Floor Tile Backer Board Or Subfloor

Leave a 1 4 inch gap between the edges of the backer board and the walls to allow for subfloor expansion and contraction.

Floor tile backer board or subfloor.

Its made from cement and sand and is reinforced by fiberglass mats on both sides so it s impervious to water. The thickness of the subfloor including the cement backer board should be a minimum of 1 1 8 thick so if you use 1 2 backer board you would need at least 5 8 plywood. Plan so the joints in the backerboard won t line up with the joints in the subfloor. After all backer board sheets are in position remove the 16d common nails.

An additional layer of thinset is then applied to the surface of the backer board and used to set the tiles. So the answer is yes you would need to install a plywood subfloor under the cement backer board before applying the tile. To achieve the ideal flat surface most contractors rely on the backer board cement backer board is a thin layer of concrete designed to be setting surface upon which tile can be installed. Cement based backer board.

Lay the backer board according to the manufacturer s instructions. 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. Good luck with your project. According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons.

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. The backerboard should completely cover the subfloor joints. The backer board is then secured with screws to the subfloor beneath. Do a dry run and lay the backerboard down to fully cover the area you plan to tile.

Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood. Add more mortar as necessary to fill sunken areas in. Floor tiles should be installed over smooth flat surfaces.

Cement board is the most durable trouble free tile backer for tub surrounds showers floors and all other wet areas. Also if your subfloor runs east to west lay your backer boards in the opposite direction north to south. When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor you don t have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1 8 inch thick which most slabs are. If the subfloor doesn t have enough stability you can usually but not always remedy the situation by installing cement backer board also called cementboard.

If needed cut the backerboard to fit in small spaces or around obstructions.