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will tile crack under washing machine???

11 years ago

I'm about to start working on a mud/laundry room and would like to tile the whole thing in ceramic tile. How likely would it be that the washing machine, that every so often does the Watusi due to imbalance, will end up cracking the large tiles? Is it best to define a non-tiled ares for the washer and drier? I was thinking of incorporating the washer into a large tray maybe with a drain to the basement to avoid any bad leaks that might develop in a washer malfunction.

Featured Answer

JetSwet

11 years ago

Ditra & cbu aka cement board offers no stiffness or structure to a subfloor, ditra is used alot in bathroom serves at being water proof and will hold back water if passes through the tile if failer. There is a similar product same co. And that's kerdi mat which is used to mat up the walls like in a shower stall you can not use ditra in that case as its not a uncuplingmembrane.

Cbu and ditra are for bond to hold thinset down because even though it's possible to tile over plywood it's not by Standered.

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Comments (10)

User
11 years ago
If the tile is properly installed, and you choose porcelain, it shouldn't crack. What is the substrate? Concrete slab is relatively straight forward, but if you are on a crawlspace, then you need to assess the flooring joist situation for rigidity. That will most likely involve the addition of more plywood and backer board, but might also involve cross bracing or sistering the joists as well.
JetSwet
11 years ago
You need at least 1" of ply for tile if not on slab. Sistering joists should be used to raise unlevel floor.
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jaansu
Original Author
11 years ago
I currently have 3/4" ply on the joists but I understand there is a formula for what thickness is the minimum. The room is 7 X 30' with 2X10 joists 16" OC. The span of the joists is 16' to where a steel Ibeam supports it. What additional ply and grade do I need for adequate support for 12" ceramic tile?

I have access to the underside should sistering or blocking make sense.
JetSwet
11 years ago
1 1/4" is actually Standered for substraint.
Sistering or putting cats between the joists won't eliminate deflection of the subfloor. Add a layer of 1/2" B/C sanded or A/C ply then if your to high you can put ditra mat then tile or 1/4" cement board.

You will have to run the ply perpendicular from joists and off set the seems from the 1st layer of 3/4" at least a foot.
jaansu
Original Author
11 years ago
I see Ditra mat referred to often in this forum and others. Does it provide benefits over cement board? Any additional stiffening of the floor?
jaansu
Original Author
11 years ago
the new height of the tile floor is an issue in this room. I would like to minimize the height without risking floor stability. My understanding is that if the floor's deflection is better than L/360 from the deflectometer calculation, then you need a minimum of 1 1/8" plywood glued and screwed down before cementboard or Ditra goes down. Can I get away with 1/4" thickness with these for under the tile?
JetSwet
11 years ago
http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_lay_ceramic_tile_over_plywood

Take a look at this site might be a aption for you.
weedyacres
11 years ago
Ditra is WAY easier to work with than cement board. Faster, lighter, easier. And its decoupling membrane is a superior technology to cement board for isolating movement.

Google "deflectolator" for a calculator to use to find deflection.

Sistering your joists WILL reduce deflection. Jetswet is wrong on that count.
JetSwet
11 years ago
You can sister the joists all you want there will still be bounce aka movement with in the ply its self so adding another layer the way I explained before will illuminate that.

It usually takes engineers to figure out deflections, span tables, face grain. It's all in the same family. Alot of people get mislead by deflection.

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