# RE: Tiling over Advantech



## firefighterjake (Jun 1, 2010)

I will hopefully be tiling the hallway in a few weeks.

The question . . . should I put down some cement backer board over the Advantech flooring I have in the house . . . or apply the tile directly to the Advantech? 

If cement board is recommended is it OK to go with the quarter inch or should I go with the half inch?


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## Wallyworld (Jun 1, 2010)

Does the floor bounce, if it does the tile(or grout) is going to crack. Do you want the hall floor to match up with surrounding floors, if so doesn't that determine how much underlayment you want under the tiles


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## LLigetfa (Jun 1, 2010)

I'm not familiar with Advantech.  Is it a 3/4" OSB subfloor?  Was it glued and screwed?  What is there for floor joists with what sort of span?  Is it cross-braced and strapped underneath?  Is the underside accessible?

Cement backer board is not a structural component meaning it adds no strength to the floor.  It is essentially just a decoupler and assists in bonding.  If you need to add strength, one approach is to cross-cleat the underside with 2x4's on one foot spacing.

That said, I laid porcelain tile over 3/4" Sturd-I-floor OSB using diamond mesh lath with unmodified thinset scratchcoat.  The cross-braced 2x10 joists spanned 13'.  There were no broken tiles and no cracked grout joints.


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## JeffRey30747 (Jun 2, 2010)

I would recommend 1/2" durock with thinset applied underneath. The "pros" that did my bathroom slate used 3/8" Hardi backer with no thinset underneath the backer and I have a few cracks and you can feel it move slightly sometimes. I did ceramic tile on my back porch with the 1/2" durock as above per mfg. specs and have no perceived movement or cracks. Both of these are over Advantech subfloor glued and nailed with ring shank nails per nailing schedule. If the 1/2" will put the floor too high to match up with other floors, then you should go thinner on the backer.


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## devinsdad (Jun 2, 2010)

I hear great things about DITRA. It costs some $$$ though


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## Jay H (Jun 2, 2010)

I'm happy with the ease of installation of using DITRA in my bathroom and kitchen remodeling. It is pretty easy to use. It is fairly pricely and you use more morter/thinset (as opposed to screws for the backer boards)... 

Jay


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## semipro (Jun 2, 2010)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> I'm not familiar with Advantech.  Is it a 3/4" OSB subfloor?  Was it glued and screwed?  What is there for floor joists with what sort of span?  Is it cross-braced and strapped underneath?  Is the underside accessible?
> 
> *Cement backer board is not a structural component meaning it adds no strength to the floor.  It is essentially just a decoupler and assists in bonding. * If you need to add strength, one approach is to cross-cleat the underside with 2x4's on one foot spacing.
> 
> That said, I laid porcelain tile over 3/4" Sturd-I-floor OSB using diamond mesh lath with unmodified thinset scratchcoat.  The cross-braced 2x10 joists spanned 13'.  There were no broken tiles and no cracked grout joints.



I agree with LLigetfa on the backer board comment.  I've done many tile floors at my houses and for others.  I suggest you consider the Schluter-Ditra product if all you need is decoupling for crack prevention and a good adhesion substrate.  If you decide to go with a concrete backer board I'd consider using the Hardy backer instead of the Durock.  I've found that the Hardy product is much easier to work with. 

None of the systems mentioned above will make up for a flexing floor though.  Its got to be solid.


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## semipro (Jun 2, 2010)

JeffRey30747 said:
			
		

> I would recommend 1/2" durock with thinset applied underneath. The "pros" that did my bathroom slate used 3/8" Hardi backer with no thinset underneath the backer and I have a few cracks and you can feel it move slightly sometimes. I did ceramic tile on my back porch with the 1/2" durock as above per mfg. specs and have no perceived movement or cracks. Both of these are over Advantech subfloor glued and nailed with ring shank nails per nailing schedule. If the 1/2" will put the floor too high to match up with other floors, then you should go thinner on the backer.



I've always put mortar under the Hardy backer and believe that's what Hardy recommends.


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## Reggie Dunlap (Jun 5, 2010)

All the tile guys around here stopped using Hardy backer and Durock on subfloors years ago. Ditra is the way to go.


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## Cutter (Jun 5, 2010)

Advantech is a great material but not to good for trying to put tile down on it. It has a super sealer on it and I doubt that you would get very good adhesion.


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