Underlayment For Tile On Concrete Slab

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.

Underlayment for tile on concrete slab.

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. It s perfectly acceptable to put tile directly on concrete with a couple of caveats. Underlayment is any product that can be installed under a. The smooth surface allows the planks to move when seasonal humidity changes cause them to expand and contract.

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. You can test for moisture. First it is important to determine if there is moisture coming up from the 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.

What is an underlayment and why use it. Here s why underlayment matters to a tile installation project toa. A waterproof underlayment membrane like ditra from schluter systemscan be substituted for backer board. Backer board this is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain.

However the slab must be flat perfectly level and not at risk of settling or heaving. If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment it will not cause the wood to swell as happens with interior grade plywood. Since it isn t porous porcelain tile is more water resistant and harder than ceramic but it is harder to cut. Trowel able and pourable underlayment a number of trowel able and pourable tile underlayment options are available.

For floating wood floors manufacturers sometimes recommend padded underlayment. 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. Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material. 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.