How to prepare a screed for tiles. Floor preparation for pvc tiles. Moisture resistant gypsum boards

Laying tiles is necessary only after the preparation of the floor has been completed. It is not difficult to make it if you carefully study the instructions.

Tiles should be laid on a hard, level surface.

After performing the necessary work to prepare the floor for tiles, the base must have a flat surface that will adhere well to the tiled floor.

As a base for mounting tiles made of tiles or plastic, you can use a specially prepared surface made of various materials. Installation of tiles on the floor can be carried out on the following types of coatings:

• cement mortar;
• tile adhesive;
• tile mastic.

Checking the base for strength

Materials and tools:

The old floor is dismantled, the base under it is leveled and primed.

• a hammer;
• cement;
• sand;
• water.

Preparing the floor for laying tiles is approximately the same for all types of base. The only difference is which adhesive composition is chosen.

First of all, it is necessary to check whether the base has sufficient strength. If the base is a concrete screed, it is checked for strength.

To do this, the entire surface is tapped with a hammer. If a ringing sound is produced when the hammer strikes, then the coating is considered to be of high quality. At the same time, the concrete solution should not collapse or crumble.

If it turns out that the concrete screed has insufficient strength, you need to remove the areas that crumble from hammer blows. Neither their place needs to be poured with new concrete.

The coverage must be even.

Then it is checked whether the base is sufficiently even. In order to be able to lay tiles, it is necessary that the underlying coating be even to the light.

Materials and tools:

• rule;
• building level;
• slats;

The surface is checked for light using the rule. In this case, a two-meter rule made of aluminum is used.

Scheme of the floor under the tiles.

If the tiles will be laid on glue, then the gap between the rule and the coating should not be more than 3 mm.

When laying on mastic, the clearance should not be more than 4 mm. When laying on cement mortar - 8 mm. All irregularities, defects should be noted with chalk.

Then check the horizontal level of the floor. The work is carried out with a building level having a length of 1.5 m. When measuring, the slope should not be more than 0.2% of the required length. That is, the slope should be no more than 4 mm per 2 linear meters of the rule.

Such a check is carried out if it is necessary to lay tiles with a flat surface in various rooms. In the event that the installation will be performed in the shower with a slope towards the drain, you need to put a rail of a certain thickness under the rule. In this case, a horizontally located rule will show the required slope.

How to eliminate irregularities in the base: instructions

Materials and tools:

Scheme of a wooden floor under a tile.

• cement;
• sand;
• water;
• primer;
• boaster;
• perforator;
• 3% hydrochloric acid solution;
• respirator;
• protective glasses;
• protective gloves;
• metal brushes.

All protrusions and depressions that were found during the check must be eliminated. With the help of a scarpel, you need to remove the protrusions.

Holes must be filled with cement. In the event that there are a lot of protrusions on the concrete base and they are large, then they are eliminated with the help of a perforator, which is turned on in the jackhammer mode.

If paint remains on the surface, it must be removed. Various oil stains are removed with a 3% hydrochloric acid solution or special means.

When treating surfaces with chemicals, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment: respirators, gloves, goggles. Work must be carried out in a well-ventilated area.

After removing irregularities, to prepare the floor for laying tiles, it is necessary to repair the joints between the floor slabs and between the walls and the floor. The joints are sealed with concrete grade M-150. Before laying concrete, the surface must be moistened with water.

If the tiled surface is going to be arranged in the bathroom, then it is necessary to perform waterproofing after concrete embedding.

Then the concrete coating must be treated with a metal brush.

Before installing the tile, the cement screed is primed.

Preparing a wooden floor for tiles

Materials and tools:

• antiseptic;
• ruberoid;
• reinforcing mesh;
• cement;
• sand;
• microfiber.

How is wood flooring prepared for tiling?

The tile can also be laid on a base made of wood. Hardwood floors require special preparation.

First of all, the wooden coating is treated with an antiseptic solution. The floor is then dried. After that, 2 layers of roofing material are laid on a wooden coating. This is necessary for moisture insulation. Then, above the layer of roofing material, you need to install a mesh of reinforcement, which has holes with a diameter of 10 cm. After that, a cement-sand screed is made, to which microfiber is added.

You can not lay tiles on linoleum and carpet. These covers are removed. Then the remaining glue is removed. If the floor covered with linoleum has a flat surface, you can lay cement-fiber boards on it, and then lay the tiles.

If the tiles are going to be mounted on a warm floor system, which is covered with a concrete screed, then the system is turned on for 2 days. Then turn off the system and lay the tile.

You can turn on the underfloor heating system again 3 days after the grouting is done.

If the tiles are mounted on thermal mats, they are first turned off. Installation is carried out without an additional screed device, directly on the tile adhesive, which can be used for underfloor heating.

After a thorough and thorough preparation of the floor according to the above rules, proceed to the installation of tiles. Thanks to the preparatory work performed according to the instructions, the laying of tiles will be of high quality, and the tiled coating will be strong, reliable and durable.

Surface preparation.
The first stage of any finishing - preparation of a working surface. This work is especially responsible. After all, for effective laying of tiles, for example, you need a perfectly flat surface.
Many continue to work the old fashioned way - based on curved walls or floors. In this case, a straight plane is achieved due to various layers of tile adhesive. And sometimes it's justified. However, nevertheless, the preliminary alignment of the base base provides undeniable advantages:
1. Absolute absence of voids under the tiles;
2.Multiple acceleration of the laying process;
3. Stabilization of the quality of work.
Before you start leveling the floor, it must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, dust and grease, and then primed. Of course, the primer must be allowed to dry.
Advice:
A very reliable primer is PVA glue diluted with water. It should be applied to the floor by simply pouring puddles and dispersing them with a wide spatula.
It should be mentioned that perfect surface leveling can only be achieved by installing a cement-sand screed by installing beacons. However, as a rule, the screed is not made less than two centimeters thick, otherwise it will be unreliable. And this means the inevitability of the appearance of an unpleasant step. In addition, if the surface is not too curved, then it is not necessary to pour a screed at all.
Advice:
It is believed that the tiles must be glued exclusively according to the level. However, this is far from being the case, and with a minimal deviation, you can generally forget about it. By the way, the visual leveling of the floor, as a rule, leads to an almost ideal result in this regard.
In addition, the use of self-leveling compounds is also not recommended. After all, they are leveled with a needle roller, which repeats all the bumps and depressions on the surface. Sometimes, after such an alignment, you grab your head. Although this method is quite suitable for linoleum, and sometimes for laminate.
The most reliable tool is the plaster rule. And the longer it is, the higher the quality of the work will be. Thanks to him, the layer of the mixture used for leveling will be minimal. And in many places it is practically zero. This work is called alignment under the rule, and its meaning is to equalize the depressions with bumps (zeros).
Advice:
As practice shows, the most successful mixture for leveling the floor is cement-based tile adhesive. It is durable and has excellent adhesion. And its elasticity causes the application of the thinnest layers. But to speed up the setting, it is necessary to add a handful of any gypsum mixture to it. In addition, the presence of gypsum makes the mixture non-shrinking. The main thing is not to overdo it, as this will weaken the solution. The consistency should be like thick kefir.

This is achieved by the following actions:
1. In the starting corner of the room, a strip of the mixture is poured with a length of the rule and a width of 30 centimeters. Of course, the approximate thickness of the layer must already be kept in mind;
Advice:
Before pouring, it is necessary to “shoot” the surface with the rule and mark the bumps, thereby understanding the thickness of the layers.

2. Then, as a rule, this puddle is pulled together in a pre-selected direction. Having stretched the mixture to the place where it is necessary to pour more, the rule is turned around and led in the opposite direction;

3. After repeating the previous procedure a couple of times and eliminating voids and shells to the maximum, more mixtures are added by the same method;
Advice:
No need to be afraid of scratches and small shells. They are removed by the second layer. And in general, for the installation of tiles, the surface should not be smooth, but flat.

4. Having passed from wall to wall, it is necessary to move to the side, as far as the length of the plaster rule allows. And repeat the previous process;
5. Having aligned the entire room in one direction, it is necessary to let the mixture set. With the correct ratio of components, its setting occurs within an hour;
After that, everything repeats again, only the direction of movement is taken perpendicular to the previous one;
Working in a small and non-polygonal room, these two layers of mixture are poured and leveled in just a couple of hours, taking into account the setting time;
Advice:
Before laying the tiles, the floors must dry out in order to gain strength. Twelve hours is usually enough. Further processing consists only in scraping off various sagging and "burrs" from the surface. This is done with a wide spatula without much effort.
As a rule, two passes in perpendicular directions are sufficient. But, to improve the result, you can stretch the floors again. Especially if the base surface was quite uneven.
Advice:
Many try to prime everything. However, the most effective tile installation technology eliminates the need for priming the prepared surface.

Arrangement of the floor is an integral part of the repair of the premises in general. Of course, in different parts of the house or apartment, floors of different types and classes are more functional and beautiful, but in recent years in kitchens and bathrooms you can often find floors covered with tiles. Also, the floors in the hallway are often tiled - either over the entire area, or at least part of the floor adjacent to the front door.

Do-it-yourself tile laying

Pros of tiled floors

Tiled floors (or floors covered with ceramic tiles) are very practical and durable. They are not afraid of moisture, are not combustible, it is easy to remove all pollution from them. The owners will not have to worry about replacing such floors for quite a long time. And you can choose an ornament for the floor for every taste and wallet. After all, the modern building materials market offers a huge assortment of tiles not only of domestic production, but also tile options, as they say, from all over the world.

Disadvantages of tiling

In order for a beautiful and practical tiled floor to please you for as long as possible, you need to make sure that it is laid on a flat, flawless base.

Perfectly laid floor tiles

Otherwise, any tubercle missed during surface preparation or an unsealed gap in the concrete may give you an unpleasant surprise in the form of a cracked or loose tile. Therefore, if in the near future you do not plan to spend energy, time and additional materials on repairing or altering the floor, special attention should be paid to the stage of preparing the surface for laying tiles.

Floor tiling can be carried out using a cement mortar with an admixture of special substances, as well as on a specially designed mastic or tile adhesive. The preparation of the floor for tiling will vary from case to case, but the general requirements for bringing the floor to a condition suitable for tiling are almost identical.
To begin with, it is necessary to carefully examine the general condition and reliability of the floor on which they plan to lay the tiles.

How to prepare a wooden floor for laying tiles

It seems that laying tiles on a plank base is impossible, however, this is not so. Of course, it is necessary to prepare a wooden floor for laying tiles very thoroughly.

Do-it-yourself floor tiling

So, the first thing to do is to hammer the protruding nail heads into the thickness of the tree, as well as screw and drown the screws in the thickness of the wood. The gaps between the boards are permissible with a width of no more than 2-3 mm. Softwood slats are driven into wider slots, which, in turn, are very desirable to be fixed with glue or carnations with hidden hats, driving them obliquely into the floor. After all the cracks are sealed in this way, the floor surface can be cycled and all potholes can be puttied.
After the putty has dried, it is desirable to sand the entire surface on a wooden block. Then the wooden base must be thoroughly cleaned of chips and sawdust, then soaked with an antiseptic and dried well, then primed with drying oil.
Another requirement: the boards should not bend when walking. If the boards sag, laying tiles on top of such a coating should be forgotten. It will not work to strengthen such a floor to the required level. The same applies to parquet flooring. If the parquet planks are loose, they must be securely fastened with nails or mastic.

Leveling the floor with chipboard

You can also put waterproofing from several layers of roofing material on a plank base. Then, a reinforced mesh with a cell of 10 cm is securely attached above the floor level at a height of about 1 cm, and a screed solution is poured, on top of which, after complete drying, tiles can be laid.

Concrete base for tiles

First you need to completely remove the remnants of grease and paint from the surface. The most convenient way to do this is with warm water, after dissolving caustic soda in it in a proportion of 150 g per 10 liters of water. You can also use a 2-3% hydrochloric acid solution. With the help of a scarpel, all protrusions are cut off from the surface, and all cracks and potholes are wetted and carefully sealed with cement mortar. Places where defects were found can be additionally treated with PVA glue. This will increase adhesion. Places where defects were repaired with a solution must be carefully smoothed out with a trowel, leveling them with the surface. After that, the floor is allowed to set for at least 12 hours, periodically wetting the surface with water. When the solution dries sufficiently, the entire base must be sanded with a coarse-grained timber and then carefully cleaned of dust.

An alternative is a self-leveling screed. To perform a screed, it is absolutely not necessary to be a specialist in construction, so if you decide to prepare the floor for tiling with your own hands, you should definitely pay attention to this technology. With the help of a screed, even seemingly hopeless floors are perfectly leveled under a variety of coatings. Linoleum, parquet or parquet board, and tiles are perfectly laid on the floor prepared in this way.

Prepare the floor for tiling with your own hands

First, a polystyrene foam dividing tape is laid at the junction of the floor and walls. All cracks and potholes are sealed with an adhesive composition, after drying of which the base is treated with a primer solution. If the base of the floor is too porous and fragile, then it should even be primed two or three times.
When the primer is completely dry, the base of the floor is carefully poured with a freshly prepared screed solution. If the solution is prepared in accordance with the recipe, it spreads easily over the base, while forming a flat surface. In some cases, a metal grater or notched trowel can be used to spread the mixture.

The result is a screed layer with a thickness of 2 mm to 1 cm. If the base is strongly inclined, the screed layer can be thicker. In order to avoid the formation of air bubbles in the thickness of the solution, the entire surface along and across is carefully passed several times with a special spiked roller. The same needle roller is used to improve docking between different portions of the solution. At the same time, this procedure avoids the formation of voids between the screed layer and the base. It is convenient to move around the floor filled with a semi-liquid solution on paint shoes - special shoes on pins.

Spreading the mix for laying tiles on the floor

Already after 12 hours of exposure at a temperature not lower than 20 ° C, it will be possible to walk on the screed, and after two days the solution will dry completely, and you can start laying tiles.

If a layer of screed has already been applied to the surface, it must be carefully checked for strength. This is done by simply tapping with a small hammer. The sound when tapping should not be deaf, which indicates the absence of voids under the screed layer. Also, tapping will help to understand how high-quality the solution was. If the screed crumbles and delaminates, it will be better to fill in a new layer of mortar.

In addition, it is necessary to check how flat the surface on which the tile will be attached is. This is done using a two-meter aluminum rule. During the test, a gap is formed between the floor surface and the rule. The permissible value of this gap may be different depending on the forthcoming method of fixing the tiles. When using tile adhesive, the gap should not exceed 2 mm. If the tile will be attached to the mastic - 4 mm. If you plan to use a cement mortar, you can allow a gap of even 8 mm.
Check how horizontal the base for laying tiles will allow the building level. For best results, the floor slope should not exceed 2%, or, in other words, no more than 4 mm per 2 meters of length.

Leveling the surface for laying tiles

In bathrooms, preparing the floor for laying tiles has its own characteristics. In addition to leveling the base, before facing, it is necessary to carefully seal the joints between the floor and walls with a special waterproofing compound.

Laying tiles on the "warm floor"

Systems of "warm floor", equipped under the screed, can be very different. And made of propylene pipes - including.

If the screed is checked, and there are no complaints about it, then before performing work, the “warm floor” system will need to be turned off for several days. Next, tiles are laid on the base in compliance with all recommendations regarding surface preparation for laying tiles. It is recommended to turn on the underfloor heating system no earlier than 2-3 days after grouting the joints between the tiles.

