Ceramic Floor Tile Preparation
THE TILE SOURCE guide to preparing for ceramic floor tiling
| General The floor to be tiled must be clean, free from grease, dust, dirt, plaster droppings, paint and any other barrier material. It is very important that all surfaces to be tiled too are straight and true to avoid lipping or uneven tile surfaces. Time spent at this stage will help avoid the risk of an expensive tiling failure. Sand and Cement Screed A sand and cement screed should be at least 3 weeks old, checked for any weak or hollow areas, which should be cut out and repaired. Overly dry and dusty surfaces should be primed. Check that the floor is straight and true, applying a suitable smoothing underlayment if required. Concrete Concrete floors are required to be at least 6 weeks old for shrinkage to have taken place. The concrete should be checked for any weak or hollow areas, which should be cut out and repaired. Overly dry and dusty concrete should be primed. Check that the floor is straight and true, applying a suitable smoothing underlayment if required. Existing Ceramic or Natural Stone Tiles Existing tiles must be firmly bonded and in a sound and clean condition. Thoroughly clean the floor (attention should be given to quarry tiles or terracotta as waxes will need more intensive cleaning. Anhydrite screeds Calcium sulfate based screed can look like traditional sand cement screeds but need very specific preparation, please refer to the detailed Schluter review. |
Tongue and Groove Floorboards The boards must be dry free from varnish, waxes and paints, securely fixed with non-rusting screws to all joists. The fixings should not be protruding and the floor free from deflection. Tiling can be carried out direct to the floorboards using specific adhesives and primers. If the floor still has some deflection it can be overlaid with Marmox tile backer board. In extreme cases the floor boards should be uplifted, additional noggins inserted between the joists and the floor relaid. Timber Based Boards The boards must be dry free from varnish, waxes and paints, and securely fixed with non-rusting screws. The fixings should not be protruding and the floor free from deflection. Tiling can be carried out direct to the floorboards using specific adhesives and primers. WBP plywood used as an overlay should be acclimatised for 48 hours to its surroundings, the backs and edges painted with a polyurethane paint and screwed at 300mm centres with non-rusting screws. We do not recommend tiling to MDF, hardboard, ‘green’ chipboard or any ply except WBP quality. These should be removed or overlaid with Marmox tile backer board. For floating floors download the BAL preparation guide pdf. Vinyl Sheet and Tiles Cushioned vinyl, lino or thermoplastic tiles and their adhesive should be removed. Alternatively check the tiles or sheet is firmly bonded to the base and remove any loose or brittle material, wax and polishes. Repair with a smoothing compound. For more detailed tile preparation guides download our main adhesive partners Ardex or BAL pdf brochures. Now you are ready to move on to How to Tile! |
