Tile Floor Subfloor Requirements

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor.

Tile floor subfloor requirements.

The first step to proper installation is to get the subfloor in order. Subflooring requirements for tile floors to meet tca stiffness requirements floor framing should be no more than 16 inches on center with minimum 19 32 inch plywood subflooring. 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. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

To determine the requirements for a tile subfloor i partnered with jim and rich from diamond tile located here in maryland. The difficulty is that tile can be installed over a number of substrates and each requires specific preparations to ensure a long lasting tile floor. However you re not out of the woods. Because of issues of moisture movement and adhesion ceramic tile will work well with certain types of subfloor underlayment systems and can go dramatically wrong with other subfloor materials.

The goal is to have a wooden subfloor consisting of two. The basement ceiling is finished in drywall so i do not have access from below. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling.

The maximum span is 14 ft as a steel i beam breaks the floor into two sections of 14 ft. Measure and cut 1 4 inch or thicker plywood with a circular saw to fit the entire floor of the room where you are installing vinyl flooring. To keep this type of flooring resilient against wear and tear you must install it correctly before it s used. The subfloor must be structurally sound as well as thick and stable enough to hold the weight of the tile without moving or flexing.

The floor joists are 2x10s spaced 24 on center and running lengthwise. Vinyl is one of the few types of floors that can be safely installed over concrete wood or other solid floors. The subfloor is 23 32 t g osb with inch lauan and sheet vinyl over top. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material.

For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors.