The gaps number minus the walls number is the area you need to cover with tiles. Dos and donts with jeff paterson of home repair tutor. May 29, 2012 if you are tiling a floor, you can use a selfleveling compound instead of a sander. Then calculate the area of any gaps such as windows. Apply the grout and wipe off the excess grout with a damp or wet sponge. Rated 5 out of 5 by rocketretro from ideal product for garage floor repair and paint really easy to use, mix up just the quantity you need and repeat, work quickly as it goes off within a few minutes. How to prepare concrete for a tile installationlearning center.
Tile cannot be attached directly to painted concrete, as the thinset will not adhere well to the paint. Smooth your cement subfloor before laying tile to ensure that the tile has a flat, even bed on which to rest. What are my options for tiling over an uneven concrete floor. We needed 6 bags of nxt for this basement bathroom and used a floor squeegee to help it spread. This works best if you have a large hump in the middle of a concrete slab.
Generally, if the variation in the floor is 14 or more then using your thinset mortar is usually not recommended for fixing it. So, if you are ready to kiss that ugly floor goodbye, flip on this clip and learn some tips from the pros. Dips and cracks in the subfloor can cause tile to tilt, settle or crack. This is relatively cheap and can be bought in any diy shop.
Remove stubborn dust and dirt with a mop soaked in a solution of bleach and water. Follow the manufacturers instructions, but this usually takes several days. Push air bubbles out to the edge with a jroller or the edge of a. Use a trowel to apply the concrete patching compound at the site of each crack. The other alternative is a polished concrete floor. How to replace linoleum floor with ceramic tile hunker.
Nov 28, 2018 concrete floors are durable and easy to clean, but not very attractive. Remove dusts and debris with a vacuum cleaner and a broom. Painted concrete can be made porous with sandblasting or other hard. The safest way to approach questionable concrete is not to cover it over with cbus but to fix the concrete. Over time, a sink or refrigerator water leak can damage and even destroy flooring materials and the subfloor below it. After cleaning the floor thoroughly, youll need to patch cracks in the concrete floor, as they can expand and cause the tiles above to shift or break. Check out this video for what you need to know when carrying out essential preparation work in readiness to lay floor tiles. Hi, in looking at the wall, it does not look like its in bad shape. Tom meehan, a tile installer and owner of cape cod tileworks in harwich, massachusetts, replies. The florida home i just purchased has many cracks in the concrete slab, some of them 10 ft. Oct 09, 2018 mix per laticretes directions then immediately pour nxt over a prepped and primed concrete floor. Multiply the two distances to get the area of the walls.
While concrete is a strong construction material, it can still crack. Cleaning and filling any cracks in the floor takes a little time, and the only precautions. To prevent that movement from creating cracks in your grout and tile, once your concrete subfloor is clean, flat, and free of cracks larger than 18 inch, you. I use the same thinset i would use for laying the tiles and just skimcoat the entire area.
I used a scraper and lightly hammered any spots that sounded hollow underneath to loosen any weak pieces. How to level a subfloor to prepare for new flooring. It is worth rounding up to the nearest square metre and then allowing ten percent extra for. Concrete floors are durable and easy to clean, but not very attractive. Vacuum the area around cracks and apply a peelandstick primer with a roller or paint pad. Let me get to the point, i am not a coverer non existing word. Repairing minor holes in a cement floor before laying tile. Before pouring the self leveler there is some prep work required. If youve made any adjustments to your floor, you must allow them to completely dry before installing the new floor. Before you do all the extra work, discover how easy it is to lay tile on concrete.
