Tiling around a furnace

Concrete is the best surface to tile on. On the other hand, I wouldn't bother tiling the furnace (utility) room. Purhaps apply a concrete sealer if you want to "finish" it in any way. I wouldn't even bother with drywall in this utility room.

If you are putting in a new furnace in the near future you should hold off on your tiling project. The new furnace may have different physical dimensions than the old one.

Further, if you tile up to the furnace you risk getting thinset on the furnace, making it difficult to remove when it comes time and may force ripping up some tiles.


As well, since it hasn't been mentioned, you would need to level the floor before putting your tile down, which will affect the drainage of the room. If you have a hot water tank/humidifier in the room there should be a drain, and if there is a drain the floor should be sloped to go into the drain in case of a leak. By tiling and leveling the floor the water will not naturally run into the drain.

Have you thought of just using vinyl tile? And when you get a new furnace just put the vinyl tile underneath so you have a continuous appearance?

The floor doesn't have to be level to tile on. That's only a human preference that the floor be level. Tiled shower stalls aren't level, they grade towards the drain. So should be the case here.

But I'm still opposed to tiling/finishing the furnance room.

Mr Nobody wrote: ↑The floor doesn't have to be level to tile on. That's only a human preference that the floor be level. Tiled shower stalls aren't level, they grade towards the drain. So should be the case here.

But I'm still opposed to tiling/finishing the furnance room.

To go to all the work of tiling the work and not leveling it first, in such a large room, seems silly. You'll spend all that time/money to make it look nice, but the first thing everyone will see is the uneven floor, and just think it was a poor job.

But, that is just my opinion of course.

TrevorK wrote: ↑To go to all the work of tiling the work and not leveling it first, in such a large room, seems silly. You'll spend all that time/money to make it look nice, but the first thing everyone will see is the uneven floor, and just think it was a poor job.

But, that is just my opinion of course.

But you don't want it level BECAUSE of the drain. And who has visitors in their furnace room too see how nicely its been decorated? Another reason not to finish the furnace room.

Level the rest of the basement. Finish the rest of the basement. Leave the furnace room alone. Done.