Installing A Tile Floor On Plywood

While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself.

Installing a tile floor on plywood.

Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth flat surface. Uncoupling membranes aren t recommended for tiles smaller than 2 inches square and should not be used when covering old hardwood flooring due to adhesion problems. Most tile manufacturers recommend installing a cement backer board instead of any other type of underlayment such as plywood. Hope you didn t like your beautiful new tile floor.

Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. A 3 4 inch plywood subfloor on a joist structure with 24 inch spacing needs the extra thickness of cementboard or the floor will flex and the tiles will crack. Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick.

Prepare a wood subfloor for tile a successful tile installation project requires a level surface. This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints. To install the concrete board apply tile adhesive to the back then press it down against the plywood. If you put tile directly on top of plywood it will chip and break.

A thinner subfloor will cause the floor to flex due to the weight of the tile. Make sure you comb the thin set in one direction. A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches. Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. Underlayment covers subfloor flaws for the best possible results.

Then you want to install screws into the concrete board in each of the holes. Tile can be installed over a plywood substrate and it is actually a fantastic way to make sure you don t have deflection in your floor. Comb the thin set using the notched side of your trowel holding it at a 45 degree angle to the floor and lightly pushing the trowel teeth to the floor. If this is your first time figuring out how to install tile floor you may only want to apply enough mortar for one or two tiles at a time.