How Do You Lay Ceramic Tile On A Subfloor?
Ceramic tile may look tough and durable, but in fact, it’s among the most fragile of floor coverings if it isn’t laid correctly. Because the tile doesn’t “give” at all, any movement in the floor under it can crack the tiles. If you’re preparing a subfloor (the first layer of wood over the floor joists) for ceramic tiles, use cement board as your underlay instead of the usual choice of plywood, because the cement board is rock hard and won’t get soft if it gets wet. Clean the subfloor thoroughly. With your level and pencil, mark lines across the whole room indicating the positions of the joists beneath the subfloor; you can locate them by the nail patterns on the wood. Lay the first full sheet of cement board flat on its face and spread carpenter’s glue around the back of it. Turn it over and press it onto the floor in a corner, glue side down. With your screw gun, add drywall screws every six inches around the whole piece, sinking the heads below the surface of the board. Make sure so
