Durock helps ensure a long lasting tile floor.
Tile applied directly to a plywood substrate is prone to cracking, due to natural movement in the wood as a result of settling and changes in humidity. For years the only acceptable way to counter this was to pour a mud bed, a slab of concrete, several inches thick under the tile floor. This created a framing nightmare as the floor under the tile had to be framed to be flush with the surrounding floor and carry that extra weight of the mud bed. The introduction of Durock, and similar backer boards, negated the need for a mud bed by providing a sturdy, easy way to apply backer for tile. Durock can be easily cut by scoring the cut line and snapping the Durock in two along the cut line, much like cutting drywall.
Instructions
1. Lay the Durock out in a running bond. Start in one corner of the room to be tiled and place a sheet of Durock on the floor parallel to the wall. Continue laying sheets end to end until you reach the other wall. You may need to cut the final piece. Start the next row at the same end as the first row but use a half-sheet of Durock to ensure the joints don't line up and then continue the row using full sheets. Continue laying out the rows, alternating between a half sheet and full sheet for the first piece of each row. Do not fasten them down.
2. Pick up the first row of Durock.
3. Apply thin-set mortar, the same kind used to apply tile, to the floor. Use a 1/2-inch square-notch trowel to apply the mortar. This will leave alternating rows of mortar and rows with no mortar. Make sure the rows all run the same direction. Only spread enough to apply three or four pieces of Durock at a time.
4. Lay the Durock on top of the mortar and press it down firmly.
5. Screw the Durock down in addition to using mortar. Be sure to keep the screws one inch from the edges and the corners. Screw the edges off every six inches and every foot in the field.
6. Continue installing the backer board in this manner until all the Durock is installed.
7. Fill the seams between the boards with mortar as well. This provides a level surface free of voids.
8. Tape the seams using fiberglass mesh drywall tape.
9. Paint the entire Durock surface using a liquid waterproofing product. This will require two to three coats. Apply the product according to the package directions. You can usually use a roller for most of the floor and cut in the edges with a brush.
10. Apply mortar to the top of the Durock and roll out a tile decoupling membrane on top of it. While this step is not required, it will greatly improve the chances of your tile not cracking over time due to movements in the floor. The membrane will adhere to the floor and then the tile will adhere to the membrane. If there is movement beneath the membrane it can absorb that movement and stop it from reaching and potentially damaging the tile.
11. Dry fit the floor tile in your desired pattern. Laying it out now can prevent unforeseen problems once the tile is being installed. It is much easier to move tiles around if they aren't set in mortar.
12. Snap as many chalk lines as you need to guide you in the installation of the tile. For a simple square pattern you will only need two perpendicular lines marking the center of the floor in both directions. For more complex patterns and inlays, use as many as you feel you need to keep you on track.
13. Apply thin-set mortar to the top of the membrane using the same trowel. Make sure the rows run in one direction. If not, you can create pockets of air that may make it difficult to fully seat the tile in the mortar. Only spread enough for a couple of tiles at a time.
14. Set the tile in the mortar bed gently. Try to drop it in flat as setting down only one edge first, especially with larger tiles, can cause an indention in the mortar under that edge, which will allow a void to develop and potentially cause cracking later.
15. Adjust the tile to the desired position, trying not to move it too much, and insert tile spacers between the new tile and any surrounding tiles. Once it is in the desired position, firmly press down on it to ensure a good bond with the mortar.
16. Allow 24 hours for the mortar to cure and then grout the floor. Apply the grout using a specially designed grout float that helps force the grout into the tile joints. Make sure to hold the float at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.
17.Wipe up the excess grout using clean water and a grout sponge.
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