Tile Floor Subfloor Thickness

The subfloor is the bottom most layer and it rests on the joists.

Tile floor subfloor thickness.

A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor. While some consider byrne s a approach overkill for ceramic tile a more common method is to use nominal 1 2 in. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. Large format tiles such as 18 by 18 inch and.

A subfloor that is less than 1 2 inch thick will dimple or cup in the middle over time. The subfloor must be structurally sound as well as thick and stable enough to hold the weight of the tile without moving or flexing. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. 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.

Plywood underlayment instead of 3 4 in. A smooth surface is necessary for a subfloor. Tile thickness small 1 inch mosaic tiles can be as thin as 1 8 inch. If you have a concrete slab floor the slab may be considered the subfloor.

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. Subflooring for a total plywood thickness of 1 1 4 in. 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. In this scenario jim and rich install 1 2 cementious backer unit cbu resulting in at least an 1 1 8 thick subfloor.

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. Regardless of the material it must be at least 1. An extra layer of ceramic tile adds substantial thickness to the flooring layer. Medium 6 by 6 inch and 12 by 12 inch tiles are typically 3 8 inch thick.

However you re not out of the woods. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout. Over the 3 4 in. Those changes in the subfloor will cause problems for the actual flooring especially for vinyl or tile.