Do I Need Cement Board For Kitchen Floor Tile

Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile installation to help prevent cracks.

Do i need cement board for kitchen floor tile.

Thick 3 x 5 ft. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. Cement board should never be counted on to stiffen up your floor. Wood regular drywall and even green board have organic elements which will degrade in high moisture environments.

Because plywood expands and contracts beneath the ceramic tile grout and tile failure loose tiles and cracked crumbling grout is just a matter of time. It s typically available in 1 2 in. The floor needs to meet minimum requirements for tile before any tile backer board is installed. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile.

These materials do not work because you need a cementitious base one that has the qualities of cement and masonry cousins of tile. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water. How to install tile backer board. For countertops use 3 4 inch plywood beneath the backer board.

Backer board comes in four foot by eight foot and three foot by five foot rigid panels that contain a combination of cement fiberglass and sometimes crushed glass particles. Correctly installed cement board provides a very stable base that s permanently bound to the tile with thin set mortar so your new tile floor will last a very long time. Cement board cement board is the most durable trouble free tile backer for tub surrounds showers floors and all other wet areas. Half inch cement backer board is ideal for most tiling jobs including walls floors countertops and ceilings.

However these are the five that stood out in my unofficial memory as being the most common. For flooring the backer board should be installed over a 5 8 inch thick osb or plywood base. Its made from cement and sand and is reinforced by fiberglass mats on both sides so it s impervious to water.