Base for laying floor tiles. Floor preparation for tiling

Arrangement of the floor is an integral part of the repair of the premises in general. Of course, in different parts of the house or apartment, floors of different types and classes are more functional and beautiful, but in recent years in kitchens and bathrooms you can often find floors covered with tiles. Also, the floors in the hallway are often tiled - either over the entire area, or at least part of the floor adjacent to the front door.

Do-it-yourself tile laying

Pros of tiled floors

Tiled floors (or floors covered with ceramic tiles) are very practical and durable. They are not afraid of moisture, are not combustible, it is easy to remove all pollution from them. The owners will not have to worry about replacing such floors for quite a long time. And you can choose an ornament for the floor for every taste and wallet. After all, the modern building materials market offers a huge assortment of tiles not only of domestic production, but also tile options, as they say, from all over the world.

Disadvantages of tiling

In order for a beautiful and practical tiled floor to please you for as long as possible, you need to make sure that it is laid on a flat, flawless base.

Perfectly laid floor tiles

Otherwise, any tubercle missed during surface preparation or an unsealed gap in the concrete may give you an unpleasant surprise in the form of a cracked or loose tile. Therefore, if in the near future you do not plan to spend energy, time and additional materials on repairing or altering the floor, special attention should be paid to the stage of preparing the surface for laying tiles.

Floor tiling can be carried out using a cement mortar with an admixture of special substances, as well as on a specially designed mastic or tile adhesive. The preparation of the floor for tiling will vary from case to case, but the general requirements for bringing the floor to a condition suitable for tiling are almost identical.
To begin with, it is necessary to carefully examine the general condition and reliability of the floor on which they plan to lay the tiles.

How to prepare a wooden floor for laying tiles

It seems that laying tiles on a plank base is impossible, however, this is not so. Of course, it is necessary to prepare a wooden floor for laying tiles very thoroughly.

Do-it-yourself floor tiling

So, the first thing to do is to hammer the protruding nail heads into the thickness of the tree, as well as screw and drown the screws in the thickness of the wood. The gaps between the boards are permissible with a width of no more than 2-3 mm. Softwood slats are driven into wider slots, which, in turn, are very desirable to be fixed with glue or carnations with hidden hats, driving them obliquely into the floor. After all the cracks are sealed in this way, the floor surface can be cycled and all potholes can be puttied.
After the putty has dried, it is desirable to sand the entire surface on a wooden block. Then the wooden base must be thoroughly cleaned of chips and sawdust, then soaked with an antiseptic and dried well, then primed with drying oil.
Another requirement: the boards should not bend when walking. If the boards sag, laying tiles on top of such a coating should be forgotten. It will not work to strengthen such a floor to the required level. The same applies to parquet flooring. If the parquet planks are loose, they must be securely fastened with nails or mastic.

Leveling the floor with chipboard

You can also put waterproofing from several layers of roofing material on a plank base. Then, a reinforced mesh with a cell of 10 cm is securely attached above the floor level at a height of about 1 cm, and a screed solution is poured, on top of which, after complete drying, tiles can be laid.

Concrete base for tiles

First you need to completely remove the remnants of grease and paint from the surface. The most convenient way to do this is with warm water, after dissolving caustic soda in it in a proportion of 150 g per 10 liters of water. You can also use a 2-3% hydrochloric acid solution. With the help of a scarpel, all protrusions are cut off from the surface, and all cracks and potholes are wetted and carefully sealed with cement mortar. Places where defects were found can be additionally treated with PVA glue. This will increase adhesion. Places where defects were repaired with a solution must be carefully smoothed out with a trowel, leveling them with the surface. After that, the floor is allowed to set for at least 12 hours, periodically wetting the surface with water. When the solution dries sufficiently, the entire base must be sanded with a coarse-grained timber and then carefully cleaned of dust.

