Tile Floor Subfloor Thickness

An extra layer of ceramic tile adds substantial thickness to the flooring layer.

Tile floor subfloor thickness.

A smooth surface is necessary for a subfloor. The subfloor is the bottom most layer and it rests on the joists. Subflooring for a total plywood thickness of 1 1 4 in. Tile over wood subfloor plywood and osb are the two most common materials used for floor decking and typically they are 5 8 or 3 4 thick.

A subfloor system that worked fine for a single layer of ceramic tile may not be strong enough to handle the many hundreds of extra pounds added when a second layer is added. Typically made of plywood or osb and ranging in thickness from 19 32 to 1 1 8 thick the subfloor is truly structural second only to joists in this respect. Over the 3 4 in. Tile thickness small 1 inch mosaic tiles can be as thin as 1 8 inch.

When installing a ceramic tile floor on a concrete subfloor you don t have to worry about flexing as long as the concrete slab is at least 1 1 8 inch thick which most slabs are. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. Those changes in the subfloor will cause problems for the actual flooring especially for vinyl or tile. A subfloor that is less than 1 2 inch thick will dimple or cup in the middle over time.

If you have a concrete slab floor the slab may be considered the subfloor. Plywood underlayment instead of 3 4 in. In this scenario jim and rich install 1 2 cementious backer unit cbu resulting in at least an 1 1 8 thick subfloor. Diamond tipped blade the diamond grit bonded to the edge of these steel blades lasts up to 30 times longer and cuts twice as fast as carbide grit.

Large format tiles such as 18 by 18 inch and. While some consider byrne s a approach overkill for ceramic tile a more common method is to use nominal 1 2 in. Medium 6 by 6 inch and 12 by 12 inch tiles are typically 3 8 inch thick. Concrete expands and contracts and that type of movement can also crack the tiles and the grout.

However you re not out of the woods. The subfloor must be structurally sound as well as thick and stable enough to hold the weight of the tile without moving or flexing. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor.