Preparing the floor for laying ceramic tiles. Preparing the floor for tiling. If the wooden base is reliable

Since during construction or repair it is almost impossible to achieve a flat surface, without slope and flaws (crevices or tubercles), on which the floor covering will be mounted, builders use a layer of cement-sand mixture. This layer is called floor screed.

How to prepare a surface for a screed? To do this, you need to perform a series of sequential work:

prepare the surface;
lay hydro and sound insulation;
to mark the base for beacons;
install beacons.

Foundation preparation

For a high-quality screed, it is necessary to prepare the base on which it will lie well. When repairing the floor, it is better to remove the old screed. From time and operation, cracks, chips, potholes appear on it. Expanded clay accelerates the destruction process, which was covered under it in Soviet-built houses - the backfill compacts over time, forming voids under the cement screed, which is almost impossible to repair.

The increase in the cost of work when replacing the floor will result in savings later, when it is not necessary to disassemble everything again during the service life of the new flooring due to deformation of the screed.

The old floor base is removed with a perforator. The concrete floor is cleared of debris and dust. After that, it is desirable to vacuum it and make a wet wipe. All damage to the overlap, chips and flaking are removed. Cracks, seams and surface damage are sealed with a thick cement mortar.

It should be remembered that the cement mortar will not lie on concrete without prior preparation of the base. It just goes away after a while.

Therefore, the places of damage to concrete and seams are primed. Small cracks are embroidered with a scalpel or perforator, otherwise the solution cannot be rubbed into them.

Concrete primer

Repair of damage in the ceiling and seams, and then the primer of the entire surface is carried out using:

cement milk;
water;
special primer (Ceresit ST 17).

For reference: other types of factory primer are either more expensive, or their quality is lower, or, like Vetonit, they have a short shelf life.

The technology of laying the screed on expanded clay is discussed in detail in the materials: "" and "".

Dry concrete will draw water out of the cement-sand mixture and disrupt the chemical process of cement setting. In addition, the primer binds dust particles and creates a film that improves the mutual adhesion of concrete and cement mortar.

Cement milk is obtained by mixing cement with water in a ratio of 1:2. Both with cement milk and water, the restored places are wetted 2-3 times, but without the formation of puddles. It is advisable to accelerate the saturation of the pores with moisture using a paint brush. To do this, the primer is actively rubbed into the concrete with a brush. The repair mortar is applied to a damp surface (wet on wet) and thoroughly rubbed.

Priming with "milk" is much more effective than wetting with water. The cement contained in it penetrates, together with water, into the pores of concrete and improves the process of joining the cement mortar with the repaired base.

Special primers penetrate into the ceiling in repaired areas and crystallize there, blocking the outflow of water from the solution. On the penetration surface, they form small scales that provide adhesion of the patch to the concrete.

The repair of floors in St. Petersburg and Moscow in pre-war houses has one feature - there are no concrete floor slabs. The interfloor ceiling is made of powerful metal T-beams. Therefore, the preparation of the base for the screed in such houses begins with the filling between the expanded clay beams, on which a layer of cement mortar is applied.

Expanded clay base

Expanded clay is a light, porous material. Ecologicaly clean. It is used for heat and sound insulation, as well as a filler of spaces, to reduce the load on the load-bearing elements of the building.

Before backfilling with expanded clay, the base of the interfloor overlap is covered with a polyethylene film, overlapped, (thickness 100 microns or more) or other waterproofing material. The seams are sealed with tape. At the walls, the film is laid above the floor mark.

Lighthouses are being installed. Expanded clay is poured and the surface is leveled with a long rail, preventing it from exceeding the lighthouses. We fix the leveled layer of expanded clay in this position with the help of cement milk, which will prevent the displacement of expanded clay granules when laying the screed.

Screeds in individual houses or cottages are carried out on the ground or on the subfloor.

Ground base

The soil is cleared of vegetation and leveled. Expanded clay is poured on it, at least 5 cm thick above the foundation, to provide thermal insulation and a layer of sand 10-15 cm. The resulting surface is wetted with water and rammed for dense shrinkage. This is the cheapest way to prepare for a screed, not inferior in efficiency to more expensive options.

Wooden floor base (black floor)

The wooden floor used for the base of the screed must meet a number of criteria:

do not have rotten boards;
be firmly attached to the lags;
do not contain traces of glue, grease and paints;
do not creak;
don't bend.

