Concrete Boards Over Floors

Cement backerboard is a thin layer of concrete with fiberglass mesh on both sides.

Concrete boards over floors.

Do it yourselfers can use either 1 2 or 1 4 inch cement board in certain applications while other scenarios mandate 1 2 inch board. According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons. I installed a new base layer and oak floor around that area where the tile is so my tile is now 1 5 inches below the new wood floor. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood.

Treated plywood to the concrete with concrete screws spaced every 16 in. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile. 500 750 square feet of coverage. Lay 6 mil polyethylene sheeting over the concrete to minimize moisture migration from the concrete up into the wood flooring.

I know it seems like a smooth surface and it seems like it may fix some of the issues with the concrete floor but don t do it. For the floor adhesive to properly stick the floor must be clean. I was thinking about putting down cement board and new tile over the old tile to get the floor levels to be close enough that a transition threshold would work. Cement board is an easily installed diy tile underlayment providing a stable dependable tile setting substrate while eliminating the complicated lath and mortar floating process.

However a homeowner may need to raise the floor slightly before installing tile and lack the experience or time to install a mortar bed. Alternatively screw rows of treated 1x4s to the concrete 16 in. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. Installing cement board over a concrete subfloor.

Use a quality cleaner like zep professional concrete and masonry floor cleaner 27 per gallon. Using a glue down floor is an option in above grade installation only since installation below grade requires a plastic barrier on top of the concrete. The ideal way to put down a wood floor over concrete that is subject to dampness is to first put down pressure 2 by 4 inch sleepers or lengths of wood on the floor that are spaced 16 inches apart on center. If you have a concrete subfloor then you should not be contemplating installing cement board over it.

Cover the plywood with 15 pound roofing felt and then. Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent. Cover the sleepers with 6 millimeter plastic and then lay down 5 8 inch plywood. It s available in sheets of many sizes with 3 foot by 5 foot sheets being the most common.

Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile. This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall.