How To Lay Tile Over A Wood Floor

According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons.

How to lay tile over a wood floor.

Floor tiles usually should be laid over a strong underlayment of cement board or treated plywood. Make sure that the existing floor covering and the subfloor and any possible underlayment are sturdy enough for the installation of the vinyl flooring. First determine how much tile you will need for the job. Although installing tile over a wood floor is slightly more complicated than installing tile directly over concrete the project can be completed with a little bit of work and a few extra steps.

Removing floor coverings helps the installer assess the condition of the subfloor. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood. Check out the basics below to get started. By not removing the existing floor covering it is difficult to see if the subfloor is cracked rotted or otherwise is not in good condition.

While most floor tile these days is installed onto a layer of cement board or similar backerboard it is possible to lay tile directly over plywood. Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent. Installing over wood. 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.

Step 1 determine how much tile you will need. Still you may need to tile directly over an existing hardwood floor for instance to avoid raising the floor level significantly relative to an adjacent floor. If so make sure the floor is solid and well sealed. For flooring use intervening sheets of plywood.

But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. Cut the backerboard to fit the edges of the room with a carbide tipped scoring tool. This is not my favorite way to install tile but it can be done as long as the existing tile and subfloor are in good condition and the old tile is thoroughly cleaned and scuffed up with sandpaper to allow the new mortar to grip. I m often asked by homeowners if it s possible to lay down new tile over an existing tile floor.