Although tile can be placed directly over a concrete slab products such as schluter s ditra are designed to separate or uncouple the tile from any potential movement in the substrate and protect the tile and grout from cracking.
Tile over concrete.
Tile can contribute thermal mass to a passive solar house and to christa campbell it would make a more appealing finish floor than concrete.
Laying floor tile over concrete is not a technically demanding job.
Step 1 preparing the concrete.
Moreover the concrete serves as extra protection against water absorption and added strength to carry heavier weights that are dropped on or pressed against the tiles.
It can be physically strenuous and messy but it is a home improvement project that will allow you to cut labor costs by doing it yourself.
Before you begin to lay the tile over your concrete slab make sure the concrete is properly prepared.
For starters moisture and cracking are bigger concerns outside so you need to apply a waterproofing and crack isolating membrane to the slab before you begin.
Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space.
Also should the concrete crack the crack can be treated with an anti fracture membrane before it is tiled.
Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material.
Clearly the longer you can wait before tiling the less stress that will be applied to the tile by the concrete.
An advantage of putting outdoor tiles over concrete is that we will not have to waste the concrete by demolishing the existing surface.
Installing tile directly on concrete.
Once you ve ascertained that the slab is dry and level as possible your best solution to lay tile over concrete with expansion joints is shown below and linked here.
Often people want to cover a concrete patio or porch with tile and need to know how that differs from indoor tile installation.
The redgard uncoupling mat covers small cracks in the concrete slab and eliminates the worry of installing over those expansion joints.
Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly.