Ceramic Tile Installation Concrete Slab

This floor was installed around 1920.

Ceramic tile installation concrete slab.

Installing over wood. Ceramic tile or porcelain tile which is a type of ceramic tile in general is resistant to moisture. The builders put down some sort of filler not concrete for this large gap. Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor here are the requirements for a lasting tile ready slab.

Installing tile directly on concrete. Do i need to fill the gap with concrete before laying the tile. 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. 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.

Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Any cracks in the surface of the slab need to be repaired before you begin as well. 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. For one outside wall the concrete ends about 1 inch from the wall.

A perfect new slab. 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. Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space.

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. Pouring a concrete slab is a major project in itself and we won t explain how to do it here. 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. At left is another ceramic tile on concrete installation in the same city with some interesting repairs.

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. I want to install ceramic tile in the bedroom. Patio slabs are typically 3 1 2 in.

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