If the "warm floor" system is equipped with thermal mats, they also need to be turned off for the duration of the work. Tiles can be laid directly on the adhesive, without prior screeding. Glue for tiles, however, you will need a special one suitable for underfloor heating.

Laying tiles on the "warm floor"

Preparing the floor for plastic tiles

Just as in the case of ceramic and tile, care should be taken that the base (subfloor) is even, without any flaws. If necessary, it is also recommended to perform a cement-sand floor screed to achieve the best result. Chipboard, OSB and even plywood can be used as the basis for PVC tiles.
Before starting work on laying tiles, it is recommended that the base be primed to increase the degree of adhesion between the materials.
The temperature in the room where PVC tiles will be laid should not fall below 15°C.
PVC tiles are installed using the butt-to-butt method. One of its differences from tiles or ceramics is that air bubbles can form under it when laying. To prevent this from happening, the surface of the tile is carefully tapped with a rubber mallet.

From the author: Hi friends. If you started a renovation and want to make a tiled floor, but you don’t understand anything about the intricacies of laying it, then you have come to the right place. We will tell you not only about the installation process itself, but also about how to prepare the floor for laying tiles.

Why choose tile?

Tiles are becoming more and more popular every day. And, if earlier laying was carried out only in bathrooms and kitchens, now ceramics can also be seen in residential premises. This is not surprising, because it has a number of advantages that bring it to the first place in comparison with other materials.

Tiled flooring is durable, hygienic, inexpensive, durable and perfectly wet cleaning without absorbing moisture. It should be noted that in the building materials markets such a wide range is presented that the eyes run wide. A variety of colors, patterns, shapes and textures allows you to complement any, even the most demanding interior, with the help of tiles.

But, everything is not perfect, and the ceramic coating also has its drawbacks. The most significant is the high cost of the process of preparing the base for ceramic coating. There is no way to skip this stage, but on the contrary, it is worth approaching with particular scrupulousness so as not to let all subsequent work go down the drain. In addition, this will give us great savings in the adhesive mixture and significantly reduce the laying time.

Preparing the foundation

So, the preparation of the base for a decorative coating can be divided into several stages. To begin with, the condition of the floor is assessed - the magnitude of the slope and irregularities. It will depend on this. A small difference (up to 30 mm) is corrected with a self-leveling screed, a more substantial difference will require pouring a cement-sand screed.

And with a significant slope (more than 100 mm) it will be necessary not to load the coating. Large ledges, if necessary, must be knocked down. The surface can be concrete, wooden and even with old tiles, but for all types the basic rule is to maintain perfect cleanliness.

Concrete floor

Consider the option when a cement slab is used as the basis. This coverage can be divided into three types:

1. Bare concrete is the most economical of the options, but this does not make it the best, as it promises many problems in the process. For example, minor defects of the slab itself are inevitable - these are tubercles, pits, various irregularities, which will certainly cause further destruction of the base. The modern market offers a lot of solutions to this problem, however, it is not recommended to use chemicals for these purposes, because the components that make up them are partially or even completely incompatible with the adhesive mass. The output is a simple cement screed or.
2. New concrete base - the preparation of such a base takes a lot of time. During the drying process, cracks may form, which should be repaired immediately. Professional builders recommend letting the fill stand for at least four weeks. And in this case, the market offers us a rich assortment to speed up the process, but again, it is not recommended to resort to chemical catalysts. Their principle of operation is as follows: there is a special hardener in the composition, it creates a kind of film on the cement surface, thereby preventing rapid loss of moisture. But this also negatively affects the strong adhesion of the cement to the tile. Finding out the presence of such an additive is not difficult - just moisten the concrete slab with water. If the liquid collects in droplets, then this indicates the presence of an additive, but if the water spreads, then the solution does not contain any chemical additives.
3. The old concrete base also requires the identification of flaws and defects. If the detected crack is large enough, it is recommended to replace this area with a new concrete screed.

