Installing Tile or Stone Flooring

Backer Board

Backer boards have a low mass and are relatively inexpensive to install. They can be 1/4″ or 1/2″ thick and provide a base for tiled areas which will match up well with adjacent finish flooring. There are a variety of Cementitious Backer Units (CBUs) available.

• Apply thinset to the surface of Warmboard using a square-notched trowel (this layer will function as a butter coating)
• Immediately, before the thinset dries, fasten the Backer board using Backer board screws
• Use Backer board tape on all seams then apply the thinset
• Finish with tile or stone

A warranty letter from Custom Building Products for this application is available upon request.

Backer Board Stencil

Using a clear polyethylene sheet (3- or 4-mil), take a permanent marker to quickly create a stencil of the tubing pattern. Now, use this stencil as a guide over the Backer board to install the fasteners and avoid tubing damage.

• Cut the polyethylene to the size of Backer board (cut all 3′ x 5′ stencils at once to save time).
• DO NOT cut directly over the Warmboard or the tubing
• Place the cut sheets over the Warmboard panel and tape down the corners. With a permanent marker, clearly mark the top and bottom of the stencil, then trace the tubing pattern.
• Remove the stencil and lay flat next to your work areas
• Trowel a coat of Thin-set over the Warmboard panel and set the Backer board
• Align the stencil and tape down over the Backer board. Pre-drill all safe fastening locations, then remove stencil and fasten as normal

Take care to avoid tubing damage.

Mud Bed, MAPEI

A mortar bed is the traditional method of addressing the expansion, contraction and deflection properties of wooden subfloors while providing a thick, continuous and stable surface for tile adhesion.

However, they are expensive and add significant mass to a system. The thickness often causes the elevation of tile areas to misalign with adjacent carpeted or hardwood areas.

• Install a layer of 4- or 6-mil polyethylene to serve as a cleavage membrane
• Fasten down a diamond wire mesh lath over the membrane using crown staples
• Finish with a minimum 3/4″ mortar bed (Mapei® 4-to-1 Mud Bed Mix or equal).
• After the mortar bed has cured, apply thinset
• Finish with tile or stone

Self-Leveling Underlayment, Mapei

This product has a thin profile with the great strength of a mortar bed.

• Clean the panels and apply “Mapei Primer T” (per Mapei instructions)
• Follow with the diamond wire mesh lath and attach with crown staples
• Mix and apply “Ultraplan® Easy” at a thickness of 3/8″ or more
• Apply thinset
• Finish with tile or stone

Uncoupling Membrane, Blanke

Blanke PERMAT offers amazing crack isolation protection with superior compression and tensile strength. The Blanke PERMAT reinforced mesh panel adds major support to wood subfloors, greatly reducing vertical subfloor movement (deflection).

• Clean the panels
• Trowel on the Mapei Granirapid thinset mortar using a V-notched trowel
• Immediately install the Permat
• The next day, follow with thinset using a square-notched trowel
• Finish with tile or stone

Uncoupling Membrane, Mapei

Mapeguard UM is a premium-performance, lightweight, waterproofing and vapor-pressure equalizing membrane that provides crack suppression for ceramic tile and stone installations.

• Apply the Mapei Granirapid® thinset mortar using a v-notched trowel
• Install the Mapeguard UM
• Wait for the mortar below the Mapeguard UM to be completely dry
• Trowel on the Kerabond/Keralastic System (or Ultraflex 3)
• Immediately finish with tile or stone

Uncoupling Membrane, Schluter

Schluter®-DITRA® and DITRA-XL™ uncoupling membranes are designed to help prevent cracking in ceramic and stone tile installations. Made of waterproof polyethylene, these product installations can be waterproofed with minimal effort.

• ROll a layer of Schluter® PRIMER-U directly over the Warmboard and PEX tubing
• Apply a layer of Schluter® ALl-SET®. Before the thinset is cured, install the uncoupling membrane
• Once the Schulter® ALL-SET® is completely dry, trowel Schluter® ALL-SET® modified thinset mortar directly on top of the uncoupling membrane
• Finish with stone or tile before the Schluter® ALL-SET® has cured

Uncoupling Membrane 2, Schluter

Schluter®-DITRA® and DITRA-XL™ uncoupling membranes are designed to help prevent cracking in ceramic and stone tile installations. Made of waterproof polyethylene, these product installations can be waterproofed with minimal effort. 

• Roll a layer of Schluter® PRIMER-U directly over the Warmboard and PEX tubing
• Apply a layer of Schluter® ALl-SET®. Before the thinset is cured, install the uncoupling membrane
• Once the Schulter® ALL-SET® is completely dry, trowel Schluter® ALL-SET® modified thinset mortar directly on top of the uncoupling membrane
• Finish with stone or tile before the Schluter® ALL-SET® has cured

Uncoupling Membrane, RedGard

The RedGard® Uncoupling Mat is a water and vapor-proof uncoupling membrane that can be used for crack-isolation in most tile, porcelain or natural stone installations. This product absorbs stress and preserves the surface and integrity of the tile. RedGard Uncoupling Mat’s bonding layers have reinforced fleece which locks mortar into the mat,ensuring strong, reliable installations.

• Clean the panels
• Apply the Mapei Granirapid® thinset mortar using a v-notched trowel.
• Immediately install the RedGard Uncoupling Mat
• The next day, follow with thinset using a square- notched trowel
• Finish with tile or stone.