Porcelain Tile Underlayment On Concrete

A concrete slab makes a good underlayment for ceramic tiles since it s similar to the solid mortar bases that used to be the standard for ceramic tile installation.

Porcelain tile underlayment on concrete. This tile is composed of sand which is fired at high temperature and pressure. However you re not out of the woods. 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. If your concrete is relatively new under 15 years old you will need an anti fracture membrane such as schluter ditra between your concrete and your tile.

However the slab must be flat perfectly level and not at risk of settling or heaving. 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. Because of issues of moisture movement and adhesion ceramic tile will work well with certain types of subfloor underlayment systems and can go dramatically wrong with other subfloor materials. There is a chance that the concrete can settle and crack the movement of which will transfer to your tiles and cause them to crack.

Installing tile directly on concrete. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material. When installing a tile floor a layer of cement backer board is usually put down over a plywood subfloor to provide a firm stable surface. Do i need to put any type of underlayment or vapor barrier underneath it.

I m putting ceramic tile flooring in my kitchen and live on a 10 year old ground level concrete slab. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. There are various types of tile underlayment but all serve to smooth out uneven. If your concrete is over 15 years old it has had time.

A tile floor consists of three individual layers.