Ceramic Tile Installation Concrete Slab

This floor was installed around 1920.

Ceramic tile installation concrete slab.

I want to install ceramic tile in the bedroom. Chipboard cushioned vinyl flooring particle boards of any type oriented strand board osb interior grade plywood tongue and groove planking and hardwood floors are unsuitable substrates for direct installation of ceramic tile. Do i need to fill the gap with concrete before laying the tile. The builders put down some sort of filler not concrete for this large gap.

Installing over wood. To properly install tile over concrete the bathroom slab floor needs to be smooth and level. For one outside wall the concrete ends about 1 inch from the wall. Pouring a concrete slab is a major project in itself and we won t explain how to do it here.

Any cracks in the surface of the slab need to be repaired before you begin as well. A perfect new slab. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Installing tile directly on concrete.

Thick and reinforced with steel mesh if anything. Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly. Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor here are the requirements for a lasting tile ready slab. Patio slabs are typically 3 1 2 in.

Ceramic tile or porcelain tile which is a type of ceramic tile in general is resistant to moisture. 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 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. We include advice on choosing and installing kitchen countertops cabinets and kitchen or bathroom flooring sinks and other plumbing fixtures and fixture controls such as faucets.

Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space. Concrete provides one of the most stable working platforms in the world and is the preferred foundation layer for a ceramic or porcelain tile installation. At left is another ceramic tile on concrete installation in the same city with some interesting repairs.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile.