Ceramic Tile Deflection Calculator

Enter your floor joist information and then hit calculate deflection to find out your floor rating.

Ceramic tile deflection calculator.

Recent research has shown tile to fail under some conditions when the floor is more rigid than l 360. The tile council of america recommends that deflection be limited to l 360 l span length in inches under total load for ceramic tile. This calculator is designed to work with dimensional lumber only. Matthew the ceramic tile institute of america prefers deflection of less than l 360 and states.

Calculating deflection many tile contractors can judge a floor s deflection by walking around. Larger tiles make for a stiffer floor than smaller tiles. In fact failures at l 600 have been observed. Learn more about it here.

It is for this reason that recommendations for floor rigidity are not based on deflection measurements but on empirically established methods found to work over normal code construction. Concentrated load see astm c627. Joists are almost always laid on standard spacings 12in 16in 19 2in or 24in. For instance ceramic tile can withstand more deflection than natural stone.

Because ceramic floor tile is rigid and unforgiving it needs a structurally sound immobile base. If you have engineered truss or i beam type joists please do not use this calculator. Ceramic tile installations require the floor areas over which tile is to be applied to have a deflection not greater that 1 360 of the span when measured under a 300 lb. How to fix floor deflection for ceramic tile.

A heavy concentrated load can exceed l 360 between joists. The apa ews has voluntarily raised the minimum deflection of its systems to l 480 33 stiffer that conventional framing requirements for ceramic tile. 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. 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.

This deflection limitation differs from the l 360 deflection limit under uniform load prescribed by building codes. 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.