Wooden floor

Consider the least common option -. There is an opinion that such an overlap is not at all suitable for a tile base, however, experienced builders assure the opposite, if you follow a few rules.

The thickness of such a coating must be at least 25 mm, otherwise, during operation, the tile may crack due to the fact that it will “walk” under load. In addition, to enhance the fit of the tile, the wood can be further sanded, and in rooms with high humidity, such as a bathroom, it is recommended to apply an additional waterproofing layer.

old tile flooring

And finally, an option for the laziest of this world -. There are cases when, for some reason, the old tile cannot be removed, then a new one can be laid on top of it. However, before doing this, you should make sure that the new (raised) floor level will not interfere with opening the doors. If everything is fine, then you can proceed to the preparatory work. In this case, our weapon will be sandpaper. With its help, you need to carefully sand the old tile, which will give it a roughness to improve the bonding process.

Summing up

Regardless of the foundation you have, you need to correctly prepare the base for new ceramics:

1. We check the base for strength. We use the tapping method - with a metal hammer we bypass the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe cement screed. When tapping, we make sure that the cement mortar does not peel off and does not crumble, the sound should be deaf. If during the verification process it turns out that the screed is not strong enough, knock it down to the ground and make a new one.
2. Check the base for a horizontal level. We take a building level with a length of at least 1.5 m and check the slope (it should not exceed 2%). Of course, such a strict check must be done if your goal is a perfectly flat surface. When the floor is supposed to have a drain, then a rail must be placed on the side of the drain to accurately measure the level.
3. We check the base for "clearance". To do this, we take a rule 2 m long. If laying will be done on glue, then the gap should not exceed 2-3 mm, if the mastic is 4 mm, the cement mortar is 8 mm.
4. We eliminate the identified defects. This is the most important stage - we knock down all the protrusions, and wet the pits and seal them with cement or self-leveling mortar. Be sure to close up all the joints between the floor and the wall, remove the existing paint. If oil and grease stains are detected, we destroy them with a solution of 3% hydrochloric acid or other similar means.
5. Working on the base. We seal all joints with cement mortar, if the tiling will be done in the bathroom, then do not forget about the waterproofing layer. Concrete floors, after processing with a grinder, primer. If the base is being prepared in a wooden house, then we must treat it with an antiseptic, apply several layers of waterproofing. In no case do not try to lay ceramics on linoleum, carpet or carpet. Such coatings must be removed and carefully disposed of their traces.

If you have been dreaming of tiling your floor for a long time, but are worried that the surface will always be cold, there is good news for you. Ceramics can be laid on the underfloor heating system! However, you should remember about the nuances - 2 days before laying the warm floor is turned off and not earlier than 4 days after laying it turns on.

We hope that after reading our introductory article, you have learned that the correct preparation of the base is the key to a quality ceramic laying. If you liked the article, subscribe to our newsletter on social networks and share with your friends! Happy repair!

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The most common type of finish for a bathroom or kitchen is tile. The relative ease of its installation, hygiene and durability are recognized by all. Such a coating does not absorb moisture, is easy to clean and maintain, if the correct waterproofing is done, then it does not allow water to pass to the lower floors in case of leakage. But preparing the floor for laying tiles requires care and scrupulousness.

The only drawback of tile is the high cost of preparatory work and its installation. Therefore, so that there is no need to redo all the work, it is necessary to carry out the preparatory work correctly. The basic requirements for the base on which the tile is laid are the horizontalness of the surface and its evenness.

You should also monitor the humidity in the place of work, as well as make sure that the surface is well dried before laying.

The preparation of floors for laying tiles depends on their structure, often the tiles are laid on a cement base, but there are cases when the floors are covered with plywood, vinyl or old tiles.

Benefits of a flat surface

General requirements for any type of surface for laying tiles - its horizontal. Preparing the floor for tiles requires leveling the floor before work. The device of an equal and smooth coupler guarantees that the tile will be laid correctly. We can say that a flat floor is the basis of success. Also, this will give:

• Great savings in adhesive composition.
• Reduced tiling time.
• High quality work.
• Longer service life of a tiled floor.