An alternative is a self-leveling screed. To perform a screed, it is absolutely not necessary to be a specialist in construction, so if you decide to prepare the floor for tiling with your own hands, you should definitely pay attention to this technology. With the help of a screed, even seemingly hopeless floors are perfectly leveled under a variety of coatings. Linoleum, parquet or parquet board, and tiles are perfectly laid on the floor prepared in this way.

Prepare the floor for tiling with your own hands

First, a polystyrene foam dividing tape is laid at the junction of the floor and walls. All cracks and potholes are sealed with an adhesive composition, after drying of which the base is treated with a primer solution. If the base of the floor is too porous and fragile, then it should even be primed two or three times.
When the primer is completely dry, the base of the floor is carefully poured with a freshly prepared screed solution. If the solution is prepared in accordance with the recipe, it spreads easily over the base, while forming a flat surface. In some cases, a metal grater or notched trowel can be used to spread the mixture.

The result is a screed layer with a thickness of 2 mm to 1 cm. If the base is strongly inclined, the screed layer can be thicker. In order to avoid the formation of air bubbles in the thickness of the solution, the entire surface along and across is carefully passed several times with a special spiked roller. The same needle roller is used to improve docking between different portions of the solution. At the same time, this procedure avoids the formation of voids between the screed layer and the base. It is convenient to move around the floor filled with a semi-liquid solution on paint shoes - special shoes on pins.

Spreading the mix for laying tiles on the floor

Already after 12 hours of exposure at a temperature of at least 20 ° C, it will be possible to walk on the screed, and after two days the solution will dry completely, and you can start laying tiles.

If a layer of screed has already been applied to the surface, it must be carefully checked for strength. This is done by simply tapping with a small hammer. The sound when tapping should not be deaf, which indicates the absence of voids under the screed layer. Also, tapping will help to understand how high-quality the solution was. If the screed crumbles and delaminates, it will be better to fill in a new layer of mortar.

In addition, it is necessary to check how flat the surface on which the tile will be attached is. This is done using a two-meter aluminum rule. During the test, a gap is formed between the floor surface and the rule. The permissible value of this gap may be different depending on the forthcoming method of fixing the tiles. When using tile adhesive, the gap should not exceed 2 mm. If the tile will be attached to the mastic - 4 mm. If you plan to use a cement mortar, you can allow a gap of even 8 mm.
Check how horizontal the base for laying tiles will allow the building level. For best results, the floor slope should not exceed 2%, or, in other words, no more than 4 mm per 2 meters of length.

Leveling the surface for laying tiles

In bathrooms, preparing the floor for laying tiles has its own characteristics. In addition to leveling the base, before facing, it is necessary to carefully seal the joints between the floor and walls with a special waterproofing compound.

Laying tiles on the "warm floor"

Systems of "warm floor", equipped under the screed, can be very different. And made of propylene pipes - including.

If the screed is checked, and there are no complaints about it, then before performing work, the “warm floor” system will need to be turned off for several days. Next, tiles are laid on the base in compliance with all recommendations regarding surface preparation for laying tiles. It is recommended to turn on the underfloor heating system no earlier than 2-3 days after grouting the joints between the tiles.

If the "warm floor" system is equipped with thermal mats, they also need to be turned off for the duration of the work. Tiles can be laid directly on the adhesive, without prior screeding. Glue for tiles, however, you will need a special one suitable for underfloor heating.

Laying tiles on the "warm floor"

Preparing the floor for plastic tiles

Just as in the case of ceramic and tile, care should be taken that the base (subfloor) is even, without any flaws. If necessary, it is also recommended to perform a cement-sand floor screed to achieve the best result. Chipboard, OSB and even plywood can be used as the basis for PVC tiles.
Before starting work on laying tiles, it is recommended that the base be primed to increase the degree of adhesion between the materials.
The temperature in the room where PVC tiles will be laid should not fall below 15°C.
PVC tiles are installed using the butt-to-butt method. One of its differences from tiles or ceramics is that air bubbles can form under it when laying. To prevent this from happening, the surface of the tile is carefully tapped with a rubber mallet.