Deficiencies are easily remedied. Preparing the floor for pouring the screed comes down to replacing rotten and sagging boards. Removing dirty stains with detergents or by grinding (planer). Creaking boards are additionally attached to the joists. Places of possible leakage of the solution (under the baseboards near the walls, cracks, fallen knots) are sealed with parquet putty based on wood dust or oil paint mixed with sawdust in a ratio of 1:4.

Important: water-soluble putty is not used, as it can be destroyed by the moisture of the solution.

Plinths are removed. A thin rail is put in their place. The gaps between the rail and the floor are sealed with putty. After the screed is installed, the rail is removed, and the remaining gap between the wall and the floor will serve to ventilate the space under the floor, which will prevent the boards from rotting and the lag. After laying the floor covering, it will be closed with a plinth.

The next step in preparing the base for laying is waterproofing and soundproofing. Waterproofing issues are covered in detail in the work: "".

Waterproofing

Carrying out construction or repair work on the installation of the floor with their own hands, many identify waterproofing work with the installation of a damper tape. Yes, the tape partially performs the role of sound and waterproofing, but only at the junction of the wall and floor. It does not provide protection of the base of the floor from moisture from the basement or leakage in rooms with high humidity (bathrooms).

Important: base floor waterproofing is mandatory in individual houses without a basement. Capillary moisture and water evaporation from the soil under the building destroy both the base, the screed, and the floor itself. The problem is exacerbated if the moisture has an aggressive (acidic or alkaline) environment. Interacting with the components of concrete, it renders it unusable for several years.

There are various methods of waterproofing:

Gravel-sand cushion. Used in private houses on the first floors;
Film. It is applied in all types of apartments and houses. It is simple in device, which allows a novice builder to perform such preparatory work. In terms of cost - a budget option. Only one point can be attributed to the minuses - it cannot be laid on a base with many pipes;
Coating waterproofing based on rubber or bitumen. It is applied in several layers. Penetrates into all cracks, which guarantees the quality of work performed;
Impregnation waterproofing (Penetrate). A new type of insulating material. Its peculiarity is that it can be applied on any side of the concrete - reacting with the components of the concrete, the impregnation grows special crystals throughout the entire thickness of the concrete floor. Crystals and prevent the penetration of moisture.

Noise isolation

Soundproofing is necessary for residents of apartment buildings, starting from the second floor. Music, children's screams, loud TV, etc. become a problem for the upstairs neighbor for many years. It is solved by laying soundproofing material on the floor. At the same time, depending on the type of flooring, soundproofing material is placed under the screed on the slab (floating screed), or on the screed itself.

Various materials are used for floating screed:

polystyrene;
mineral wool;
perlite;
expanded clay.

Its device is not very complicated, but requires certain knowledge and skills. Does not apply to certain types of floors. In such cases, soundproofing materials are placed between the screed and the floor. Instructions for soundproofing the floor screed are given in the article: "".

Important: carrying out soundproofing work almost always solves another problem - floor insulation.

Subfloor marking

The floor surface before the screed always has defects:

slope, while in different rooms in different directions;
bumps and protrusions in concrete that cannot be removed, etc.

In order to level these shortcomings, it is necessary to find such a conditional horizon, above which the floor base will not be visible in all rooms of the room. This is achieved by deriving the zero level (horizon line), and then, with its help, the floor screed line. These lines are beaten off with a building cord along the walls of rooms or drawn with a pencil along a rail or a rule.

Conclusion

Preparing the subfloor for laminate flooring includes the following steps:

cleaning the base from the old screed;
surface repair;
primer (if work on hydro and sound insulation will be carried out on the surface of the screed);
hydro and noise insulation (modern materials allow you to combine these technological operations into one);
beacon arrangements.

It should be remembered that the durability of the laminate depends on the quality of the preparatory work.

Surface Requirements

Preparing the floor for laying tiles includes a number of mandatory works that make it possible to make the future foundation of high quality, even, capable of withstanding heavy loads. What you need to pay attention to:

the presence of irregularities;
strength test;
protection against moisture, mold, fungus;
surface cleanliness;
adhesion of materials.

Floor covering removal

To estimate the amount of expected work, it is necessary to remove the old coating. If a tile is laid on the base, then it is dismantled together with the cement mortar, using a perforator with a nozzle or a chisel. If linoleum, laminate, parquet was laid, then it is removed using an improvised tool. It is important to clean the surface of adhesive residue, stains or paint with a 3% hydrochloric acid solution.

Paul is of the following types:

concrete (rough, with a coupler);
wooden;
with an old screed;
with a ready base.

