Even small shrinkage cracks in concrete can be dimensionally active; continued curing of the slab can cause these cracks to expand or propagate. Before you begin to lay the tile over your concrete slab, make sure the concrete is properly prepared. Mix up a bucket of TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) solution. Yes! Allow the sealer to dry thoroughly before any further work is done. Lori Lapierre holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in public relations/communications. More than ever before, tile assemblies need effective crack isolation to protect the tile, stone and grout. Facebook 0 Tweet 0 Pin 0 LinkedIn 0. The patio is stable with no cracks. Use Tile To Cover a Concrete Patio. Apply a layer of tile adhesive to the floor using a trowel; position the tile as desired and press firmly into the adhesive. An existing concrete patio or walkway can be tiled as long as water drains off it and any cracks in it are stable and level (one side of the crack shouldn’t be higher than the other). Applying tile in these situations is really quite simple. Re: Tiling over concrete The first thing you will want to make sure of is the porch is rock solid. Leave a Comment. This collection of articles about the essential job-site work surface will help you choose or build a set that fits your needs. on Feb 24, 2018. Tile the patio. Try posting a question. How to Tile Over Cracked Floors. Tiles made of natural materials, such as slate, sandstone or travertine, as well as ceramic tiles, can be used to resurface an ugly cement patio. Thus, one has to follow some steps in putting tiles over concrete. The designer and builder of the 2018 Fine Homebuilding House detail why they chose mineral-wool batts and high-density boards for all of their insulation needs. Consider this less jarring alternative: Lay pavers over the existing concrete. Sounds like a project that will need a professional. Install Tile Over a Cracked Concrete Floor. Grout and sealer. - M.K. Sweep the floor again and then clean the floor with a power washer, or several applications of mopping with bleach diluted with water. Generally, hairline cracks in the concrete will not present an issue to the tile floor above; however, cracks wider than 1/8 inch will eventually transfer to the tile, it notes. What about grouting the tile? I shared the whole “before” of our exterior as well as our plans to improve it early in the season. If it appears to be sagging in any area, touch up that area with additional filler and allow to dry. Cut the membrane so it’s 1-1/2 times the width of your tiles. This is a DIY endeavor and I don’t have the extra money to install the expensive membrane that I should use. And took the living room carpet out, oh, about two, three weeks ago. Give a tile facelift to an ordinary patio, from ‘DIY Network‘. Skip this step and we guarantee your new tile will crack right over the cracks in the concrete. Scrub the floor with a brush and TSP, and allow it to dry thoroughly. Tile Over Cracked Concrete Patio. Secondly I have had less than satisfing experience with durock. Cracks: All concrete cracks. Tile flooring can quickly give an old floor pizazz; tiles can be found in a seemingly unlimited variety of sizes, colors and patterns. For 17 years, she worked for a Fortune 500 company before purchasing a business and starting a family. This company may not be in your area but angieslist.com should be able to help you find someone. In some cases I’ve seen cracks that are almost 1/4 in. ", How to Paint a Concrete Floor for a Workout Room, How to Repair a Chipped Concrete Birdbath, Bible Life: How to Lay a Floating Porcelain or Ceramic Tile Floor Over a Concrete Slab That Has Cracks, Contraction Joints, or Expansion Joints, Home Addition Plus: Repairing Cracks in Concrete Basement Floors, Concrete Network: Concrete Patch - Repairing Cracks in Concrete, Concrete Network: Cleaning Floors Before Concrete Staining -- Tips from the Pros, Floors Transformed: Installing Tile Over Vinyl, Wood, & Concrete, How To Finish A Basement: Basement Flooring, How to Prime Bare Concrete Floor Before Setting Porcelain Tile. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. How to Stylishly Lacquer a Concrete Floor, How to Clean Concrete Floors to Install Engineered Flooring. Rubber float. Pavers are installed over sand, therefore the new deck will absorb small shifts without cracking the pavers. Then prime the concrete (see Photo 2) with the recommended solution (consult the membrane manufacturer’s literature). Install Tile Over Cracked Concrete Floor - Use a Membrane. If any moisture appears in the crack, use a hydraulic cement product instead. Hi, I want to tile over a patio that is 15 years old. Remove any adhesive immediately from the top of the tile if it splatters. In this section, we provide you with an overview of how ceramic, porcelain, or stone tile can be used in exterior patios, walkways, porches. An old standby, the concrete pad creates a functional patio, but over time yours may have become stained, cracked, or just plain boring. About 10 years ago, I attempted to stain it… not seal it. Apply tile adhesive to the surface. Her past writing experience includes school news reporting, church drama, in-house business articles and a self-published mystery, "Duty Free Murder. For small, narrow cracks that do not show signs of moisture, use concrete filler -- which can be purchased in a tube in vinyl, epoxy or latex -- to fill the crack. Although tile can be placed directly over a concrete slab, products such as Schluter’s Ditra are designed to separate, or “uncouple,” the tile from any potential movement in the substrate and protect the tile and grout from cracking. Tile Over Cracked Concrete Patio Area or sand or microtopping is dryset modified thin set mortar from natural stone wood composite other flooring made from cracking. Can You Use Epoxy Garage Paint Over Concrete Stain? If the cement floor is in the basement, a waterproof sealer should be applied above the leveler to provide a moisture barrier and prevent the tile from slipping and moving over time. I have a lot of left over brick from previous owner. She is a regular freelancer for "Living Light News," an award-winning national publication. Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers. Equipment is quite expensive and is easy to spread dust far and wide if you try to do it with something less. Pavers can be installed on top of an existing concrete deck, even if the deck is cracked. Small, hairline cracks will not interfere with your new patio. Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine. TSP cleaner. Kelly at ‘View Along the Way‘ shows us how to build a deck over concrete. © 2020 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. There is a diagonal crack across the patio and last year I repaired it with concrete patch. roller to flatten it and to squeeze out any air pockets. I’ve got a home here. Although I’ve had tremendous luck with this product and this method over the years, I always let my customers know that it is possible that this fix might not work. These cracks can cause the tile to crack, as well. Cement backerboard can be laid over the concrete floor and secured with cement screws and hammer drills, if the desire is to add an additional layer of moisture barrier as well as insulation to the tile floor. What would you do? Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features. TSP is a high-strength cleaner, which is useful for removing dirt, grease, and oil from your existing surface. Using a scraper and a wire brush -- or a tool such as a floor scraper or concrete grinder -- go over the entire concrete floor to remove any protrusions or bumps that will keep the tile from laying smoothly. How To Put The Tiles Over Concrete. Holes: Are there any large holes in your concrete? I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." Once all cracks are filled and dry, cover the repaired crack with two or three coats of polyurethane sealant. This "Tile Over Cracked Concrete Patio" graphic has 20 dominated colors, which include Chinese Black, Paseo Verde, Del Sol Maize, Missed, Bleached Bone, Thamar Black, Sunny Pavement, Colossus, Ivory, Off Yellow, White, Fife, Martian, Orchilla, Escargot, Black, Turtle Moss, Medusa's Snakes, Southern Platyfish, Honeydew. Cracks and gaps can be filled with Portland cement-based fillers. It’s easy to put down, and it may save me time and money in the long run. It starts out looking plain and goes downhill from there. A lot of that has worn off. Tile spacers. And that covers about half of the width of the house. 5 answers Ken. Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox. November 9, 2016 by Beebe. cracks are nothing out of the ordinary. Answer + 5. However, tile is not a "warm" flooring, so this is not required. It sits on a concrete slab or concrete pad. Are my new tiles going to crack? The Florida home I just purchased has many cracks in the concrete slab, some of them 10 ft. long and up to 1/8 in. A concrete patio is made for practicality, not beauty. The safest way to approach questionable concrete is not to cover it over with CBUs but to fix the concrete. I have had much better experience with hardibacker. Cracks in some slabs may not be controllable because of the soils that are under the slab, and there is a chance that the slab was poured incorrectly. After the sheet membrane is laid down over the thinset, I use a 75-lb. Concrete Patio Idea – Cover Up with a Deck! A product that I’ve had good luck with is NobleSeal CIS (The Noble Co.; www.noblecompany.com; 800- 878-5788), a composite sheet membrane that is made from chlorinated polyethylene with woven polyester fabric laminated to both sides. Thinking about doing the same myself. Before I begin the process of tiling over a cracked slab, I prep the slab with a crack-isolation membrane. Like 0 Comment 3; Stay updated; Report; Posted 2017-04-23T13:16:07+0000 by venkat . And at only 0.8-mm thick, the membrane can be used under almost any tile floor. A tile floor is only as strong and as stable as the subfloor on which it is installed. If I have any doubts about the strength or stability of the slab, I don’t proceed with the project without an engineer’s approval. Cracks normally widen and narrow slightly with the seasons, but if they’re getting wider year by year, don’t tile over them. wide, so 1/8-in. cracks are nothing out of the ordinary. Apr 11, 2015 - Tile over a boring concrete porch, even a cracked one. Generally, ceramic, porcelain, or stone tile can be installed over suitable substrates in exterior locations, including mortar beds over concrete slabs and directly onto concrete slabs. Can I just clean it with TSP? Thank You, Venkat Not what you were looking for ? Tile cannot be attached directly to painted concrete, as the thin-set will not adhere well to the paint. Step by step photos and a full tutorial! I cut the membrane to extend at least two tile widths on both sides of the crack. Tom Meehan, a tile installer and owner of Cape Cod Tileworks in Harwich, Massachusetts, replies: Cracks in a concrete slab are a problem that I run into frequently. The membrane, which is bonded to the slab with the same latex-modified thinset that I use for installing the tile, absorbs any additional movement in the concrete. It is a natural characteristic of the material. What about tiling over small cracks in the concrete? Apply grout to fill in between the tile edges once the floor is completely laid out; remove any excess grout and allow it to dry thoroughly before walking on the floor. The short answer is that you do not span control/expansion joints with the tile. But long, wide cracks can pose a risk to the tile. Delaminating outer layers, messier, prone to edge damage, and I don't like its thickness. Answered. Trowel. Money Pit Team. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin, run a finger over the filler to make it flush against the concrete floor. And, do I really need the membrane as the patio has shown itself to be stable. Beginning at the center of the room for proper visual spacing, lay the tile out in the desired pattern before beginning application. How do we smooth stamped concrete to tile over it! Tiles crack from settlement of the concrete slab beneath them or improper curing of the mortar during installation. Tom Meehan, a tile installer and owner of Cape Cod Tileworks in Harwich, Massachusetts, replies: Cracks in a concrete slab are a problem that I run into frequently. Materials: Tile. wide. Next I spread thinset over the slab where I’ll be applying the membrane. Start your subscription today and save up to 52%. Allow to dry thoroughly. Family Handyman. How to Seal Outdoor Tile Cracks. Setting tiles on cracked or uneven surfaces will cause the tiles to crack in the future due to movement by way of pressure exerted on it. QUESTION: I’m about to install ceramic tile on a concrete floor of a 40-year-old house. Patio after setting pavers over concrete patio slabs. If I encounter a slab with a lot of cracks, I apply membrane over the entire floor. I’d like to install a tile floor over the slab, but I’m worried that the tile will crack. The concrete floor has cracks in it. Step 3 Conceal the cement patio with modular wood tiles. As craters, cracks and stains accumulate, it can go from dull to downright ugly in just a few years. In some cases I’ve seen cracks that are almost 1/4 in. This should remove any old paint on the floor, as well. Pavers dress up the patio and make it an attractive outdoor living space. A Modern California Home Wrapped in Rockwool Insulation for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance, Double-Stud Walls and Insulated Window Bucks, Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20, Framing Floors and Stairs with Larry Haun, Podcast 184: Insulating an All-Brick House, Working with Engineered Siding, and Carpentry as a Second Career, NWFA is Making Sweeping Changes to Their Wood-Flooring Installation Guidelines, Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb, Expert insights on techniques and principles. Tile can contribute thermal mass to a passive solar house, and to Christa Campbell it would make a more appealing finish floor than concrete. Industrial scrub brush. Step 1: Prep your surface. So far we have worked ... Read More about How to Transform an Old, Tired, Cracked Concrete Patio Sweep the concrete floor with a broom to remove any visible debris. Remove any loose concrete pieces from larger cracks before filling with concrete filler, also in a tube. While laying tile is not an easy job, the entire process can still be done by an amateur who takes the time to cover all the necessary steps in preparing an older, damaged concrete floor before tile laying begins. Select a type of tile that suits your taste. In all of the above scenarios, allow the filler to thoroughly dry. Let the primer dry, and then apply the membrane (Photos 3 and 4). If the crack is large enough, a small amount of concrete can be mixed up in a bucket and applied with a trowel. Before laying paver stones over your old patio, check the surface for imperfections that could lead to problems down the road. When the floor is in the desired position, use "x" spacers for the corners of each tile; these small, inexpensive tools provide the correct sized gap between tile for the laying of grout. All of these products are available for purchase in home repair stores. Perfect solution for an outdoor patio that needs updating. I'm tempted to just fill the cracks with some kind of mortar or concrete repair material and then just go right over that with tile or stone. Set the tiles into the adhesive and once dry, apply grout between the tiles. Cracks in concrete are a sign of a structural problem. Great instructions! https://homeguides.sfgate.com/lay-tile-over-cracked-concrete-20563.html THOMAS: Hi. Sponge . But I am here to tell you that its true purpose is to turn a boring concrete patio into a much fancier cement tiled oasis. wide, so 1/8-in. And the result can be a beautiful floor that lasts for many years. Subscribe: LESLIE: Thomas in New Mexico, what can we do for you? "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. The renovation coping piece has a drop-down face that will cover the old coping, so you don't have to remove the old coping, just cut it back. This allows for movement of the tiles if an error occurs. Apply a cement-based leveler over any areas of the floor that dip or wave. The cost to rent the machine was around $50 but we also had to purchase a diamond blade for around $40 (which gets turned back in with the machine so I’m still kind of trying to riddle that one out in my head. Fill the wide variety of wood tiles discover prices catalogues and wont need any hard outdoor rubber tiles for portable or other outdoor events as they are designed to really scrub in the patio. Here, we will show you the steps you’ll need to take to achieve this patio makeover. Lay all whole tiles first; then begin to cut tiles to fit around corners and against the wall edges and any cabinets, using a tile or glass cutter. Finally, tile floors installed over a concrete subfloor are the most susceptible to cracking because the concrete itself is prone to cracking, the GeeksOnHome article states. Wait—don’t pull out a jackhammer just yet! Thin-set mortar. It still looks ugly even though it is otherwise sound. Do you have any advice? If you’ve been following along for a while, then you might remember that we’ve been working on projects to fix up the exterior of our house since the spring. Applying tile in these situations is really quite simple. They will … I am in process to lay ceramic tile over concrete floor in basement, I have a question how to lay ceramic tile over concrete expansion joints.