Floor tiles are a wonderful decorative coating that can transform not only the kitchen and bathroom, but also living rooms. It is strong, durable, due to the variety of appearance it is able to fit into any interior, besides, any type of warm floor can be laid under it, except for film - it is difficult to stick tiles to its smooth surface. When laying the coating will have to work hard, but the result will pay off all the efforts.

Floor tiles are demanding on the surface. It must be clean, even, solid and stable, so the preparation for the installation of the coating will primarily depend on the type of floor, which, without going into details, is concrete or wood.

Floor in a new apartment

Most likely, it will be uneven and perhaps even sloped, but this option should actually be considered ideal. Homeowners are given the opportunity to make the entire floor "from scratch", without removing the old coating and controlling the implementation of each stage: cleaning, sealing gaps, waterproofing, pouring the screed. A well-made floor will last for many years, and any decorative coating can be put on it.

Video - Preparing the floor for laying tiles

Stages of work

1. First you need to assess the condition of the surface: find out the magnitude of the slope and irregularities, which will determine the choice of leveling method: a slight difference in height (up to 3 cm) can be corrected with a self-leveling screed, a more serious one will require pouring a cement-sand screed, and with a significant slope (more than 10 cm ) you will need to make a screed on expanded clay so as not to overload the ceiling.
2. Now, if necessary, it is necessary to repair the base: knock down large ledges, expand, prime and rub cracks and cracks with mortar.
3. Cleaning is another important stage of renovation. The floor surface must be vacuumed to remove any particles of sand and dust that may interfere with its adhesion to the screed. It is also necessary to get rid of oil and other stains.
4. The next step is waterproofing. Usually, in living rooms, the gaps between the floor slabs, the junctions of the walls and the floor, and the space under the pipes are covered with mastic. No less popular is the option with a thick plastic film that covers the room. In the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, a more thorough approach to waterproofing will be required - it covers the entire floor with a significant overlap on the walls.

   waterproofing

5. The floor, leveled in this way, is poured with a screed suitable for the situation, and after it has completely dried, tiles can be laid. In order for the laid coating to look beautiful, symmetry must be achieved, especially if it is laid out according to the scheme and depicts some kind of pattern. This is done simply: on each side of the floor, you need to mark the middle and connect the opposite points with lines that are drawn directly on the surface. The intersection of the lines will be the center of symmetry, from which they begin to lay out the pattern.
6. Where the tile cannot be laid entirely, it will have to be cut. The easiest way is to remove straight pieces - a line is drawn in the right place with a glass cutter, and then the tile must be carefully broken along it with your hands. If a complex contour is needed, for example, at the exit of communications or the junction of pipes, then first an extra straight piece is cut off from the tile, and then a cutting line is drawn, which is also outlined with a glass cutter. Then, with the same tool, you need to draw several parallel lines inside the contour, and gently break out the tile strips with pliers.

Before you start laying the tiles on the adhesive, the floor must be primed - this will improve the adhesion of the adhesive to the screed. By the way, tiles can be laid on special glue, applying it with a notched trowel, as well as on mastic or cement mortar. Naturally, glue is preferable, since it was created specifically for this purpose. Using proven tools, you can be sure that over time, individual tiles will not fly out.

floor tiles

Old solid screed in need of minor repairs

Usually it is found under the old decorative coating: linoleum, parquet or others. Also a good option for laying tiles.

Stages of work

Old crumbling screed

This is the most unfortunate option - the old screed, which is already crumbling, will have to be removed, and completely. It is necessary to remove not only those pieces that fall out on their own, but also those that have not yet begun to move away. This will complicate the work and require additional time and tools.

Stages of work

1. The first step is to remove the screed. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the floor. Most likely, this will require a puncher, since large pieces cannot simply be knocked down with a hammer, but they must be removed. Firstly, they will still go away one way or another, and secondly, they will interfere with the new screed.
2. After this difficult part of the work is done, it is necessary to inspect the cleaned surface, make repairs if necessary, and tidy up.
3. The next steps are already known: waterproofing, pouring a new screed and laying tiles after it dries.

