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For ceramic floor tile to stand the
test of time, it is imperative that it be installed on a level and rigid
subfloor. Leveling compounds are a solution to smoothing out a subfloor surface
prior to installing the ceramic floor tile.
Typically, when preparing a floor for
the installation of ceramic floor tile, additional material is installed over
the home’s existing base subfloor. The existing subfloor is normally constructed
out of 3/4th inch plywood, OSB, or concrete.
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Usually concrete, mortar,
backerboard, or exterior plywood is added to the base subfloor to increase the
rigidity of the floor surface. The more level and rigid the floor, the less
likelihood of the ceramic tiles cracking.
To ensure that the floor surface is
rigid and level, sometimes a leveling compound needs to be added to the floor to
fill in any dips, or to compensate for humps in the floor. Dips and humps can
occur due to imperfections in the floor joists or concrete slab. Leveling
compounds are cement based and are easy to apply. They will adhere well to both
wood and concrete subfloors.
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Before applying a leveling compound
to your subfloor, make sure the subfloor is absolutely clean and free of any
dust. Otherwise you may not get a proper bond between the leveling compound and
the subfloor.
To apply leveling compounds, you can
use a broad knife, trowel and/or a length of 2x4.
To see how much leveling compound you
will need for your project, use the length of 2x4, and run it over the surface
of the subfloor to see how much of a dip(s) or hump(s) you have to contend with. |
Leveling compounds set up fast, so
make up small batches at a time. Do not try to make up one batch to fill in all
of your subfloor’s dips and humps at once.
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For information on
ceramic tile and installing a shower pan membrane liner, see the
Shower
Pan Membrane Liner Installation Ebook
from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook will quickly
teach you the step-by-step process for installing the shower pan membrane liner
correctly. It includes instructions on framing the shower stall, pouring the
pre-slope and shower base mortar, and installing the shower pan membrane liner.
See HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Ceramic Tile Calculator
How to Finance your Home Improvement Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related Ceramic Tile
Information
Additional Ceramic Tile Resources from Amazon.com
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