The average consumption of adhesive for laying tiles, depending on the brand and manufacturer of the adhesive mixture, is from 4 to 5 kg of mortar per square meter. m. These standards apply if laying is done on top of a flat screed.

Below are the options for how the floor should be prepared depending on the coating. But you should follow the general rule for all types of floors - the surface of the screed on which it is planned to lay the tiles must be well cleaned, especially in the bathroom, where increased floor strength is required. This can be achieved using:

• grinders or just a grinding wheel;
• abrasive powder or mixture;
• various scraping tools.

Preparation of cement slab for tiles

In cases where ceramics have to be laid on a cement screed, for example, in a bathroom, you should carefully inspect it and make sure that there are no large dents and cracks. Such defects inevitably lead to the destruction of the tile, so you should start by eliminating the identified irregularities and cracks. It is not worth using chemicals to clean the cement surface, as the chemicals can affect the adhesive with which you will make the cladding.

By their structure, concrete bases are very convenient for tiling, you should just remember to level the surface before laying. Horizontality should be maintained very strictly, deviations should be kept to a minimum. By pouring the floor with a special self-leveling mixture, you can achieve leveling of the screed and improve the structure of the floor, achieving its smoothness.

In cases where you make a cement base yourself, you should remember that according to building codes it is necessary to withstand cement floors for about four weeks before finishing them with any kind of coating. It is also not recommended to speed up the fixation of the cement base with special means, since such compositions may not be compatible with adhesive solutions for tiles. You can lay an insulating layer on the cement coating, it will protect the tiled surface from possible cracks. At the same time, tiles are laid only using cement-based mortars.

There are cement substrates on which tiling is not recommended, especially in the bathroom. These are surfaces made of cement with additives for fast hardening. Such additives create a film on the cement base and complicate the laying of tiles. The presence of such additives in cement is determined by applying a few drops of water to the surface to be checked. If the droplets remained on the cement in balls, and did not spread over the surface, this indicates the presence of the mentioned additives in the cement.

Preparing the plywood base

Preparing a wooden floor for tiles is not a very common occurrence. The generally accepted opinion of builders says that the plywood base is poorly suited for laying tiles, because it does not have sufficient strength and stability. If the plywood sags under the weight of the tile, it may crack during use. If, nevertheless, you have no other options but to lay the tiles on the plywood, then its thickness should be at least 28 millimeters and the plywood should be laid on a sufficiently strong frame.

Since a very smooth surface is required for a firm fit of the tile, the plywood needs to be sanded additionally. In rooms with high humidity - bathrooms and toilets, it is recommended to apply an insulating layer over the plywood in the form of a screed. This coating compensates for the deformation of the wooden base under the influence of humidity and temperature in the bathroom and kitchen.

Substrate preparation with existing ceramic coating

If there is an old tile in the bathroom or in the kitchen, then there are two options for laying a new coating:

1. We cut down the old tile, after which we lay the new one.
2. We lay the new finish on top of the existing one, on the cement mortar.

In the first case, hard and painstaking work is ahead, and if the base remains uneven after removing the old coating, it will be necessary to level the floor by making a cement screed.

When applying the second option, do not forget to check how the floor height changes relative to doors and cabinets. In order for the new tile to adhere well to the old one, the latter should be treated with emery, giving its surface some roughness.

What to do with old linoleum

Experienced builders strongly recommend removing old linoleum floors, even if they are firmly glued to the floor. It should be removed together with glue residues, especially asbestos. Old vinyl coverings often contain this very harmful material. Asbestos must be completely removed from the floor surface, it is better to entrust it to professionals.

In some cases, it is possible to carry out a screed over the linoleum, then using cement-based glue, you can glue the tiles on the floor. At the same time, carefully check the compatibility of the tile adhesive with the cement coating that was laid on top of the vinyl base.