Strictly speaking, a wooden floor is not the best base for tiles, so such a coating fits on it only as an exception. If there is a concrete base under the wooden floor, then it is better to work with it by removing the rough coating. However, for those who, for some reason, have wooden floors at home and still want to enjoy tiled flooring, there are also options to fulfill their dream.

As you know, the surface under the tiles must not only be flat, but also strong and motionless, so that bending floorboards are excluded. In addition, the tile floor is quite heavy, so you need to make sure that the existing flooring will withstand it and will not sag under the weight.

Durable wood floor

If there are no serious complaints about the floor (plank, plywood, chipboard, etc.), then only preparation of its surface will be required.

Stages of work

The only surface that can be tiled is another tile, although this should be removed as well. It's just that this process is rather difficult, and therefore it is allowed to process the old coating with emery to make it more rough. Loose tiles will have to be removed, and the resulting recess filled with tile adhesive.

So, floor tiles are a very beautiful, albeit capricious, coating. Fortunately, you can always find a way to decorate your home with it, even if it has wooden floors. Beauty will require effort, sometimes even very significant, but then it will please the residents for a long time.

Any repair process requires careful preparation. This also applies to tiling. The choice of tiled flooring is a good enough decision, since this material is practical and durable. In order for such a finish to serve for a really long time, preparing the floor for laying tiles should not be the last.

Basic Rule

Regardless of the basis on which the tiles will be placed, the surface must be perfectly clean. Before cleaning, make sure you have the necessary tools. In particular, you may find the following tools useful:

• grinder to eliminate surface irregularities;
• sandpaper to eliminate small irregularities;
• spatula or scraper.

The choice of tool should take into account the type of special coating. Tiled flooring can be placed on any prepared floor with your own hands, the adhesive can be a cement mortar with additives, building glue or a special mastic.

Fixing tiles on a cement base

Cement base for laying

When talking about a cement board as a base for installing a ceramic coating, there are usually three different options for working:

1. Laying tiles on bare concrete.
2. Laying tiles on a brand new concrete base.
3. The location of the tiles on the existing concrete base.

Laying tiles on bare concrete

This option is the most budgetary of all possible, but this does not make it the best. By choosing this method, you will encounter many problems. For example, the presence of defects in the slab itself, such as bumps, bumps or pits, as well as possible cracks. Even small cracks can cause further destruction of the base. To eliminate cracks, you can find a huge number of different tools, so you can always choose the one that suits you perfectly.

The choice of method for removing defects depends entirely on the degree of damage. However, you should not use various chemicals for these purposes, since the composition of such mixtures may not be compatible with the adhesive composition used.

To eliminate the unevenness of the concrete surface, it is desirable to use a cement screed (the so-called self-leveling floor). The preparation itself is easy. To do this, it is enough to dismantle the skirting boards, door hatches, and then carry out a thorough cleaning from dust and small debris. Only after these steps can the layout of the tiled material be carried out.

Installation of tiles to concrete

Laying tiles on a new concrete base

When installing a new concrete screed, it is very important to allow the cement mortar to dry thoroughly. During the "aging" of the cement, cracks are possible, which are recommended to be eliminated immediately.

Modern building codes allow a minimum of 28 days for the curing process. However, today there are many different compositions for self-leveling floors, which require a much shorter period of time to dry. However, be extremely careful when using such products, since such mixtures may contain a special hardener, which serves to prevent rapid moisture loss. This substance forms a special film on the surface of the cement screed, which is an obstacle to the strong adhesion of the tile to the cement.

Finding out if such an impurity or not is very easy. It is enough to drop a little water on the plane of the concrete slab. If water drops linger on the surface, forming balls, then this indicates the presence of such an additive in the solution. If the drops spread, then this solution does not contain any additives.

