Does backerboard need to be installed for new kitchen tile with cement floor?
Nope. Just clean up drywall mud and/or paint with a sponge mop. Shop vac also. I have been told the concrete should be wood troweled rather than steel trowel, so that it is a bit porous rather than slick, so that the thinset mortar bonds better by locking in the pours, but I've had to install over concrete that was obviously steel troweled with no problem. In fact, I had to tear out a couple of tile, because a wall had to be moved after the tile was set (oops). It was so difficult, I bought an air chisel for the mortar. If you do it right, it will bond extremely well.
Backerboard is used to stiffen the wood subfloor when you lay tile. This is important so the subfloor doesn't deflect when additional weight is put onto it (thus, breaking the tiles). Since you have a cement floor, putting down a backerboard wouldn't make any sense, but the floor does need to be level. You can pick up self-leveling compound at the hardware store. It's going to be in the same aisle as grouts, tools, etc.
No way. If you put backer board over a concrete substrate, you are basically adding an additional concrete floor with the added 1/4 inch thickness. It would be an absolute waste of time, resources and money to do that. Concrete is THE BEST substrate for ceramic, porcelain or natural tile. Backer board is for plywood substrate, or something else. The only time you would need cement backer board for a concrete floor is if your floor is really uneven. Even then, you can put floor leveler on to take care of that. Hope this helps. Have a great day!
No you do not need to put down backer board over cement(concrete) floor. A concrete floor is the perfect substrate for tile.
No, you can tile directly onto the cement floor. Check to make sure it is level and also repair any holes or cracks before you start. If your floor is not level, the easiest fix is to buy self-leveler at any home improvement store. It is runny, kind of like water, and it finds its own level and then sets -- and you can then tile on top of it.
