Do You Have To Seal A Concrete Floor Before Tiling

Jul 5 2010 1.

Do you have to seal a concrete floor before tiling.

This is particularly imported when laying tile as the floor needs to be as level as possible. New concrete floors or screeded floors are a different matter. Warning never lay tile over a damaged concrete floor without repairing it or your. Priming new concrete floors.

This is why it is better to prime it than not to. The concrete makes a firm surface that the tile requires. Cleaning and filling any cracks in the floor takes a little time and the only precautions to take prior to tiling are to make sure that the floor is completely dry as the thinset used for tile needs a moisture free environment. Choosing to lay tile on a concrete slab is a good idea.

If you re unsure about yours remove a tile and send it to a local asbestos abatement firm for testing. A concrete slab makes a good surface on which to lay tile. So your nice new clean ply floor isn t so clean anymore and if it s not prepared properly prior to tiling the adhesive will just go onto the dirt on the floor and might not stick. Roughening the surface is needed for the sealer to stick properly to the concrete.

Most floor tiles made from the 1920s to the 1960s contain asbestos and require special procedures for removal. To prevent that movement from creating cracks in your grout and tile install a crack prevention membrane after the concrete subfloor is clean flat and free of cracks larger than 1 8 inch. Cement on top of slab is solid and not flaky i dont worry about it i like the glue to be absorb into the slab but if u seal could not absorb u dammed if u dont and dammed if u do been tiling 29 years. You will have to clean and prepare the concrete surface before installing any tile.

Also ensure that the concrete is level. You can either roll on a liquid latex membrane or use a peel and stick crack prevention mat over the entire concrete subfloor. Use reputable flexible adhesive for tiling on screeds and concrete and as per the manufacturers specifications do not use pva but a latex based primer if the concrete surface is shedding dusty fine particles after drying. Use filler to fill in any dips and apply a floor leveler for any humps in the floor.

These membranes prevent water from seeping up. For that reason it is best to use an elastomeric crack prevention membrane to both seal the floor and protect your tile installation from failure. If it tests positive follow these asbestos abatement procedures. Deciding whether to seal the concrete is part of the preparation.

Seal off the area with poly sheeting. Dirt plaster adhesive and all manners of stuff will be ground into it before the tiler gets round to tiling it. Lay down a sheet of crack isolation membrane before tiling if your concrete floor is severely damaged or aged.