After installation, such a base may slightly deform or crack. This can happen within one year or more. If this possibility confuses you, use a special insulating layer, which is placed exactly between the ceramic coating and the cement. This will help prevent cracks in the concrete from spreading to the tiled floor. Typically, the insulating layer is made of plastic materials. It holds together the cement and adhesive liquid, while "quenching" possible shifts in the cement base, which protects the tile from possible mechanical damage. If your budget cannot withstand an additional expense item, you can lay it out on a regular cement mortar.

Laying tiles on an old concrete base

If you want to lay a tile on one that already exists, before starting work, make sure that there are no various kinds of deflections and cracks on its surface. If they are found, use various means that can eliminate them. If the detected crack is deep enough, then the best solution is to replace a certain section of the floor with a new concrete screed.

Plywood tile base

There is an opinion that this material is fragile for such a coating. However, if you are determined to use plywood as a base for yourself, preparing the floor for laying tiles requires checking for strength and reliability, since tiled floors are famous for their heaviness and rigidity.

The thickness of the plywood base must be at least 28 mm. If the floor even slightly sags, the tile can simply peel off and crawl out of the seam, and this is already very undesirable. If necessary, the plywood sheet must be sanded on its own in order to obtain a perfectly flat and smooth surface.

If such a base is used in a bathroom where there is usually high humidity, use insulating rubber-like materials. This layer helps protect the tiled floor from expansion or contraction of the plywood.

The process of laying tiles over the old

In cases where the existing ceramic coating cannot be removed without removing some of the grout, a new coating can be laid on top of the old one. However, before doing this, make sure that the new height will not interfere with opening the doors. After making sure of this, arm yourself with sandpaper, you should carefully sand the old tiled surface. This is necessary to roughen the old tile to improve the bonding process.

Main stages of work

Regardless of which base you choose for laying tiles, the instructions for preparing the floor base for work are unchanged:

When performing preparatory work for laying tiles, you should remember the basic rule: the correct preparation of the floor before laying the tiles is the basis for high-quality and professional work.

Ceramic tile continues to be one of the most popular floor coverings, despite the emergence of a large number of fashionable novelties in this area. It has established itself as a practical and easy-care material, durable enough and very aesthetically fitting into the interior. The complexity of laying tiled flooring can be called relative. This work may well be done independently, but a person without experience at first will need a consultant and assistant. Only perfect installation can ennoble the room and ensure the durability and reliability of the repairs made. One of the conditions that must be observed when installing a ceramic coating is the thorough preparation of the floor for tiles. Otherwise, all the efforts made may result, after some time, in a violation of stability in the tiled canvas, the appearance of cracks and the loss of individual fragments of the tile.

Types of rough coating

Laying tiles can be done on almost any type of subfloor.

The only exception is carpet. Its soft, fleecy surface cannot serve as a good base for a tile floor. All other materials, even fairly soft linoleum and vinyl, can be used for this purpose. The old ceramic coating is suitable for use if it is sufficiently reliable and stable. Even a cracked surface will not interfere if the entire tile is firmly in place. The only thing that will need to be done is to walk the grinder on a glossy surface to make it less smooth. Nevertheless, concrete floors will still be the ideal basis for tiles. A hard and durable surface will significantly increase the life of the laid tiles. In relation to them, preliminary preparation will also have to be carried out, but after its completion, confidence in the good quality of laying the tiled floor will increase significantly.

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Laying tiles on a concrete surface

Scheme of laying on a cement-sand screed.

A concrete surface that has not previously served as a base for flooring, most likely, will not require much effort and complex preparatory work. The only thing that will need to be done is to carefully examine it, paying special attention to the joints between the plates and the places where they adjoin the wall. Wide gaps will have to be eliminated with a cement-sand mortar. The same will need to be done with the pits, and the bumps should be leveled with the surface with a grinder. The biggest problem may be the horizontal deviation of the floor level. These values ​​are not as strict as when laying a laminate or parquet board, but when laying tiles on an uneven base, it will not be possible to achieve perfect joining even when using a thick layer of glue. Taking into account the fact that the tile that will be subsequently laid is not the cheapest building material, it would be unreasonable to save money and effort in preparing the base, but it is better to carry out a cement screed to level the horizontal level.

