Tile Subfloor Options

Trowel able and pourable underlayment a number of trowel able and pourable tile underlayment options are available.

Tile subfloor options.

It is important to distinguish the components of a flooring system in order to understand the best installation. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials. In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab.

For sheet rubber in rolls. Concrete backer board durock and wonderboard which is the standard material for tile underlayment. Backer board this is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain. Underlayment for ceramic tile floors.

You ve probably seen this resilient flooring in health clubs and gyms. Rubber tile or rubber sheets 3 8 sq. The following backer boards are commonly used for tile flooring in wet or dry areas over wood subfloors. A successful tile installation project requires a level surface.

Janseptember 22 2009 at 4 40 pm. A tapered piece of plywood may be difficult to fabricate and may not offer the support required for a good installation. 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. Exterior grade plywood is the preferred subfloor under tile rather than osb since it deflects less and is more resistant to water and moisture.

For tiles and 1 5 sq. Concrete backer board has a solid concrete core and both sides are faced with fiberglass. Subfloor systems eliminate the cake layer approach and give you all layers fused into tiles that can be attached to each other at a higher price than the methods above. 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. A plywood subfloor should be a minimum of 5 8 thick depending on joist spacing topped by 1 2 cement backer board. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. If you want a tile floor that isn t cold underfoot put down a basement subfloor before you install your tile.

On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists.