How To Put Tile On A Cement Floor

This is a mixture of cement fine grain sand and water that will adhere the new tile to the old.

How to put tile on a cement floor.

This provides a solid surface under the tile that prevents flexing that could lead to cracking. One of the first steps in refinishing a basement or turning a garage into a usable room is to put down a new floor. Scrub the floor with a brush and tsp and allow it to dry thoroughly. 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.

Mix up a bucket of tsp tri sodium phosphate solution. Use a thin set product to install ceramic tile over existing tiles. Plan so the joints in the backerboard won t line up with the joints in the subfloor. Use a chalk line to mark your starting point on the concrete floor.

Installing tile directly on concrete. Plan the placement of the cement backerboard sheets. Make sure the area is well ventilated when you use this strong chemical cleaner step 2 check the levels on the floor to determine if the concrete is level. Lay the tiles into the mortar and using the spacers make sure you are running even with the chalk line.

Tsp is a high strength cleaner which is useful for removing dirt grease and oil from your existing surface. Install a cement based backer board following the manufacturer s instructions. If it is not level you will want to purchase self leveling underlayment to create an even surface. As you move on to the subsequent rows use the spacers to keep your pattern square.

The backerboard should completely cover the subfloor joints. Follow up with a detergent like tri sodium phosphate tsp. Use a polymer modified thin set a type of mortar to attach the backer board to the subfloor. Do a dry run and lay the backerboard down to fully cover the area you plan to tile.

Concrete floors are durable and easy to clean but not very attractive. If there are pockmarks and cracks you will want to use some leveling compound or filler step 3 roll or brush a latex. Once a tile is set try to avoid touching it again. When it comes to mortar latex or epoxy options are best for installing tile over tile.

Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. Also consider that doors cabinets and other hardware might need to be reworked or replaced with new ones to compensate for the higher floor. Now that you have a reference point you can be sure that the first row of tiles will be properly aligned.