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Carrying out a cement screed

Many types of ready-made self-leveling mixtures have appeared on sale, but their cost is not democratic. Not so complicated procedure of self-mixing cement, sand and water can save a significant amount of money. The best proportion for this compound is 1 part cement to 3 parts sand. The concrete base is preliminarily cleaned with a coarse metal brush, exposing coarse-grained inclusions. This will help the mortar to better set with the base. Then, along the perimeter of the floor, beacons are placed, which serve as guidelines for determining the level of the filled mixture.

To isolate the walls from wet cement mortar, they are protected from below with a damper tape or strips of roofing material 10-15 cm wide. This also serves to compensate for the thermal expansion of concrete when installing a warm floor. Before pouring the solution, the surface is thoroughly moistened with water. A screed thickness of 5 cm will provide good strength, while you should not increase its height, remembering that the concrete mass has a considerable weight. Installed beacons are removed after partial drying of the screed and the resulting voids are filled with a solution. For underfloor heating, it is necessary to lay a substrate of the type that is more suitable for the selected system and the climatic conditions of the room.

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Laying tiles on a wooden surface

Installation of a tiled coating on a wooden base is possible only if it preserves its integrity and does not rot. The weight of ceramic tiles, further increased by the adhesive, can lead to deformation of the wooden floor, its cracking and destruction. Plank floors, which, when examined, look unsuitable to withstand a large load, are best dismantled. It is more expedient to get rid of the rotten subfloor, which will no longer be helped by any surface preparation. If the wooden boards have a reliable fortress, it is enough to make sure that they are well attached to the logs and that there are no too wide gaps between them.

Loose floorboards are fixed with self-tapping screws or dowel-nails, and the gaps between the boards are puttied, previously reinforced with thin wood chips. The preparation of the floor from chipboard or plywood is carried out in the same way. The use of a waterproofing underlay when laying tiles on a wooden surface is mandatory. Wood has the ability to absorb moisture well and change size with temperature changes, and the insulation of the subfloor will protect the tiled floor from instability.

While the surface of the tile is the most visible part of the cladding, the part below it is the most important part of the installation. How the cladding will look and whether it will be strong enough depends not only on the right choice of tiles, but equally on the choice of appropriate laying materials. All facings made from ceramic or stone tiles, regardless of type, size or price, need a strong base, an adhesive to hold the tiles in place, a grout to protect each tile, and a caulk or caulk to isolate the entire cladding layer from surrounding materials. .

As more and more new laying materials appear every year, their range has become simply huge and it becomes difficult even for a professional tile installer to make the right choice. While many products on the market are excellent and trustworthy, there are also many products that are clearly inferior in quality. Therefore, it is better to choose materials of a well-known brand, designed specifically for laying tiles.

It is desirable that the material you purchased has a quality certificate from the manufacturer. In addition, you should make sure that the materials you have purchased for installation have been properly stored and that the packaging is sealed and undamaged. All laying materials (including tiles) should be protected from extreme environmental influences (cold, heat, high humidity) that may render them unusable. It is also necessary to deliver them very carefully to the installation site.

After delivery, the materials must be protected from any undesirable influences and allowed to rest for some time at room temperature before laying. If the materials have already been delivered to the job site, try to be present when they are unloaded and check the packaging for tears, water stains, or other obvious signs of damage. Laying materials are heavy, so only part of the materials can be checked. Most supplier firms will replace materials even if no damage is discovered at the time of purchase, but buyers should be quick to file claims.

Choosing the right materials depends on your budget, the level of material requirements, the qualifications of the tile installer and how well they represent the possible options for future installation. The selection process begins with the materials that serve as the basis for laying the tiles.

