Installing Tile Over Cement Floor

How to prepare for laying tile over a concrete floor.

Installing tile over cement floor.

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. A concrete sealer prevents moisture from staying underneath the ceramic tiles. Installing over wood. Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly.

This is an optional step but can really benefit your tile installation in the long run. If you feel that despite all precautions the basement floor may get wet put down 2 by 4 inch sleepers cover with plastic and then install the plywood as the subfloor. The next step is to apply a concrete sealer on the floor surface. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.

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. This guide will teach you how to properly lay cement backerboard and use mortar to secure and level your subfloor before installing tile. Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Concrete floors are durable and easy to clean but not very attractive.

Step 1 preparing the concrete. Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. For ceramic tile nail cement boards to the concrete floor with concrete nails so they won t move then apply mastic tile and grout. Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space.

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. Step 3 plan your layout. It will also provide a stronger adhesion between mortar and concrete. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile.

One of the first steps in refinishing a basement or turning a garage. Laying floor tile over concrete is not a technically demanding job.