Proper Subfloor For Ceramic Tile

However you re not out of the woods.

Proper subfloor for ceramic tile.

Wood building materials contract and expand at different rates from natural humidity and exposure. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. A plywood subfloor must be structurally sound and able to support the installation. Laying tile on plywood.

Tile floors are heavy and tile is a hard material. Proper preparation of the subfloor is critical to the success of your ceramic tile installation. It will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load. It sounds like your joists are well within the acceptable limits of l 300 so your main concern is the deflection of the subfloor between joists.

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. 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.