How to prepare for laying tile over a concrete floor. Use a circular saw set to 1 depth to cut the subflooring back beyond the damaged areas until you reach solid. How to lay tile over cracked concrete home guides sf gate. Even though you say it is 316, in my opinion, it would make life easier to just use an slc. Concrete subfloors move, shift and crack over time. Installing ceramic tile over different floor surfaces. The experts show how to repair a waterdamaged subfloor. How long should concrete cure before installing tile. A concrete floor can often be unlevel, so before floor tile instillation it is often necessary to level the floor. The general rule for concrete to cure before installing tile over it is wait 28 days to allow the concrete to cure and to finish shrinking. How to prepare a subfloor for tile installation the home depot. Before tiling the floor, level any raised patches with a handheld concrete grinder. Tiling over concrete and wood floors todays homeowner.
Do you need to seal concrete before tiling over it. Although you should fill the cracks, youll want to make sure that no extra compound remains on the surface of. In this first video we share how to self level a bathroom by starting with prep work. I have tiled many bathrooms that had floors that were concrete.
Cracks make your basement look bad and they do not help your propertys resale value. How to prepare a subfloor for tile installation the home. Another option that you may have is to grind down the floor. But you can also use selfleveling overlays for decorative purposes, by adding integral color to the selfleveling system or by enhancing the overlay. Use filler to fill in any dips and apply a floor leveler for any humps in the floor. How to prepare a subfloor for vinyl flooring home guides. Any minor over spread can be smoothed off with a sander. Cut the tiles to the desired size with a nipper, then mark the room flooring to make quadrant divisions with horizontal and vertical lines once the tiles have dryset.
Does the new concrete need to be sealed before i can lay the tiles. Installing concrete in oftenwet areas such as baths and showers demands more of a concrete contractor. Aug 20, 2004 pva isnt good, dont use it with any form of tiling. Removing old vinyl tile and patching concrete cracks. Tape a 3footsquare piece of scrap vinyl to the concrete with duct tape, sealing the edges tight.
How to prepare for tiling homeserve video guide youtube. Id like to install a tile floor over the slab, but im worried that the tile will crack. How to prepare a concrete floor for tiling tile mountain youtube. In this video, learn how to tile over a concrete bathroom floor. After mopping, allow your concrete basement floor to. After cleaning the floor thoroughly, youll need to patch cracks in the concrete floor. A concrete floor is a good base for laying ceramic tiles, provided it is level and free of. How to prepare for laying tile over a concrete floor home. Grind slowly and carefully if you remove too much concrete, youll create another hole to patch. Take a look at the two most common options for preparing a concrete floor. You should seal the floor with a suitable primer that is compatible with the adhesive you buy. How to put down flooring on a cracked concrete slab home. How to waterproof concrete showers and tubs concrete decor.
After laying all the tile over the surface of the concrete slab, allow the tile to rest for 24 hours before finishing the tile. The only prep work needed is to remove any old adhesive or paint and clean the concrete first. Before laying tile over a plywood subfloor, cement backer board needs to be nailed or screwed to the floor. Effectively it stops the draw the sponge effect of the dry concrete and creates a better adhesive bond. It was barely bonded to existing concrete slab which makes up apartment sub floor. Repairing minor holes in a cement floor before laying tile home. Which made for easily removal with a sledge and brick chisel. Answer answer generally speaking allowing the concrete to cure for 28 days allows it to achieve 90% cure and there is no significant shrinkage in the concrete after that in terms of installing ceramic tile over it. In many cases, selfleveling toppings serve a purely utilitarian purpose, such as correcting uneven or damaged floors or serving as an underlayment for tile, carpet, or other floor coverings.
Cracks and gaps can be filled with portland cementbased fillers. Patch and level a concrete subfloor preparing the concrete floor. This is particularly imported when laying tile, as the floor needs to be as level as possible. Holes 1 inch or deeper require a concrete mix with coarse, crushedstone aggregate, which bonds well with existing concrete. A tile or snapin floor would run about the same materialwise but labor costs would be different. Diy experts show how to get rid of a squeaky floor with these steps. If you have a hump in a wood subfloor, you can sand it down with a sander. To use the concrete filler, cut the nozzle off the bottle and slowly fill the cracks image 1. Prepare concrete subfloors by filling any cracks or holes with a patching compound before you begin. How to level a concrete floor selfleveling overlays. One of the first steps in refinishing a basement or turning a garage into a usable room is to put down a new floor. Dips, bulges and cracks occur frequently as concrete cures and ages.
