How to Prepare a Cement Floor for Ceramic Tile
One of the most important things to know before installing floor tile on concrete is how old the floor is. Concrete must be fully cured for a minimum of 24 days before it can be tiled. Until then it's not considered fully stabilized. After that you are looking at cleaning, leveling and adding a sealer before the tile installation can commence. Each step is labor-intensive, but it will be worth it to ensure that your tile floor will last for years. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- TSP
- Pail
- Water
- Scrub brush
- Yard stick
- Floor self leveler
- Isolation membrane
- Thinset
- Trowel
- Concrete sealer
- Brush
Instructions
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Clean the surface of the concrete floor with TSP, tri-sodium phosphate. Mix with water and use a stiff bristle brush to remove grease, oil and dirt. Rinse well and thoroughly dry.
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Check that the floor is level. Run a yardstick over the floor on edge to see if there are any low or high spots. Purchase a self-leveler. Its contains special plasticizers and will level itself. Self-leveler works on floors out of level from 1/16 inch to 4 inches.
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If there are cracks in the cement, then install an isolation membrane. This removes the stress if the concrete moves, and will buffer the tiles above it from cracking. Spread thinset mortar over the surface of the concrete about 18 inches on either side of the crack. Lay down a 30-inch wide isolation membrane and press it into the thinset with the trowel. Work it in well until thinset squishes out along the edge. Remove excess mortar or feather it out onto the floor.
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Apply a concrete sealer over the raw concrete. This provides a uniform surface for the thinset to bond to and acts as a vapor barrier to moisture rising up through the concrete from the ground below.
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Tips & Warnings
Read the directions on the package of TSP for mixing and application. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves.
