A concrete sealer prevents moisture from staying underneath the ceramic tiles.
Ceramic tile on concrete steps.
Once your repairs have dried take the time to seal the concrete.
This will give you a really tight connection to your slab.
Use the flat side of trowel to apply the thin set and the comb edge of the trowel to create grooves image 1.
In this illustration the concrete stair substrate would be constructed.
The dimension of the substrate would meet the requirements and would leave room for the bonded mortar bed and tile.
Follow the simple steps below to begin adding tiles to your own concrete steps.
Before you can tile the stairs you should wait several days until the mortar dries out.
This do it yourself video how to tile an exterior concrete stairs part 1 or how to tile outdoor concrete steps and how to tile outdoor patio shows in detai.
Because of the weight of the ceramic tile the mortar and the grouting standard wooden stairs are not a good match for ceramic tile.
Concrete stairs should be used when you are going to use ceramic tiles for the stairs.
Porch tile concrete porch concrete stairs concrete floors ceramic flooring porch flooring cement steps tile steps front stoop.
Once the sealer has dried apply the concrete patch or leveler and make sure that you have a flat surface with no defects.
If you do have wooden stairs consider using a cement backboard for the tile.
It will also provide a stronger adhesion between mortar and concrete.
If the stairs are not even you have to pour a mortar bet as to make them level.
Tiling your concrete steps can help to make your stairs more beautiful and decorative.
Set the tiles by gently sliding into place.
In order to install tile on stairs you have to pay attention to a few aspects as to get the job done as a professional.
Wrap a 2 x 4 in old carpet and drag it back and forth across the tile surfaces to set them evenly.
How to lay tile on concrete steps 2 x 4.
Step 1 choose the type of tiles.
This is an optional step but can really benefit your tile installation in the long run.
When tiling the steps start with the risers.
There are many different types of tiles that can be used on concrete steps.
In figure a we see ceramic or stone tile installed over a mortar bed bonded to a set of concrete stairs.
Step 2 seal the concrete.
Exterior stairs are most commonly made using concrete as concrete is among the most durable and long lasting building materials.
Use spacers to achieve consistent gaps between tiles image 2.
The floor must be level or your tiles and grout will form cracks.
Seal and level the concrete.