Tiling the kitchen floor

[rklotz]

I recently just finished tiling our kitchen backsplash and was very pleased with the results. So now I figure that it would be a good time to replace the outdated kitchen floor with some new tile. So yesterday I started ripping up the linoleum floor and was very pleased that the sub-floor was in excellent condition. The linoleum was only glued down on the edges, so it came up very easy except for one section. In one of the corners the glue pulled up a little bit off the top layer off the plywood. Now what can I use to smooth out this section? Would spackle or the tile adhesive work? I just want to make sure that the floor is as smooth and level as possible before I start laying tile.

[GoHabsGo]

[e-mail] wrote in news:1159449621.456281.180510 @i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

How thick is your subfloor? You will need to screw down your subfloor with flooring screws at 4-6inch intervals first to make sure that there is no flex or movement in the subfloor beneath the tiles, or the tiles or grout will crack. There are some good websites for DIY ceramic tile that go into details, just google to finde them.

Depending how bad the damage to the edges, it may not matter. The mortar will fill the bad spots and actually adhere better, so long as there is enough wood there to keep the tile level. With larger tile, it may not need to be patched. However, make sure you do have enough thickness there for rigidity.

[Mike Webb]

Hi;

If you are going to replace the linoleum floor with ceramic tile, the plywood sub floor WILL NOT provide the needed foundation for the tile. you will have a great deal of grief keeping any grout (as GoHabsGo mentioned) in place, and you will have problems with tiles cracking.

What you need to do is lay down a layer of tile backer-board, to provide the needed stability for your tile floor. Look in the local Home improvement or book store for a book on laying tile. Basically you set the backer board in thin-set, then using special decking screws you fasten the backer board to your existing sub floor. once this is done, you spread thin-set a section at a time, and lay the tile.

This sounds like a lot more work, but if you don't do it, you will probably HATE your new tile floor...

Hope this helps

Mike

[rklotz]

I checked the floor throughout and did not notice any flexing. (they already had driven in screws every 6 inches and spackled on top of them. I believe it is thicker than the 1 1/8 inch requirements, but I'll take another measurement tonight to be sure.

One more question: How much harder are the thinsets to work with over the pre-mixed adhesives? This is my first tile floor job, so I would like to keep it as simple as possible. But of course I want to make sure it will last.

GoHabsGo wrote:

[GoHabsGo]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I used premix for my backsplash about a year ago and just did my bathroom floor with the mortar. I had no problems with either. You will probably want to get some kind of power mixer attatchment for your power drill. I didn't have one, but it was only a bathroom, so I only used about 15lbs of mortar.

For a kitchen, you will want to carefully lay out your pattern first and try to center your tile layout. Don't start flush with a wall or you may end up with a 1" sliver at the other end which will look very tacky. You will want a wet saw for the job.

[Al Bundy]

[e-mail] wrote in news:1159449621.456281.180510 @i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Armstrong s-184 is often used for patching. Can get a small few lb box or a

25lb bag.

[Keith Williams]

Yes, I was told the subfloor needs to be at least 1-1/4" thick (which happens to be 3/4" + 1/2" backer). The tile in our foyer was put on directly the 3/4" ply and the grout and tiles were popping up everywhere.

Before that, screw the subfloor to the joists every 6" or so. I also planned it so the joints in the backer board were on top of the joists, at least in the direction the joists ran. Also so the joints in the backer didn't coincide with the subfloor joints. That may have been overkill but it worked out without additional waste.

A CAD program (I used A9CAD - freeware) helps with layout. I put each item (room outline, joists, subfloor, backer, tile) on separate "levels" so I could look at those I needed for each phase. It worked out quite well, once I figured out how to draw. ;-)

Putting down the backer isn't all *that* much more work than the tile. I agree, it's got to be done.

[Jim McClain]

Here is a nice article on stone and ceramic tile underlayments:

R'gards,

Jim