Can You Set Tile On Plywood Floor

Installing over wood.

Can you set tile on plywood floor. No matter how firm the subfloor. 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. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. Laying tile over a plywood subfloor can be tricky but if you prepare the sub floor properly your tile floor will last for a lifetime.

Under british standards bs 5385 part 1 plywood has now been excluded as a suitable substrate material for the direct fixing of wall tiles therefore when tiling on to walls a tile backer board is required however tiling onto plywood floors is still acceptable under british standards. A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. 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. For the best results when tiling onto plywood floors follow these instructions.

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. 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. 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. For wall installations your real concerns are whether you want to use thinset directly on the wood and whether you are using an exterior or interior type of plywood.

In order for tile floors to last for many years tile must have a level solid foundation. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. Set any nails or screws flush with or just below the tile surface with a hammer nail set drill or screwdriver. In other words if you are installing tile over plywood the subfloor must be able to bear the weight of.

While some types of plywood can be used in certain types of tile installations use of the material has limitations. It is more important as a subfloor than anything else.