Is underlayment necessary for tile on concrete?
Although you don’t need to install an underlayment between the concrete and the tile, you need to prepare the surface before placing the tile. After all, cracks and uneven areas in the concrete can cause damage to the tile above, and uncontrolled moisture in the concrete can destroy the mortar and loosen the tiles.
How smooth does concrete need to be for tile?
As noted in the first answer above, the surface to be tiled, in your case the floor, must be flat within 1/8” in 10′ when measured from the high points of the floor. To achieve this, be sure to use the appropriate patch or self-leveling compound (with the same manufacturer’s primer), but never thin set mortar.
Do you need to PVA a concrete floor before tiling?
No, you should never use PVA to prime a surface before tiling. PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate) is often used to seal things, or used as a glue in crafts and woodworking but should not be used as a sealer before tiling.
How do you seal a concrete floor before tiling?
Pack the sealer into cracks, up to 1/8 inch thick, in the floor and level it with a flat trowel. Spread the sealer the width of one diagonal tile measurement on each side of the crack. Fill the gaps where the floor meets the walls in the same manner, extending the sealer 6 inches on each side.
Do you have to prime concrete before tiling?
Primer is absolutely necessary if you have an anhydrite screed (aka calcium sulphate). This is a liquid screed pumped onto the sub-floor that self-levels. It’s quite common in modern construction and has many benefits over sand and cement screeds, but you can’t tile straight onto it with standard adhesives.
Should you PVA a concrete floor before tiling?
Can you lay tile over uneven concrete?
If the substrate the floor tiles are being installed on is uneven but structurally sound, a self-leveling floor compound can be used to even it out. Self-leveling floor compounds are liquid bases that seek out the low areas on a floor and fill them in.
What primer goes under tile?
In general, Acrylic primers are oil-based primers that are preferred over regular primers if the surface is rough. The use of acrylic primers can provide a smooth surface to work with. Acrylic Primer penetrates the concrete, cement plaster, or masonry.
Do I need to seal concrete before flooring?
You don’t need to seal a concrete floor before installing laminate; however, to prevent moisture from the concrete floor from affecting your laminate, install a vapor barrier of polyethylene film. Install this barrier even if the concrete subfloor is covered by vinyl, linoleum, terrazzo or ceramic tile.
Do I need to prime a concrete floor before tiling?
Can I use PVA to seal a concrete floor?
PVA polyvinyl acetate is an inexpensive solution to sealing concrete floors and can work just as well as expensive specialised concrete sealers.