How To Install Ceramic Floor Tile On Plywood

This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints.

How to install ceramic floor tile on plywood.

While you can lay tile directly over a concrete slab using thin set adhesive don t make the mistake of applying tile directly to a plywood subfloor. This guide will show you how to prepare your subfloor for a tile installation project to ensure that it s fit to support ceramic or porcelain tile. Tile can be installed over various types of subfloor. A thinner subfloor will cause the floor to flex due to the weight of the tile.

Chipboard cushioned vinyl flooring particle boards of any type oriented strand board osb interior grade plywood tongue and groove planking and hardwood floors are unsuitable substrates for direct installation of ceramic tile. Tile floors are an attractive functional option for kitchens bathrooms laundry rooms and entryways. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. To prepare the floor you ll need to lay fiberglass or cement backer board as a base then apply a leveling compound to even out any holes or divets.

A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches. Install ceramic tile over a subfloor that s no less than 1 1 8 inches thick. Backerboard does not shrink or expand when it comes into contact with water mortar and grout both contain water. Most tile manufacturers recommend installing a cement backer board instead of any other type of.

If your tile floors are worn or chipped or you re simply ready for an upgrade follow this guide to learn how to install a tile floor yourself. Cement backerboard is made for tiling. When you re ready to lay the tile you ll need to start from the exact center of the floor and lay the tile in lines toward either wall leaving a small space between each tile. No matter how firm the subfloor.

Installing over wood. The safest most prudent course is to install tile on top of a cement backerboard such as durock wonderboard or hardiebacker. The most suitable materials for the subfloor are concrete plywood and cement board. The plywood will expand and contract at a different rate as the tile causing cracks to develop in the grout lines or tiles over time.

Plywood substrate alternatives. Installing a tile floor in any of these rooms will give you an easy to clean waterproof floor that holds up against weather and wear.