How Do You Prepare A Subfloor For Ceramic Tile?
Your subfloor is the first layer of material over the floor joists (the wood beams under the floor). It’s generally thick tongue-and-groove plywood. When you lay ceramic tile, you’ll normally have at least one layer of underlayment over the subfloor, sometimes two. But if you’re in new construction or a full rip-out, and you have a bare subfloor where tile will go, now’s the time to properly prepare it. You can lay tile directly over the subfloor in some circumstances, but generally it’s best to install cement board first. Either way, get the subfloor extra secure and sealed. Walk over the subfloor with your hammer, hammering down any nail heads that are sticking up. Use your screwgun to sink 2-inch galvanized wood screws every 6 inches through the subfloor and into the joists beneath. You should be able to tell where the joists are by the nail patterns. With your roller, spread a thick but smooth layer of sealing primer over the subfloor. Start in the far corner of the room and work y