Depending on the type of flooring, preparing the floor for tiling will take a different amount of time, money, materials and tools. When working with any of the surfaces, follow a certain order:

evaluation of the quality of the floor. The presence of irregularities, cracks, the strength of the base, the degree of slope;
correction of identified deficiencies;
cleaning;
treatment with antifungal protective impregnations;
laying waterproofing;
applying a screed;
drying;
primer.

Concrete floor preparation

General rules that apply in order to prepare the floor for tiling.

With the help of a rule 2 m long, protrusions of more than 3 cm are noted, they are removed. Slots and joints are expanded, treated with soil, cemented;
Remove dust, grains of sand from the surface with a vacuum cleaner, wipe off oil stains. Treated with mold impregnation;
Make waterproofing. Suitable for this: thick polyethylene film, geotextiles, mastic, bituminous roll materials, waterproof varnishes and paints. In rooms with high humidity, the film is continued on the walls (up to 30 cm). In residential premises, it is convenient to process the joints between the floor and the wall, slabs with mastic;
The type of screed is selected depending on the slope of the floor or its most protruding part. So:
- height difference up to 3 cm, corrected with a mortar (tile adhesive), on which the tiles will be laid or, the entire surface is poured with a self-leveling screed. It should be noted that the rapid drying of the mixture is achieved due to substances that form a film on the floor surface that interferes with the good adhesion of the coating to the base;
- up to 10 cm use a cement-sand screed. The thicker its layer, the longer it dries, possibly the appearance of cracks;
- more than 10 cm, expanded clay is laid out, and then it is poured with a leveling solution.
Drying. Complete solidification of the cement mortar occurs after 28 days. When using quick-drying mixtures - depending on the manufacturer;
Primer. Allows you to improve the properties of adhesion of the surface to the lining, get rid of dust residues, has antiseptic properties, protects against excessive absorption of moisture. It is rolled out on the surface with a roller in several layers. The choice of priming solution is determined by the type of screed;
After the primer has completely dried (up to 12 hours), the preparation of the surface for laying tiles is completed.

Floor preparation with old screed

If there is a screed on the concrete base, it is necessary to assess its condition. If there are small cracks, depressions, then they need to be expanded, treated with soil and sealed with a mortar that will be used when laying the decorative coating. If the screed, when tapped with a metal hammer, makes a dull sound, crumbles, then it must be completely removed. Further, the whole process occurs in the manner described above.

Wood floor preparation

The floor prepared for laying tiles must be flat, clean, and durable. It should be remembered that wood is subject to expansion and contraction, these properties can affect the strength of the surface, the quality of the final result.

If the floorboards do not creak, do not squeeze through, then all the cracks are foamed with mounting foam or puttied, the surface is primed, waterproofing is put for wooden surfaces. Then, a reinforcing mesh with a cell of 10 cm is laid, filled with a self-leveling mortar for wood.

If the floor is shaking, then remove all the floorboards. The logs are treated with an antiseptic, expanded clay is poured between them or foam is laid (to improve thermal insulation), a layer of vapor barrier and waterproofing is placed on top, and GVL boards are fixed. A space of up to 2 cm is left between the wall and the slab (expansion gap depending on humidity), which is then foamed. Further, the plates are primed, work is carried out according to the plan.

Laying on the finished decorative coating

There are times when linoleum is well glued to the surface and it is quite difficult to remove it. To improve the adhesion of the adhesive to the substrate, it is acceptable to sand the floor to better prepare it for laying tiles. When laying out a new tile on an old one, it is necessary to wipe its surface, check whether the tile is properly attached. The pieces of tile that have fallen off are removed, and the space under it is filled with tile adhesive. You should make sure that the new layer of tiles will not interfere with the opening of the door.

After carrying out all the preparatory work, the preparation of the floor for tiles is completed. It remains only to lay the tile on the finished surface.

How to prepare the walls for laying out decorative elements?

The surface of the wall, as well as the floor, must be clean, even and durable. The tile laid on such basis will serve for many years. The procedure for preparing the wall for tiles is as follows:

surface cleaning from old coatings;
alignment;
soil treatment.

If there are old tiles, paint or wallpaper on the walls, this material must be carefully removed, as it will impair the adhesion between the mortar and the wall. In the absence of coating, preparing the walls for laying tiles will take a minimum amount of time. It will be necessary to assess the type of wall flaw: concave, curved, with slopes, with irregularities at the joints. Depending on the height difference, use:

plastering with a cement-sand mixture (for a bath) with differences up to 6 cm or gypsum mixtures for kitchens and corridors;
the use of drywall sheets - over 6 cm;
the use of metal profiles and plasterboards with significant surface curvature.

