid materials for flooring. If the subfloor is plywood install a layer of cement backer board on top before tiling. A subfloor system that worked fine for a single layer of ceramic tile may not be strong enough to handle the many hundreds of extra pounds added when a second layer is added.

Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. Manufacturers generally recommend that the deflection of the subfloor system be limited to no more than span 360 under total load. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. Tape off any affected vents with painter s tape.

Two layers of ceramic tile will be quite heavy and can be more than the underlying joists and subfloor can adequately handle. Install the sheets one at a time. They require a subfloor that s designed to account for this without any fluctuation or movement. This also helps to set the tile in the mortar.

Continue laying tiles until you ve covered the mortared area. Lay the first tile square at the crossing of the reference lines. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room.