Tile Underlayment For Concrete Floor

Do i need to put any type of underlayment or vapor barrier underneath it.

Tile underlayment for concrete floor.

Made of lightweight polyethylene the membrane is only 1 8 thick and can be cut easily with a. Additionally a steps must be taken to ensure that a concrete floor will create a solid bond. There are various types of tile underlayment but all serve to smooth out uneven. It is generically called cement board or backer board or it can also be referred to by one of the common brand names such as densshield hardiebacker and wonderboard.

Installing tile directly on concrete. 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. As with a wooden subfloor a concrete subfloor must be level for successful tile installation. Cement based backer board.

Although you don t need to install an underlayment between the concrete and the tile you need to prepare the surface before placing the tile. For ceramic tile flooring laid over concrete it separates the tile from the concrete pad and prevents cracks damaging the tiles. After all cracks and uneven areas in the concrete can cause damage to the tile above and uncontrolled moisture in the concrete can destroy the mortar and loosen the tiles. A waterproof underlayment membrane like ditra from schluter systems can be substituted for backer board.

Now largely regarded as the very best underlayment for ceramic tile in any application floors walls and countertops cement based backer board goes by many names. To prepare your concrete subfloor make sure that it can accept water penetration. For wood and laminate flooring the underlayment may provides moisture protection. I m putting ceramic tile flooring in my kitchen and live on a 10 year old ground level concrete slab.

However the slab must be flat perfectly level and not at risk of settling or heaving. 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. A tile floor consists of three individual layers. In addition underlayments can provide thermal and sound insulation as well as a cushion that makes walking on the floor more.

Test by sprinkling water on various areas of the subfloor.