Tile Subfloor Options

For tiles and 1 5 sq.

Tile subfloor options.

If you want a tile floor that isn t cold underfoot put down a basement subfloor before you install your tile. Exterior grade plywood is the preferred subfloor under tile rather than osb since it deflects less and is more resistant to water and moisture. Underlayment for ceramic tile floors. Trowel able and pourable underlayment a number of trowel able and pourable tile underlayment options are available.

Barricade is one such example. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. Janseptember 22 2009 at 4 40 pm. 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.

Concrete backer board durock and wonderboard which is the standard material for tile underlayment. A plywood subfloor should be a minimum of 5 8 thick depending on joist spacing topped by 1 2 cement backer board. Concrete backer board has a solid concrete core and both sides are faced with fiberglass. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab.

If the structure is adequate the use of a cement based floor patch that allows for the needed height may be the best choice. Once properly in place and cured the tile can be installed. Backer board this is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain. It is important to distinguish the components of a flooring system in order to understand the best installation.

A tapered piece of plywood may be difficult to fabricate and may not offer the support required for a good installation. On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists. The following backer boards are commonly used for tile flooring in wet or dry areas over wood subfloors. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room.

Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. For sheet rubber in rolls. 2x2x1 125 inch tiles with osb wood on top and closed cell polystyrene insulation xps on the bottom. A successful tile installation project requires a level surface.

If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment.