Proper Subfloor For Ceramic Tile

Tile floors are heavy and tile is a hard material.

Proper subfloor for ceramic tile.

Cement backer board can provide a solid flat surface to install tiles on if you have a wood subfloor. With ceramic tile you also need to limit the deflection between joists which is a function of the subfloor thickness and how it is installed. 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. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material.

Preparing a subfloor is an essential step for installing floor tile it provides a level surface that will allow the tiles to properly stay in place. It will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load. A plywood subfloor must be structurally sound and able to support the installation. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout.

Proper preparation of the subfloor is critical to the success of your ceramic tile installation. However you re not out of the woods. Laying tile on plywood. Because of issues of moisture movement and adhesion ceramic tile will work well with certain types of subfloor underlayment systems and can go dramatically wrong with other subfloor materials.