Can You Install Ceramic Tile On Plywood Floor

You cannot install tile directly onto plywood because it is not dimensionally stable.

Can you install ceramic tile on plywood floor. If installing over an appropriate wood surface sand the wood to make it smoother and remember that the installation will work better over a subfloor at least 1 1 8 inches thick. It should be fastened to the subfloor using thinset and then screwed down every 10 square. 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. While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself.

Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor. Since carpet tiles do not have padding underneath you will be able to feel underlying grout lines and texture from prior flooring. It is important to observe the installation technology otherwise the coating will not be used for long. To install the concrete board apply tile adhesive to the back then press it down against the plywood.

Carpet tiles can adhere to concrete plywood or particleboard subfloors. However we highly recommend removing existing flooring. Plywood must be protected from liquids since this material is highly susceptible to moisture. If you put tile directly on top of plywood it will chip and break.

There are two materials commonly used for laying ceramic on plywood or osb that are applied before the tile. Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Concrete board concrete board also called backer board comes in 1 4 and 1 2 thicknesses and is usually sold in 4 x 6 sheets. Try laying tile over 1 2 durock or hardie and see what happens when the joists are 19 2 or 24 on center.

Tiles on the plywood on the floor fit in the case where there is no possibility to use other materials to align the roughing base. Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile. Then you want to install screws into the concrete board in each of the holes. If you must install over such surfaces it is best to install a backer board over the old surface and install the tile on the backer board.