Can You Tile Directly On Concrete

Teresa norrell from moyock nc has a pretty simple question.

Can you tile directly on concrete.

Can i attach the tile directly to the basement floor. Different kinds of tile require different types of mortar. Ask the sales representative who sells you the tile to help you choose the right one. All of the movement in concrete is transferred to the tile.

Using your grooved trowel begin spreading the mortar over a small area. Stack exchange network stack exchange network consists of 176 q a communities including stack overflow the largest most trusted online community for developers to learn share their knowledge and build their careers. Can i install tile directly to a previously stained concrete floor. If installing over larger cracks you must consider removing the concrete section and pouring a new concrete slab.

Test thinset for bonding to concrete. It s perfectly acceptable to put tile directly on concrete with a couple of caveats. Cracks in the concrete eventually will lead to cracks in the tile because the concrete at the point of the crack won t be able to support the tile. If you were to remove a cracked tile from concrete undoubtedly you would see the same crack pattern below.

As long as the concrete slab is clean flat and free of active cracks you can lay title directly on the concrete floor using thin set adhesive. For cracks less than 1 8 inch use crack suppression products. Set a second row of tiles in the same manner. Small cracks caused by shrinkage usually do not present a problem.

First it is important to determine if there is moisture coming up from the slab. I fear the thinset mortar will not adhere to the stained concrete here s my answer. Laying down tiles on walls can give your home a new fresh look. Clean away any oozing adhesive on the face of the tiles as you go.

Teresa i don t think you ll have an issue at all but here s how to ensure success. Never spread out more than what you can cover with three or four tiles at a time. Continue setting tiles in this manner along one line until you have completed one row. While you can install tile directly on concrete problems erupt when the concrete cracks or shifts.

But larger cracks especially those that are higher on one side than the other may telegraph through the tile and cause it to crack. As long as you inspect the surface and follow the proper procedure the project should go smoothly. Once you ve gone through all your options and found a tile style that suits you these instructions will help you plan out your project and install the pieces.