AboutDave Coil Expertise I can help. I have installed wood, laminates, tile, marble, ceramics, vinyl, and painted applications. I have done some stone work, but that is seldom used anymore.
Experience My first work was in flooring and interior designs. My first job... every room of the house was a different color of walls and carpet. It can work...
Question I am remodeling my 21 year old kitchen and am planning to install 18"x18" porcelean tile - the existing surface is sheet vinyl. Floor joists are 12" O.C. and subflooring is 3/4" plywood. My question concerns whether I need to install 1/4" cement board as a substrate before installing porcelean tile. The kitchen adjoins my dining room and den which have original hardwood floors and, in order to keep the transition to a minimum, I am wondering with this joist spacing if I can re-screw, level, and sand the subfloor and forgo the 1/4" cement board underlayment. BTW, I have a bay window area which has deflected about 3/4" which I plan to level with Ardex before I install the tile. If I can't, is there a thinner additional substrate that you can recommend? Thanks a lot.
Answer You have another option, it is NOT a better option. You could float a substrate into place. As in chicken wire and mortar. It is not easy and not recommended, but an option if you can have it done. The better option is the 1/4" cement board. Two things to consider. The cement board needs to be bonded to the plywood with both nails/screws and a mastic or thinset. If you can find an adhesive that will bond to the existing sheet vinyl fine. The goal...bonding tile to cement board and bonding cement board to floor. No sqeaks, no crackes, no loose grout.
