Tile Floor Subfloor Thickness

The subfloor under the tile should be at least 1 1 8 thick with a minimum of 5 8 thick exterior grade plywood topped by 1 2 cement backer board.

Tile floor subfloor thickness.

Over the 3 4 in. A subfloor system that worked fine for a single layer of ceramic tile may not be strong enough to handle the many hundreds of extra pounds added when a second layer is added. However you re not out of the woods. While some consider byrne s a approach overkill for ceramic tile a more common method is to use nominal 1 2 in.

The subfloor is the bottom most layer and it rests on the joists. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. Those changes in the subfloor will cause problems for the actual flooring especially for vinyl or tile. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Subflooring for a total plywood thickness of 1 1 4 in. An extra layer of ceramic tile adds substantial thickness to the flooring layer.

Regardless of the material it must be at least 1. Plywood underlayment instead of 3 4 in. Large format tiles such as 18 by 18 inch and. Diamond tipped blade the diamond grit bonded to the edge of these steel blades lasts up to 30 times longer and cuts twice as fast as carbide grit.

The subfloor must be structurally sound as well as thick and stable enough to hold the weight of the tile without moving or flexing. A subfloor that is less than 1 2 inch thick will dimple or cup in the middle over time. Typically made of plywood or osb and ranging in thickness from 19 32 to 1 1 8 thick the subfloor is truly structural second only to joists in this respect. Tile thickness small 1 inch mosaic tiles can be as thin as 1 8 inch.

Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Medium 6 by 6 inch and 12 by 12 inch tiles are typically 3 8 inch thick. Tile over wood subfloor plywood and osb are the two most common materials used for floor decking and typically they are 5 8 or 3 4 thick. If you have a concrete slab floor the slab may be considered the subfloor.