Ceramic Tile Deflection Calculator

Matthew the ceramic tile institute of america prefers deflection of less than l 360 and states.

Ceramic tile deflection calculator.

Concentrated load see astm c627. Deflection or bounciness can cause tiles and grout to crack or come loose and the tolerance depends on what type of tile is being installed. A heavy concentrated load can exceed l 360 between joists. All floors deflect or move to some extent but if.

If you have engineered truss or i beam type joists please do not use this calculator. Recent research has shown tile to fail under some conditions when the floor is more rigid than l 360. The apa ews has voluntarily raised the minimum deflection of its systems to l 480 33 stiffer that conventional framing requirements for ceramic tile. Tile industry associations recommend special total load deflection limits the following tables list the components and weights of typical floor systems along with the deflection limits that apply.

This calculator is designed to work with dimensional lumber only. Enter your floor joist information and then hit calculate deflection to find out your floor rating. This deflection limitation differs from the l 360 deflection limit under uniform load prescribed by building codes. The tile council of america recommends that deflection be limited to l 360 l span length in inches under total load for ceramic tile.

In fact failures at l 600 have been observed. For instance ceramic tile can withstand more deflection than natural stone. Joists are almost always laid on standard spacings 12in 16in 19 2in or 24in. Whether you are installing stone or ceramic tile over floors and walls there s one thing to consider.

How to fix floor deflection for ceramic tile. Calculating deflection many tile contractors can judge a floor s deflection by walking around. Learn more about it here. Because ceramic floor tile is rigid and unforgiving it needs a structurally sound immobile base.

Deflection of bare plywood and osb comparable to the robinson l 360 deflection can be estimated by calculation but the addition of tile systems creates a stiffness change in the floor assembly that is impossible to estimate e g. However when considering deflection for tile one needs to also consider deflection between joists.