How To Install Cement Board For Ceramic Tile

Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.

How to install cement board for ceramic tile.

Chipboard cushioned vinyl flooring particle boards of any type oriented strand board osb interior grade plywood tongue and groove planking and hardwood floors are unsuitable substrates for direct installation of ceramic tile. If you want to replace an old cracked tile floor or other type of flooring with new ceramic tile it s absolutely imperative that you create a solid. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall.

Once the cement board is in place you are ready to install the tile. We show you how to install a first class tile base. Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile. Step 1 measure the area.

Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. Laying cement board is the easiest way to assure a solid durable base for a ceramic tile floor. In order to install tile over a wood floor you will need to cover it with cement board.

Backer board is everything that drywall is not. Ceramic tile backer board also called cement board or tile backer is a rigid panel material that installs over wood framing much like drywall. It s made primarily with cement and sand and it has no paper that can deteriorate or promote mold growth if it gets wet. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile.

But that s pretty much where the similarity ends. Troweling a perfectly flat bed required great skill but the reward was a tile job that lasted for decades. The traditional method of installing ceramic tile called for setting it in a solid mortar bed. Today most professional tile setters back their tile with cement board instead because it offers almost the same durability with a lot less work.

Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. Here are the basics of how to install tile over cement board.