Preparing for Floor Tile

Floors generally are built strong enough to readily accommodate the installation of carpeting or resilient flooring. But ceramic tile has much more demanding requirements. The weight of the tiles is not usually the problem; deflection is. If a ceramic tile floor flexes, grout and even tiles can crack. If you have any doubts about the strength of the floor, ask a contractor to inspect it before you begin tiling.

Sometimes a bouncy floor can be firmed up by driving screws through the subflooring and into joists. Or, you may have to add another subfloor layer, or even beef up the joists. However, if you build up the floor so much that the new tile surface will be a half inch or more higher than an adjacent floor surface, it will look and feel awkward.