Flooring Tile - ceramic tile project - make sure floor is prepped right
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jeastith
07-31-07, 08:31 AM
I've decided to do ceramic tile in my bathroom. The joists are 15" apart from center to center. There is 3/4" tongue and groove wood subflooring on top of that. The plan is to add 3/4" OSB and then 1/4" hardibacker. Are we missing anything? Will this be sufficient for the underlayment of the tile? Just want to make sure we are prepping it correctly.
JazMan
07-31-07, 07:13 PM
Hi,
Structurally, one layer of 3/4" plywood or OSB over joists 16" o.c. is a good enough subfloor for the installaton of ceramic or porcelain tiles. Natural stone tiles require 2 layers instead of one layer. Over the subfloor or underlayment, you will need to add the tile backer board (such as Hardi) or isolation membrane (such as Ditra). If you need/want the extra layer of underlayment, I would highly recommend a good quality plywood, installed properly, NOT OSB. Do not buy the cheap stuff, like CDX plywood.
What size are the joists and the unsupported span? Although most homes are within specs for ceramic tiles some are not. Most joists systems are not sufficient for stone tiles at all. I'll explain when you answer.
Jaz
Structurally, one layer of 3/4" plywood or OSB over joists 16" o.c. is a good enough subfloor for the installaton of ceramic or porcelain tiles. Natural stone tiles require 2 layers instead of one layer. Over the subfloor or underlayment, you will need to add the tile backer board (such as Hardi) or isolation membrane (such as Ditra). If you need/want the extra layer of underlayment, I would highly recommend a good quality plywood, installed properly, NOT OSB. Do not buy the cheap stuff, like CDX plywood.
What size are the joists and the unsupported span? Although most homes are within specs for ceramic tiles some are not. Most joists systems are not sufficient for stone tiles at all. I'll explain when you answer.
Jaz