Bases for laying tiles

The bases for laying tiles can serve as a variety of surfaces, such as cement board, drywall, concrete slabs, plywood, a thick layer of cement mortar and even old tiling. This article talks about materials that can be used as a base for laying tiles in new construction. Some of them are designed specifically for laying work, while others can be used for other purposes. Most of the available surfaces that can be used as a base for heavy tile installation, including concrete or plasterboard walls and existing ceramic tile facings, usually require finishing to the required level of specification.

cement board

Cement slabs are a ready-to-use base for laying tiles. They are more expensive than plywood and other sheeting, but due to their increased strength, they are an ideal base for tiling. Cement boards can be used as a base for laying tiles on walls, floors and kitchen counters in both wet and dry areas. The slabs themselves do not protect against moisture, but when they are installed in wet areas, an additional waterproof coating can be used to protect the supporting structure or frame from water seeping into the seams between the slabs.

There are two different types of cement boards. The most commonly used type has a core of a mixture of sand and Portland cement, and the outside of the boards is covered with a fiberglass mesh to increase the strength. Such plates are produced in various sizes: 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm and 15 mm thick, from 800 mm to 1200 mm wide, from 900 mm to 3000 mm long. It is best to use the thickest slabs available on the market (not thinner than 10 mm for fastening to frame posts), although 6 mm thick slabs are useful for laying over drywall. The reinforcing mesh covering the slabs can be cut with a special hand cutter or electric tools with special blades attached to them.

Another type of cement board, about 6 mm thick, is made from a mixture of sand, cement and mineral fibers. In such a plate, the fibers also act as a reinforcing element, but they are evenly distributed throughout the entire thickness of the plate, and not just on its surface. Fiberglass reinforced boards are dense, hold fasteners well, and generally have the same characteristics as fiberglass reinforced boards and can be cut with the same hand or power tool.

There are many different cement boards on the market. Some are for indoor use only, while others are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Some stoves have a warranty, others do not. Whichever slab you choose, check the manufacturer's instructions to make sure you have properly prepared the base and are using the correct mounting materials (screws, nails, mesh, etc.).

Fiberglass gypsum board

Do not confuse ordinary or moisture-resistant gypsum boards with fiberglass gypsum boards, which are designed specifically for laying ceramic tiles on them. Since they are inferior in strength and hardness to cement boards, fiberglass gypsum boards can be used in cases where it is expected that the loads on them will be small. Usually, these boards have a moisture-resistant coating and a water-repellent impregnated core, so they Can also be installed in wet areas, for example, around water pipes. The boards are also reinforced with fiberglass inside. But although the boards themselves are waterproof, seams between them should be isolated using silicone sealants.

The slabs are 120x240 cm in size, are easy to transport, cut and fasten, and although they are not as strong as cement boards, many of them have a long warranty period. Fiberglass gypsum boards are cut by notching and breaking and fastened to the frame with waterproof screws. The instructions for use offered by different manufacturers of such boards may vary slightly and therefore some specific details in the instructions should be clarified.

Moisture resistant gypsum boards

Commonly referred to as a green or blue slab due to its color, it is used as a base for paint, wallpaper or wood paneling in places like the bathroom. Such a plate cannot withstand frequent moisture and is insufficiently strong base for laying ceramic tiles in places with permanently high humidity. Moisture-resistant gypsum boards can only be used as a base for laying ceramic tiles in wet areas if if it is not possible to install cement or fiberglass gypsum boards, but in this case, an additional waterproofing coating must be made on the surface of the gypsum board

Ordinary drywall boards

In places with a lack of humidity, you can lay tiles on ordinary plasterboard. They are can also be installed in places with high humidity only if the surface is done waterproofing coating.

The strength of the tiled masonry largely depends on the base on which it is installed. A sheet of drywall with a thickness of 12 - 15 mm will not be strong enough. If you are going to tile over drywall, at least double the thickness of the drywall (place an extra layer of 12mm thick drywall to give strength to the tiling).

Plywood

Prior to the introduction of cement boards in the late 1970s, tile installers had several types of substrate to choose from, but most laid floor tiles directly on plywood. Millions of square meters of ceramic and stone tiles were installed without any apparent problems. Adhesive manufacturers continue to produce old adhesives and develop new adhesives for thin-layer tile laying, which allow tiles to be glued directly to plywood quite well. One manufacturer even gives a long-term warranty on their plywood tile products. However, the following problems exist.

