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Guide to Installing Tile over Concrete Slab Floors
- How to Ceramic or Stone Tile Over Concrete Slabs
- Using floor leveling compounds when installing tile
- Guide to Moisture and Water Barriers for Kitchen or Bath Tile
- Moisture Barriers for Kitchen or Bath Tile
- Tile Membranes for Wet Areas, Bathrooms, Showers
- Expansion Joint Requirements in Tile Surfaces
- Using Isolation Membranes to Avoid Cracks in Tile Surfaces
- Questions & answers abouthow to install ceramic tile on concrete surfaces
- References
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How to install ceramic tile over a concrete slab: this article discusses and compares the properties of ceramic floor tile, granite tile, marble tile, natural stone and agglomerate floor tiles. We address the installation details for each of these tile types. Also see flooring basics at Floor Designs: Kitchen & Bathroom and see Floor Tile, Ceramic for K & B. This article series discusses current best design practices for kitchens and bathrooms, including layout, clearances, work space, and accessible kitchen and bathroom layout, clearances, turning space, grab bars, controls, etc.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Guide to Installing Tile Over Concrete Slabs
 Tiles can be applied directly to a clean,
smooth concrete slab with a latex Portland cement mortar.
The concrete should be properly cured, be level to 1/4 inch in
10 feet, and have a steel trowel or fine broom finish. Curing
compounds or old adhesives used for carpeting or resilient
flooring will act as bond breakers, so they need to be removed
before installing the tile.
Either a power-blast cleaning
machine or a rotary sander with a coarse carborundum sanding
sheet can be used. If the slab has cracks or control joints,
a crack isolation membrane should be used (see Tile Isolation Membranes).
Our page top photo illustrates ceramic tiles set on conrete in an antique floor we observed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At left is another ceramic tile on concrete installation in the same city, with some interesting repairs. This floor was installed around 1920.
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. A list of kitchen and bath product manufactures and sources is included. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.
Other Tile Substrates Used in Remodeling
 In remodeling, tiles can be successfully
installed over existing ceramic tile, plastic laminate,
or resilient flooring (except the cushioned type) that
is well bonded. These must be stripped of any sealers or
waxes and scarified with a coarse sander before applying
the new adhesive. Wood floors must first be covered with
plywood or a cementitious backerboard.
Unsuitable substrates that should not be used under tile include oriented-strand board
(OSB), lower grades of plywood with voids, and interior grade
plywoods such as lauan.
The ceramic tile floors shown at left were installed atop of an existing ceramic tile floor (lower right) and over both concrete and solid core plywood (the upper floor level). The curved floor edge trim and facing were site-built by the editor (DF).
Guide to Using Floor Leveling Compounds For Setting Tile
If a wood floor or slab needs
leveling, you can use special cement leveling compounds
formulated for use as a substrate for ceramic tile or stone
tile. These are either site-mixed from a bag or installed by a
specialty subcontractor. Some are self-leveling and others
require screeding.
Gypsum-based underlayments are generally
not suitable for tile. Most self-leveling compounds can
be installed up to about an inch thick. For thicker applications,
let the first layer dry before adding more, or fill lower
areas with plywood shims before adding the compound. Use
exterior-grade plywood with no voids.
Guide to Moisture and Water Barriers for Kitchen or Bath Tile
Although glazed ceramic tile is waterproof, neither the
grout joints nor the cement backerboard behind the tile are
water barriers. To prevent moisture from passing through
the tile and substrate to the plywood or wood framing, a
moisture barrier is required in areas subject to high moisture
levels or occasional wetting, such as tub surrounds
and kitchen counters.
In areas subject to heavy wetting,
such as shower pans and some bathroom floors and counters,
a sheet membrane or trowel-on membrane should be
used to provide full waterproofing.
Moisture Barriers for Kitchen or Bath Tile
On tiled walls, protect the wood
framing from water intrusion, using either 6-mil poly or
15-pound asphalt-impregnated felt lapped to shed water.
The barrier should go between the tile substrate and the
framing. On outside walls, this material can also served as
the air and vapor barrier if the joints are sealed with tape
or a compatible sealant.
Tile Membranes for Wet Areas, Bathrooms, Showers
Full waterproofing is required in construction
that must retain water, such as shower pans and tiled
tubs. It is also recommended in areas subject to frequent
wetting, such as raised tub surrounds, bathroom floors, and
counters with sinks. There are two types of membranes:
thermoplastic sheet materials and trowel-on membranes.
Sheet membranes can be applied to most tile substrates
with either thinset mortar or a proprietary adhesive, and
tiles are bonded directly to the membrane. With any membrane,
check the label for compatibility with the substrate
and adhesives. Most waterproofing membranes also serve
as isolation membranes.
Figure 6-36 - elastomeric adhesive sheet membrane used below tile in wet areas.
[Click any image or table to see an enlarged version with additional detail, commentary & source citation.] |
- Sheet membranes: These single-layer elastomerics,
such as chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), are bonded
to the substrate—typically cement backerboard,
plywood, or a mortar bed—with a compatible thinset
mortar or proprietary adhesive (Figure 6-36 above).
After the
adhesive cures, tiles are set onto the membrane with a
second layer of thinset. For watertight performance,
joints in the membrane are caulked with a proprietary
sealant or are solvent-welded. In addition to stopping
water, CPE membranes act as an isolation membrane,
protecting the tile and grout from movement in the substrate
(see Tile Isolation Membranes).
Examples
are Noble-Seal TS (Noble Company) and Dal-Seal TS
(Dal-Tile Corp.), both 30-mil thick CPE. Special heavier
membranes are designed for shower pans, tubs, and
other details that must contain standing water.
