It is very important to first spread thin set on the floor before placing the cement board to the floor.
Laying concrete board on floor.
If you have a concrete subfloor then you should not be contemplating installing cement board over it.
Use this home depot guide how to install a tile floor for more information.
You must first dry lay the entire floor with cement board before adhering and nailing the floor down.
Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage.
Cement board commonly sold under trade names such as durock hardiebacker and wonderboard is now the standard underlayment used for ceramic porcelain or stone tile laid with thinset mortar adhesive cement board is used for most floor tile and has all but replaced plywood and drywall backer materials for wall tile applications in wet areas like showers and tub surrounds.
I know it seems like a smooth surface and it seems like it may fix some of the issues with the concrete floor but don t do it.
With the plywood in place install the backer board as you normally would.
To avoid building up the floor too high you can use 1 4 in thick backer board instead of 1 2 in.
Installing cement board over a concrete subfloor.
Required tools for this project.
To prepare a wood subfloor for installing tile install a cement based backerboard following the manufacturer s instructions.
The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet.
Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.
We show you how to install a first class tile base.
Before we go any farther on how to install cement board i am going to talk about a very common mistake most people make.
Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile.
The 1 mistake most people make when installing cement board.
If you want to replace an old cracked tile floor or other type of flooring with new ceramic tile it s absolutely imperative that you create a solid.
Lay down full sheets of backer board where they will fit first.
Then you attach the cement board with screws.
Laying cement board is the easiest way to assure a solid durable base for a ceramic tile floor.
To prepare a concrete subfloor for installing tile you ll need to do a different kind of preparation.
Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor.
To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile.
This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall.
Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile.