Ceramic Tile Installation Concrete Slab

Installing tile directly on concrete.

Ceramic tile installation concrete slab.

Pouring a concrete slab is a major project in itself and we won t explain how to do it here. Thick and reinforced with steel mesh if anything. 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. I want to install ceramic tile in the bedroom.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor here are the requirements for a lasting tile ready slab. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. However you re not out of the woods. Any cracks in the surface of the slab need to be repaired before you begin as well.

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. Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly. 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.

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. If you are getting moisture from the slab then it could result in getting efflorescence staining in the grout assuming the tile is a glazed or low absorbing tile. Ceramic tile or porcelain tile which is a type of ceramic tile in general is resistant to moisture. At left is another ceramic tile on concrete installation in the same city with some interesting repairs.

The foundation is concrete slab. 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. Patio slabs are typically 3 1 2 in. This floor was installed around 1920.

A perfect new slab. Do i need to fill the gap with concrete before laying the tile. Installing over wood. The builders put down some sort of filler not concrete for this large gap.

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.