Subfloor and underlayment?

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RtKris

DIY Tiler
I’m planning on tiling a 140 sqft room and obviously my biggest concern is cracking. Currently my floor is 23/32” exterior osb over 2x10’s 16” oc across a 12’ span from foundation to beam. I’d like the finished height to meet the 3/4” wood flooring that abuts it and I’m planning on using 6” x 36” x 10 mm ceramic tile right now. I’m not sure about subfloor requirements, I’ve only tiled on concrete. I’m thinking about screwing the existing osb down more, then using a Ditra or laticrete stratamat underlayment, then tiling. It seems like this will get me close to the 3/4” height requirement. Will this be enough though? I’m leaning towards the laticrete since it’s cheaper and I don’t know any better. Any other suggestions? Thanks
 
Jeez it's hard mentally timesing all your measurements by 25 to metric, but if you've 3/4's to make up Inc a tile then would have thought a six mm (1/4") cement board glued and screwed will suffice..
 
Sorry, yeah the tile is listed as 2/5” thick. Seemed kind of odd. So that’s about 0.40”. 1/4” backer board would be enough over one sheet of plywood eh? Good to know, I was thinking I needed 1/2”.
 
Sorry, yeah the tile is listed as 2/5” thick. Seemed kind of odd. So that’s about 0.40” 1/4” backer board would be enough over one sheet of plywood eh? Good to know, I was thinking I needed 1/2”
Can you get 6mm or 12mm hardibacker cement boards over there?
 
Can you get 6mm or 12mm hardibacker cement boards over there?
Yes 1/4” and 1/2”, though I think the 1/2” is less, more like 7/16”? Sounds like I should be good with that. I think I may skip the cement board and use a decoupler membrane like Ditra or the laticrete. It just sounds easier and it’s a little less height. Anybody use those?
 
Sprinkle some fairy dust under the ditra and should be ok...I'm out, good luck 🤞🤘
 
Sprinkle some fairy dust under the ditra and should be ok...I'm out, good luck 🤞🤘
Okay great I’ll try that but I didn’t see that at the Home Depot here. Who makes it? Leads me to my second question, should I get the modified or unmodified? Thanks you’ve been so helpful!
 
You’ll want a modified thinset if your tiles are porcelain.
I can’t imagine them to be ceramic
if they’re 36” x 6” and a specified floor file.
(I could be wrong of course)
Ultimately it’s going to rely on the amount of
deflection in your floor.
Here, we would not choose to tile on to OSB, exterior grade or not, we would want it replaced with a more suitable material or it would be overboarded with an inert flooring board,
(glued and screwed) Hardiebacker or cement board equivalent, or XPS type board like wedi.
Timber, no matter what type, is a poor choice of substrate on which to tile.
It’s subject to far too many variables as to whether or not your install will have any kind of longevity. (Expansion, contraction and moisture)
Timber is not a stable material.
A matting like Ditra 25 or your laticrete mat will only assist with lateral movement of your substrate, not deflection. (Side to side, not up and down)
Hence our course of action would be to exchange the OSB for something more suitable like 55/64” hardifloor not herdiebacker.
Failing that, the overboard route would be taken.
A quick deflection test would by to place a brim full glass of water in the middle of your floor and see if you can make the water spill by stamping on your floor in close proximity to the glass.
Better still a horizontal lined laser, and watch for the line to vibrate when the floor is stamped on.
If it vibrates, then there is too much deflection present.
The only other way to make your floor more stable without the extra height, is to add more cross braces between your joist, this should help reduce the deflection.
Ultimately, the choice is yours, especially as you’re installing your own tile, a professional should refuse in its current condition.
If you can remove all deflection and mat over the OSB with Ditra or similar using something like Ardex AF200 adhesive, then you may have a floor that will work.
But with a 6” x 36” tile, there is a high possibility it will have problems if your substrate is not the best it can be.
Now the choice, really is yours.
Good luck.
 

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