Subfloor Requirements For Ceramic Tile

For ceramic tile the tile council recommends using joists that are 16 inches on center a 3 4 inch thick plywood subfloor and a 1 2 inch thick cement backer board or concrete slab.

Subfloor requirements for ceramic tile. Oriented strand board osb and other porous manufactured boards are not recommended for the subfloor because they absorb moisture and will expand and contract. Regardless of the material it must be at least 1. We are planning on using ceramic tile with granite counter tops. This guide will show you how to prepare your subfloor for a tile installation project to ensure that it s fit to support ceramic or porcelain tile.

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. 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. First make sure you have a 1 1 4 inch sub floor before any tile goes down. The subfloor is 5 8 t g.

I have a book about remodeling by that tv guy mike holmes and he says that the proper way to prep a subfloor for tiles is. Most of the cabinets are on the perimeter on the room with a peninsula that runs to the center of the room 7 from the outside wall. I am interviewing contractors to do this work and i really want a high quality installation even if i have to pay more for it. Before you install sheet vinyl the subfloor must be in good.

How to prepare a subfloor for vinyl flooring. We discuss the stiffness of floor framing needed to avoid cracks or loosening of ceramic tile stone slate and similar flooring and we describe alternative methods of floor preparation for tiling. Most floor tile is adhered to the subfloor or underlayment with cement based thinset mortar. The substrate for tiles shorter than 15 inches must be so flat that it varies no more than 1 16 inch per foot according to the ceramic tile education foundation.

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. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material. The subfloor must be structurally sound as well as thick and stable enough to hold the weight of the tile without moving or flexing. This article discusses floor framing and subfloor recommendations for use under ceramic tile stone granite marble and similar floors.