2007-03-19 13:58:01 · 12 answers · asked by spekoli 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
No way. If you put backer board over a concrete substrate, you are basically adding an additional concrete floor with the added 1/4 inch thickness. It would be an absolute waste of time, resources and money to do that. Concrete is THE BEST substrate for ceramic, porcelain or natural tile.
Backer board is for plywood substrate, or something else.
The only time you would need cement backer board for a concrete floor is if your floor is really uneven. Even then, you can put floor leveler on to take care of that.
Hope this helps. Have a great day!
2007-03-19 19:55:00 · answer #1 · answered by pierceplatinum 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Backerboard is used to stiffen the wood subfloor when you lay tile. This is important so the subfloor doesn't deflect when additional weight is put onto it (thus, breaking the tiles).
Since you have a cement floor, putting down a backerboard wouldn't make any sense, but the floor does need to be level. You can pick up self-leveling compound at the hardware store. It's going to be in the same aisle as grouts, tools, etc.
2007-03-19 18:43:36 · answer #2 · answered by DA 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nope. Just clean up drywall mud and/or paint with a sponge mop. Shop vac also. I have been told the concrete should be wood troweled rather than steel trowel, so that it is a bit porous rather than slick, so that the thinset mortar bonds better by locking in the pours, but I've had to install over concrete that was obviously steel troweled with no problem. In fact, I had to tear out a couple of tile, because a wall had to be moved after the tile was set (oops). It was so difficult, I bought an air chisel for the mortar. If you do it right, it will bond extremely well.
2007-03-19 17:47:57 · answer #3 · answered by robling_dwrdesign 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you can tile directly onto the cement floor. Check to make sure it is level and also repair any holes or cracks before you start. If your floor is not level, the easiest fix is to buy self-leveler at any home improvement store. It is runny, kind of like water, and it finds its own level and then sets -- and you can then tile on top of it.
2007-03-19 14:34:24 · answer #4 · answered by Janade 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No you do not need to put down backer board over cement(concrete) floor. A concrete floor is the perfect substrate for tile.
2007-03-19 14:02:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Backer board is for a plywood sub floor. Tile can be thin set directly to a concrete slab. Clean the slab first for the best mortar bond.
2007-03-19 14:25:54 · answer #6 · answered by Doug G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
After installing thousands of sq. ft. of tile, and currently working on removing and replacing 11,000 sq. ft. ON concrete, I'd prefer tiling over concrete as opposed to any other surface.
I do use concrete backer board exclusively over ply flooring, kitchen and bathroom walls.
Certainly you should note vods and or cracks, and prep them, but you should have a "skate" doing tile on concrete.
Steven Wolf
2007-03-19 14:43:01 · answer #7 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Definitely yes! Our tile is cracked in several places because the contractor didn't put a cement board down underneath it. Very disappointing.
2007-03-20 02:23:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
No as long as the concrete floor is level. If not then a layer of Thinset will have to be layed to level the floor.
2007-03-19 14:09:01 · answer #9 · answered by Steven R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
I just seen a new house floor (concrete) overlaid with tar paper before they did the tile.
He said a floating tile floor will never crack. I quess it's ok. Passed inspections for all I know. It sure looked good.
2007-03-19 14:44:17 · answer #10 · answered by rangedog 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