Tile Over Cement Slab

Tiles can be applied directly to a clean smooth concrete slab with a latex portland cement mortar.

Tile over cement slab.

Start at a broken tile or between tiles where the grout has loosened. 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. Cover the slab completely with the tile adhesive and apply it to the back of the tiles as well. Work the chisel under the tiles forcing them loose.

The concrete should be properly cured be level to 1 4 inch in 10 feet and have a steel trowel or fine broom finish. Strike the face of stubborn tiles to break them up for easier removal. Once finished a porcelain tile installation over concrete will last generations ensuring your investment is beyond a mere one to five year warranty that some floor finishes have. Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material.

It requires less skill and less time and it s a whole lot easier on your back. Tile can contribute thermal mass to a passive solar house and to christa campbell it would make a more appealing finish floor than concrete. Small cracks caused by shrinkage usually do not present a problem. Choose a grout that resists stains and fading.

But larger cracks especially those that are higher on one side than the other may telegraph through the tile and cause it to crack. Use a 3 4 or 1 in. Covering concrete with paver bricks is much easier than pouring new concrete or laying paving stones the traditional way. Laying floor tile over concrete is not a technically demanding job.

Masonry chisel and a 2 lb. Assess your slab this project will work with most patios. Use a polymer modified dry set mortar adhesive that s rated for outdoor use. Use the notched edge of the trowel.

Applying strips of uncoupling membrane between a concrete slab and a tile floor can help prevent cracks in the slab from affecting the finished surface. Watch this video to find out more. Installing tile outdoors on a concrete patio. Guide to installing tile over concrete slabs.

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. Work the chisel between the tiles and the concrete hammering them up with a 2 lb. Here we ll walk you through how to lay paving stones over concrete. 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.

Pick up the tile nearest the center of the floor and spread adhesive with the trowel over the bare floor.