Technically cement board can be laid over a concrete slab as the base for a tile installation.
Tile over concrete basement wall.
I suggest painting the walls with redgard a sort of paintable rubber.
Skip this step and we guarantee your new tile will crack right over the cracks in the concrete.
Concrete provides one of the most stable working platforms in the world and is the preferred foundation layer for a ceramic or porcelain tile.
A better solution is to prepare and resurface the concrete slab so that it can accept thin set adhesive or a mortar base onto which to lay tile.
Then prime the concrete see photo 2 with the recommended solution consult the membrane manufacturer s literature.
Then you tile over that.
Grind off all ridges or mortar protruding out from the wall with a concrete grinder.
As long as you inspect the surface and follow the proper procedure the project should go smoothly.
How to lay porcelain tile over a concrete floor.
Laying your concrete basement floor with ceramic tiles is an excellent way to enhance both the beauty and lifespan of your concrete basement floor.
Existing pipes that run along the inside of concrete basement walls a common issue often create another problem.
This can be solved by simply leaving the pipe in place and building the new wall.
Scrub concrete walls with a wire brush to remove debris dust or any other materials stuck to the wall.
Whether you re looking to do this in your basement or even tiling over tile in bathroom walls the project can be done on your own.
Installing tile directly on concrete.
Let the primer dry and then apply the membrane photos 3 and 4.
Cut the membrane so it s 1 1 2 times the width of your tiles.
You paint the floor too.
The cinder block wall needs to be thoroughly scrubbed of dust from grout and chunks of loose brick so that the new tiles will be able to adhere easily and not fall from the wall or crack or crumble over time.
The early application of tiles as floor finish was not as successful as it is today because older style tiles broke too easily.
Ceramic and porcelain tile are so frequently installed at or above grade level on a cement board underlayment or directly on plywood that it almost seems novel to install tile directly on concrete.
Yet this application does make sense since concrete is heavy solid and is typically thought of as an unbending uncompromising material.
However if you re building a shower it s critically important that you have a waterproof membrane separating the finish materials tile from the structure concrete walls and cement backboard on any framed walls you build.