Underlayment For Tile On Concrete Slab

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.

Underlayment for tile on concrete slab.

If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment it will not cause the wood to swell as happens with interior grade plywood. Underlayment in a tile project can mean the difference between a project that lasts for years and one you have to redo because an unexpected crack develops in your concrete slab. Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. A waterproof underlayment membrane like ditra from schluter systemscan be substituted for backer board.

Underlayment is any product that can be installed under a. Specially formulated as a powerful soundproofing material for placement under stone tile and hardwood floors proflex 90 is composed of a rubberized membrane laminated to a strong reinforcing fabric on one side and a silicone based release sheet on its adhesive side. You can test for moisture. It s perfectly acceptable to put tile directly on concrete with a couple of caveats.

For glue down and floating floors you may need to use a pourable self leveling underlayment to correct minor imperfections in the concrete slab surface. However the slab must be flat perfectly level and not at risk of settling or heaving. Backer board this is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain. Here s why underlayment matters to a tile installation project toa.

First it is important to determine if there is moisture coming up from the slab. Since it isn t porous porcelain tile is more water resistant and harder than ceramic but it is harder to cut. What is an underlayment and why use it. 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.

Most tile installation experts consider that underlayment is like an insurance policy underlayment can also matter to an installation with lvt. 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. For floating wood floors manufacturers sometimes recommend padded underlayment. Exterior plywood is an acceptable underlayment for tile and is preferred to interior grade plywoods because the bonding adhesives used are waterproof.