Laying Tile On Slab Floor

Before beginning remove tiles from the different boxes and randomly mix them to ensure that minor color differences don t form an unwanted pattern in your new floor.

Laying tile on slab floor.

Step 1 preparing the concrete. Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. As long as the concrete slab is clean flat and free of active cracks you can lay title directly on the concrete floor using thin set adhesive. To properly install tile over concrete the bathroom slab floor needs to be smooth and level.

Steps part 1 of 4. But on concrete thermal expansion and contraction can also loosen floor tiles. If you take the time to level the floor install a membrane and layout your tile properly you can improve the look of a concrete floor within a week. But larger cracks especially those that are higher on one side than the other may telegraph through the tile and cause it to crack.

Laying floor tile over concrete is not a technically demanding job. It can be physically strenuous and messy but it is a home improvement project that will allow you to cut labor costs by doing it yourself. Before you begin to lay the tile over your concrete slab make sure the concrete is properly prepared. First make sure you have prepared the subfloor properly before you begin laying tile.

For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Ceramic and porcelain tile are so frequently installed at or above grade level on a cement board underlayment or directly on plywood that it almost seems novel to install tile directly on concrete. Installing tile directly on concrete. Ceramic tile failures on concrete slabs floor tiles popping loose.

Dry fit the tiles on floor. Check the distance between tiles and note the location of the. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. Small cracks caused by shrinkage usually do not present a problem.

It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. Any cracks in the surface of the slab need to be repaired before you begin as well. Measure a 2 foot section of tile. Probably the most common explanation for popping up or loose ceramic floor tiles installed over a wood subfloor is adhesion loss due to water leaks into the floor.

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. For more on prepping the floor read prep a tile floor.