Do I Need Cement Board For Kitchen Floor Tile

This is a distinct advantage over plywood and drywall.

Do i need cement board for kitchen floor tile.

For countertops use 3 4 inch plywood beneath the backer board. Cement board is a type of underlayment that is now standard for most tile installations but particularly for floor tile. Half inch cement backer board is ideal for most tiling jobs including walls floors countertops and ceilings. 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.

However these are the five that stood out in my unofficial memory as being the most common. How to install tile backer board. For flooring the backer board should be installed over a 5 8 inch thick osb or plywood base. Cement board should never be counted on to stiffen up your floor.

The floor needs to meet minimum requirements for tile before any tile backer board is installed. Never install new tiles over existing tiles or onto an unprotected wood or plywood floor. 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. Thick 3 x 5 ft.

It s typically available in 1 2 in. The primary benefit of cement board is that it doesn t break down or expand or warp if it gets wet. Cement board also provides an additional layer over a plywood or particleboard subfloor adding stiffness to the tile installation to help prevent cracks. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage.

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. Wood regular drywall and even green board have organic elements which will degrade in high moisture environments. Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.