Plastering

Notches are applied to the wall with a chisel, roughened with a grater. Clean the surface of dust, prime with a suitable solution (depending on the porosity of the wall). If the curvature is within 1 cm, then plastering is not required. If more, then you need:

install beacons along the edges of the walls, pull the thread and fix with a solution of the rail;
apply plaster on the wall with a spatula and evenly distribute the rule;
wait for drying;
remove beacons;
fill the holes with the remnants of the solution;
after complete drying, the plaster is overwritten;
the surface is primed again.

Using drywall sheets

With a curvature of more than 6 cm, pre-treatment of the walls is required before laying the tiles with drywall. First, you need to remove dust from the surface and apply a primer. Next, prepare the sheets, and starting from the floor, glue them to the wall using a level and a rubber mallet. Mounting adhesive is applied to the surface of the GKL in increments of 40 cm. Wipe the seams with a finishing putty. After drying, the surface is primed.

Metal profiles and drywall

In case of severe deformations, the preparation of walls for tiles is carried out using metal profiles. With the help of self-tapping screws, the structure is assembled, the distance between the fasteners is 50-60 cm. Sheets of plasterboard material should go on the profile half the width. Waterproofing is laid between the wall and the sheets.

Tile is a beautiful, durable material. And the question of how to properly prepare the walls for laying tiles should be approached scrupulously and responsibly.

Surface preparation.
The first stage of any finishing - preparation of a working surface. This work is especially responsible. After all, for effective laying of tiles, for example, you need a perfectly flat surface.
Many continue to work the old fashioned way - based on curved walls or floors. In this case, a straight plane is achieved due to various layers of tile adhesive. And sometimes it's justified. However, nevertheless, the preliminary alignment of the base base provides undeniable advantages:
1. Absolute absence of voids under the tiles;
2.Multiple acceleration of the laying process;
3. Stabilization of the quality of work.
Before you start leveling the floor, it must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, dust and grease, and then primed. Of course, the primer must be allowed to dry.
Advice:
A very reliable primer is PVA glue diluted with water. It should be applied to the floor by simply pouring puddles and dispersing them with a wide spatula.
It should be mentioned that perfect surface leveling can only be achieved by installing a cement-sand screed by installing beacons. However, as a rule, the screed is not made less than two centimeters thick, otherwise it will be unreliable. And this means the inevitability of the appearance of an unpleasant step. In addition, if the surface is not too curved, then it is not necessary to pour a screed at all.
Advice:
It is believed that the tiles must be glued exclusively according to the level. However, this is far from being the case, and with a minimal deviation, you can generally forget about it. By the way, the visual leveling of the floor, as a rule, leads to an almost ideal result in this regard.
In addition, the use of self-leveling compounds is also not recommended. After all, they are leveled with a needle roller, which repeats all the bumps and depressions on the surface. Sometimes, after such an alignment, you grab your head. Although this method is quite suitable for linoleum, and sometimes for laminate.
The most reliable tool is the plaster rule. And the longer it is, the higher the quality of the work will be. Thanks to him, the layer of the mixture used for leveling will be minimal. And in many places it is practically zero. This work is called alignment under the rule, and its meaning is to equalize the depressions with bumps (zeros).
Advice:
As practice shows, the most successful mixture for leveling the floor is cement-based tile adhesive. It is durable and has excellent adhesion. And its elasticity causes the application of the thinnest layers. But to speed up the setting, it is necessary to add a handful of any gypsum mixture to it. In addition, the presence of gypsum makes the mixture non-shrinking. The main thing is not to overdo it, as this will weaken the solution. The consistency should be like thick kefir.

This is achieved by the following actions:
1. In the starting corner of the room, a strip of the mixture is poured with a length of the rule and a width of 30 centimeters. Of course, the approximate thickness of the layer must already be kept in mind;
Advice:
Before pouring, it is necessary to “shoot” the surface with the rule and mark the bumps, thereby understanding the thickness of the layers.

2. Then, as a rule, this puddle is pulled together in a pre-selected direction. Having stretched the mixture to the place where it is necessary to pour more, the rule is turned around and led in the opposite direction;

3. Having repeated the previous procedure a couple of times and eliminating voids and shells to the maximum, more mixtures are added by the same method;
Advice:
No need to be afraid of scratches and small shells. They are removed by the second layer. And in general, for the installation of tiles, the surface should not be smooth, but even.