- Trowel-on membranes: These one-part or two-part
liquids are troweled or brushed on, some with a
reinforcing fiberglass fabric. These are good for less
critical areas that are only occasionally wetted, such as
countertops, tub surrounds, and some floors.
They also
provide limited protection against cracking due to
movement in the substrate when used in conjunction
with a reinforcing fabric. Examples of one-part membranes
include Laticrete 9235 (Laticrete International,
Inc.) and Mapelastic HPG (Mapei Corp.).
Expansion Joint Requirements in Tile Surfaces
Tile and grout are fairly unforgiving of movement in the
substrate. To protect against cracking of the tile or grout
joints, expansion joints are recommended by the Tile
Council of America in the following places:
- Every 24 to 36 feet each direction; or every 8 to 12 feet
in each direction if the tiled surface is exposed to moisture
or direct sunlight.
- Around the perimeter of a room or wherever tile meets
a different material or abuts restraining surfaces, such
as curbs, columns, or pipes.
- At inside corners, such as where a countertop meets
the backsplash.
- Wherever changes occur in the backing material, for
example, from wood to masonry.
- Directly over any expansion, control, construction, or
cold joint
Expansion joints should be at least 1/4 inch wide and
free of grout, backerboard, or tile adhesive. Use an elastomeric
caulk with a backer rod or bond-breaker tape to
prevent three-sided bonding of the caulk (Figure 6-37 below).
Most tile suppliers now carry colored caulks designed
to match standard grout colors, or colored caulks can be
ordered from Color Caulk (see Kitchen & Bath Associations, Product Sources).
[Click any image or table to see an enlarged version with additional detail, commentary & source citation.]
Guide to Using Isolation Membranes to Avoid Cracks in Tile Surfaces
Polymer-modified thinset can
absorb small amounts of movement, but where more
significant movement is expected, a crack isolation membrane
is the safest approach. Examples include tiling over
concrete with control joints or shrinkage cracks, over radiant
slabs, or over existing tile or other problematic remodeling
surfaces. Wood-framed floors with long joist spans
of 16 feet or more are also good candidates for isolation
membranes.
Tile contractors typically use the same type of elastomeric
membrane used for waterproofing, such as Noble-
Seal TS (Noble Company) or Dal-Seal TS (Dal Tile). It is
applied as described above under “Membranes” (previous
page), although joints between sheets do not need to be
solvent welded unless waterproofing is also required.
Methods for Slab Crack Isolation When Installing Tile Surfaces
In repair work or other jobs where
covering an entire floor with isolation membrane is not
feasible, a strip of membrane can be installed over just a
crack, change of materials, or control joint where minor
movement is expected. In general, this will work where
cracks are less than 1/8 inch wide, and there is no vertical
movement.
Also, with some types of membrane, the contractor
can offset the sealant-filled “soft joints” in the tile,
so they do not have to fall directly over the crack or control
joint in a concrete slab. In this case, create soft joints on
both sides of the crack or joint (Figure 6-38), using a flexible
sealant instead of grout. If a crack in the concrete substrate
runs diagonal to the grout joints, the soft joint must
run in a zigzag pattern on each side of the crack.
|
Figure 6-38
[Click any image or table to see an enlarged version with additional detail, commentary & source citation.] |
According to tile expert Michael Byrne, crack-isolation
membranes used this way should be three times the width
of the tile, but he cautions that the preferred approach is to
cover the entire floor with membrane. This provides better
protection against cracking and eliminates the soft joints
and the slight bump in the tile surface, which may be unacceptable
visually.
Kitchen and Bath Product Manufacturers, Sources, Associations
Ceramic Tile-Setting Material Manufacturer List
Bonsal American
www.bonsal.com
Setting compounds, grouts, preformed shower pans, curbs,
and niches. Also, distributor of backerboards, isolation
membranes, and other tile-setting products
Color Caulk, div. of Roanoke Companies Group
www.colorcaulk.com
Color-matched caulking
Custom Building Products
www.custombuildingproducts.com
Elastomeric and liquid-applied membranes, self-leveling
underlayments, setting compounds, and grouts
Laticrete International
www.laticrete.com
Trowel-on membranes, self-leveling underlayments, setting
compounds, grouts, and sealants
Noble Company
www.noblecompany.com
CPE sheet membranes, trowel-on membranes, clamping
ring drains, and preformed slopes, niches, and curbs
Mapei
www.mapei.com
Trowel-on and sheet membranes, self-leveling underlayments,
setting compounds, grouts, and color-matched
sanded caulks
Ceramic Tile Backerboard Producers
Custom Building Products
www.custombuildingproducts.com
Wonderboard cement backerboard, Easyboard cement and
polystyrene lightweight backerboard, and Rhinoboard
fiber-cement backerboard
Georgia-Pacific Gypsum
www.gp.com/build
Denshield gypboard backer with glass-matt facing
James Hardie Building Products
www.jameshardie.com
Fiber-cement backerboard
National Gypsum
www.nationalgypsum.com
Permabase lightweight cement and polystyrene
backerboard
Schluter Systems
www.schluter.com
Kerdi tile membrane goes directly over drywall or other
substrates
T. Clear Corp./Fin Pan Inc.
www.finpan.com
Util-A-Crete lightweight concrete backerboard
U.S. Gypsum
www.usg.com
Durock cement backerboard
W. R. Bonsal
www.bonsal.com
Extruded polystyrene backerboard with fiberglassreinforced
cement facing
-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.
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- The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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