How to Lay Tile on Uneven Cement Floors
A cement slab on the ground floor of a house is a great subsurface for laying ceramic or other hard tiles. Tiles need a very firm, solid base under them to prevent cracking, and almost no kind of floor is more solid than cement. However, if there are dips, depressions, cracks or ridges in the cement floor, that will cause problems. The tile may have trouble adhering and could be subjected to uneven pressure when you walk on it. Filling in those depressions with a leveler--a very thin cement--will help you avoid those issues. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Concrete leveler (Portland-cement based)
- Cement trowel
- Two-by-four, 4 feet long
- Chalk line
- Carpenter's square
- Thin-set mortar
- Mortar trowel
- Floor tiles
- Tile spacers
- Tile cutter
- Grout
- Grout trowel (flat rubber)
- Sponge
Instructions
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1
Clean the floor thoroughly and let it dry. Mix your concrete leveler as instructed on the packaging. Use a trowel to scoop the leveler over any depressions or cracks and alongside any ridges.
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Set your two-by-four on the floor, on its narrow edge, and pull it slowly across the wet leveler, making the leveler flat and smooth. Add more leveler with your trowel as necessary. Continue until all the dips and depressions are filled and the surface is flat. Let the leveler set for at least 24 hours.
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3
Snap two perpendicular lines through the middle of the cement floor with your chalk line. Use a carpenter's square to make sure the lines are at 90-degree angles to each other at the intersection in the center of the floor.
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4
Spread thin-set mortar over the middle of the floor with your trowel, covering a few square feet. You should still be able to see the intersection of the two lines through the mortar. Set tiles into place at the intersection, using the lines as guides. Put spacers between them.
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5
Lay more mortar and tiles, working your way along the lines toward the walls. Cut tiles to fit against the walls using a tile cutter. Let the tiles set overnight. Remove the spacers.
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6
Grout the floor, pressing grout into the spaces between the tiles with your grout trowel. Use a damp sponge to wipe the excess grout off the tile face. Let the floor set for two more days before using it.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear eye protection when cutting the tiles.