4. Having passed from wall to wall, it is necessary to move to the side, as far as the length of the plaster rule allows. And repeat the previous process;
5. Having aligned the entire room in one direction, it is necessary to let the mixture set. With the correct ratio of components, its setting occurs within an hour;
After that, everything repeats again, only the direction of movement is taken perpendicular to the previous one;
Working in a small and non-polygonal room, these two layers of mixture are poured and leveled in just a couple of hours, taking into account the setting time;
Advice:
Before laying the tiles, the floors must dry out in order to gain strength. Twelve hours is usually enough. Further processing consists only in scraping off various sagging and "burrs" from the surface. This is done with a wide spatula without much effort.
As a rule, two passes in perpendicular directions are sufficient. But, to improve the result, you can stretch the floors again. Especially if the base surface was quite uneven.
Advice:
Many try to prime everything. However, the most effective tile installation technology eliminates the need for priming the prepared surface.

For finishing the floor in the bathroom or kitchen, tiles are the best material. It is great for rooms with high humidity, in addition, it is practical and unpretentious in care. To make a high-quality and aesthetic surface, you need to know how to prepare the floor for laying tiles. Features of repair work will depend on the type of foundation in the house, so it is recommended to consider each option.

Instrument preparation

Preparing the floor for tiles is a long, troublesome and rather messy process, because it often involves removing the old coating.

To perform the work, you will need the following tools:

roulette;
level;
brush with steel teeth;
hammer and chisel;
several spatulas of different sizes;
brush-brush;
trowel;
rule;
needle roller.

In addition, to eliminate the old concrete or ceramic base, you will need a puncher, and for a wooden one - a screwdriver, a jigsaw, a hacksaw. Another important tool is an electric drill or a construction mixer, with which the self-leveling concrete mix will be mixed.

concrete base

Preparing a concrete base for laying tiles in a new home is the easiest, because it often does not need to be leveled.

The repair process is as follows:

The first step is to clean up, and fill the existing gaps and cracks with cement mortar.
Next, you need to take care of the waterproofing of the floor, this can be done using rolled materials in the form of a film, or lubricants, like mastic. Having chosen a film, its laying must be done with an overlap on the walls. If the choice is on mastic, then it should be thoroughly smeared with the entire surface, especially the junction of the walls and the floor.
The next step will be the screed. If the base has a large unevenness, approximately 10 cm, it is recommended to use expanded clay mixture, and in other cases a cement-sand mortar will be sufficient. The frozen screed is treated with a primer, after which you can start laying the tiles.

In old houses, concrete floors often require repair, so if there are local damages, they should be covered with cement. If the old screed is in poor condition, then it must be completely removed using a perforator, and then clean up all the bumps and cover up the cracks. Further work is carried out in the same sequence as in the preparation of a new concrete base.

wooden surface

For laying tiles, a wooden base is not the best option, because. it does not differ in reliability and durability. If there is a concrete slab under the boards, as, for example, in the old "Khrushchev", then they should be removed and the surface should be filled with a self-leveling screed. In other cases, you will have to work with wood coating. The easiest way is to prepare a wooden floor that has no damage, such as rotten or failed boards.

Repair work is carried out in several stages:

1. The joints of the boards and all kinds of cracks are filled with mounting foam, and after it hardens, the excess is removed.

2. Using a brush, the floor is covered with a primer for wooden surfaces. The tool is similar to mastic, both externally and in properties, so additional waterproofing is not required.

3. The primed base is covered with a reinforcing mesh, and then poured with a self-leveling mortar. It should be noted that you can use not only the store mix, but also prepare it yourself by mixing liquid glass with coarse river sand and water in a ratio of 2:2:1.

4. After the mortar has hardened, you can start laying the tiles.

The process of preparing a rotten wooden floor is much more complicated, because. it involves a complete replacement of the boards.

The repair sequence is as follows:

Using a screwdriver, electric jigsaw or hacksaw, remove all old floorboards. In some cases, you have to use a crowbar.
Rotten logs to which wood boards are attached also need to be replaced. Strong, undamaged elements can be left. The cavities between the lags are filled with insulating material, for example, expanded clay, foam or glass wool.
A vapor and waterproofing film is laid on top of the insulation, with a slight overlap on the walls.
As a new floor covering, plywood or gypsum-fiber sheets are used, which are attached to the logs with self-tapping screws. In order for the base to be strong enough, the material is laid in 2 layers. There should be a small space between the walls and the GVL, no more than 2 cm, which is subsequently filled with cement mortar.
The laid gypsum-fiber sheets are treated with a primer, and after it dries, you can start tiling the floor.

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:

Laying tiles on bare concrete.
Laying tiles on a brand new concrete base.
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 air humidity is usually high, 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 have chosen 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.