Ceramic Tile Over Wood Subfloor

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

Ceramic tile over wood subfloor.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. 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. A membrane is easier to install than cementboard. An extra layer of ceramic tile adds substantial thickness to the flooring layer.

It is an orange colored membrane designed as a backer for tile. The compound must be allowed to dry completely before proceeding with tile installation which can be anywhere from 24 hours to a few days depending on the brand. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood. It can also require that doors be trimmed and trim moldings reinstalled to accommodate the height changes.

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. Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent. It allows the tile layer to move independently of the subfloor so expansion and contraction caused by moisture and thermal gradients won t cause the grout or tiles to crack. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood.

However there is a new product by schluter called the ditra system. 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. This means you can have a 3 4 inch wood subfloor covered by 1 2 inch plywood cement board or approved gypsum fiber underlayment. First of all tile definitely should not be put down over a wood sub floor.

Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Tape over holes and. It won t allow moisture from the subfloor to weaken the bond of the tiles to the floor. Tile installed over wood floor systems must have a minimum of 1 1 4 inches of solid material beneath it.