Floor coverings need a solid base for installation. If youre using mixed concrete patch, mix according to the manufacturers direction and then trowel the patch into the crack image 2. You have to prep the edges correctly and use the right materials. The key is to isolate the tub or shower from wood and other materials that might be damaged. This concrete basement floor was severely out of level and needed tapcon screws placed in different spots to.
Before you install any flooring material over a concrete slab, it is important to inspect the slab for defects. If you cant find premixed concrete patch, you can make your own by mixing one part cement to 2. Should i lay the first tile row up against the wall. I am about to attempt to tile my conservatory floorporcelain floor tiles which has just been laid. If you are tiling a floor, you can use a selfleveling compound instead of a sander. Using a scraper and a wire brush or a tool such as a floor scraper or concrete grinder go over the. The best way to repair a hole in a concrete slab before tiling over. You need to rely on the manufacturers data sheet recommendations for the thinset dry set mortar you are using to adhere to the concrete. How to level a subfloor before laying tile one project closer. Temperature changes, heavy weights, and dropped objects can all damage your concrete floor by causing cracks and holes. Mix per laticretes directions then immediately pour nxt over a prepped and primed concrete floor. If there are cracks larger than 18 inch in your concrete subfloor, those should be patched and filled with a cement patching compound. Decide on the pattern to be installed and dryset it.
That old basement floor with the crumbling vinyl tile may look hopeless, but with a little scraping and a. Concrete floor patching is your solution to minor cracks that are more about aesthetics, moisture intrusion, and insect infestation than about major structural integrity. How to level a concrete floor before tile installation youtube. Check the cracks in a few minutes to see whether the filler has settled. What that means is that, i would not cover this wall with plaster board or dry wall knowing that it could have b. Apply a layer of crack isolation membrane over cracks to prevent cracks from appearing later in the overlying tile. Ideal direct home improvements company 2,392 views 39. Simply pouring wet concrete into a hole in your driveway, sidewalk, or basement floor wont make for a lasting repair. Mop the entire floor area of your basement, as any dirt or dust is a potential hazard to the success of your tiling job. If you are installing on top of concrete, you will have to use bolts that can go through the concrete surface.
What is the best choice for patching and leveling concrete. If you use certain polymer modified adhesives you can maybe set tiles after 14 days of curing. Discussion in tilers talk started by nev, aug 20, 2004. It shouldnt take you long to get the hang of this process and this video will offer you a very helpful example and walk through. How to level a concrete floor selfleveling overlays the. Occasionally i need to break a large hole in the slab for a drain or to repair a hole. Measure the height and width of the walls you want to tile. There are four simple principles to help you prepare concrete floor for tile installation. Start by completely removing the damaged materials. While removing the old tile i would chips or make a few small divots in the concrete.
It will be the guide to ensure that the tile application will fit the area of the flooring. How to patch and level a concrete subfloor pretty handy girl. Dec 19, 2018 before you install any flooring material over a concrete slab, it is important to inspect the slab for defects. Here i level an uneven concrete floor using the levelquik rs 50 lb self leveling.
Tore out original floor tile which was sitting in a 2 bed of very light, heavily sanded mortar. All i want to do is lay down some ceramic tile which i will have to do over the linoleum so i dont have to remove the asbestos. Ceramic tile can be laid directly over a concrete slab using thinset adhesive. Before using the sealer, ensure that it is mixed thoroughly. What is the best way to diy fix this wall before tiling. If the surface is uneven, consider using a selfleveling concrete mix to level out the floor before proceeding with tile installation. It requires a different type of preparation and construction from counters and even sinks, so contractors would do well to understand the specifics. Nov 14, 2016 a concrete floor can often be unlevel, so before floor tile instillation it is often necessary to level the floor. Surface preparation preparing a concrete floor youtube.