Plywood used as a base for tiling in dry, temperate climates is a relatively stable base, but damp or damp places, and with sharp seasonal fluctuations plywood is far from ideal. Plywood should never be used as a subfloor in damp or damp areas without first being waterproofed with a waterproof membrane.. Wet or dry, your installation will be more durable if you use base slabs designed specifically for tiling. Opt for plywood only if cement board or other similar materials made specifically for tiling aren't available to you.

If you chose plywood, use plywood for outdoor use, or if possible, it is better to choose ship grade which is quite expensive. When buying plywood, choose only sorted material that has a stamp, and carefully inspect each sheet, no matter what type it is. Discard sheets that are warped or have visible voids or delaminations. You should also not take sheets with drops of wood resin (usually found on pine plywood), because the resin will reduce the adhesive properties of some adhesive solutions.

Unlike the types of exterior plywood described above, interior plywood, particle board (particleboard) and hardboard (hardboard) are not suitable for floors and kitchen counters as tiling surfaces. Interior plywood contains an adhesive that can dissolve or become soft due to the moisture present in the adhesive solutions. On the other hand, fiberboard, when exposed to moisture, begins to expand, and when dried, it does not completely restore its previous dimensions. Interior plywood can only be used as a base for wall cladding if it will not be exposed to moisture. However, the material must be at least 15 mm thick and securely fastened to the posts.

Concrete plates

Concrete slabs are an excellent base for laying ceramic or stone tiles., but they must be made in a special way and have a flat surface with a tolerance of 3mm for every 3m of surface. The concrete mix for slabs must not contain any liquid film-forming additives or other coatings that may interfere with the normal adhesion of the tile to the concrete. A good brush that will roughen the surface is preferable to a steel trowel.

Most concrete surfaces need waterproofing, leveling, or other preparation before tiling.

Cement strainer

For a long time, laying tiles on a thick layer of cement mortar has been considered the most suitable, neat and reliable way of laying. Cement mortar can be laid on any type of surface and can withstand significant loads. To obtain a layer of cement mortar of the minimum allowable thickness (for walls or floors), only a wooden frame is needed as a formwork, with which you can make neat platforms of any shape and size.

However, to pour a thick layer of cement mortar, it is necessary to have enough skill and strength, and we would not recommend a fitter without sufficient experience to take on this job. Although in some cases a cement screed is the only option (such as a sloping shower stall floor), for most residential installations there are various subfloor options that are just as effective as grout. If you feel that a layer of grout is the only base that will work in this particular case, but you are not skilled enough to do it yourself, get a professional tile installer or bricklayer to pour the cement base. Then you can lay the tiles yourself.

Screed or cement slab? Laying tiles on a thick layer of cement mortar is especially effective in the following cases: - floors in commercial, public or private buildings that experience a constant, intense load; - refurbishment or new construction where floors or studs need significant leveling; - the walls have deviations from the vertical and need to be leveled; - surfaces of complex shape, to which it is difficult to attach other materials used as a base, using nails or screws. For all other residential or small commercial premises built to standards and having concrete slabs or plywood laid on a steel or wood frame as the subfloor, cement slabs are best used in case of medium loads. For light loads, fiberglass gypsum boards can be used as a base (but first check the operating conditions in the manufacturer's instructions).

Self-leveling floors

Laying on cement mortar may be too expensive for large rooms. For this reason, numerous self-levelling compounds have appeared on the market, which are beneficial in terms of reducing mortar consumption and not requiring highly skilled laying. These mixtures need only light mixing, after which they are poured onto the base of the floor. Within a few minutes, the material is leveled, and after a few hours, tiles can already be laid on it. Self-levelling compounds are quite strong and have been shown in tests to withstand heavy loads, but not all are suitable for laying ceramic or stone tiles. Make sure the mix you choose is specifically designed for tiling.

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