Ceramic Tile Over Wood Underlayment

Prepare a wood subfloor for tile a successful tile installation project requires a level surface.

Ceramic tile over wood underlayment.

Trowel able and pourable underlayment a number of trowel able and pourable tile underlayment options are available. Ceramic tile over wood tile concrete or vinyl should be installed by using appropriate products that will allow the right adhesion between surfaces. Ceramic tile over wood structural panel floors wood structural panels have been used successfully under ceramic tile for decades. It is a good idea to put half inch plywood underlay to strengthen the floor before using modified thin set to put the tile directly on wood.

Because most old homes only use 1 2 plywood or osb. Always be sure the existing surface has been cleaned and leveled. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment it will not cause the wood to swell as happens with interior grade plywood.

If the wood backsplash is firmly attached 3 4 is plenty thick to screw backerboard into or you could remove the existing backsplash and screw the backer through the drywall and into the studs. Set your store to see local availability add to cart. This means you can have a 3 4 inch wood subfloor covered by 1 2 inch plywood cement board or approved gypsum fiber underlayment. If the subfloor is 5 8 or 3 4 you can probably apply tile directly to it with no problem.

If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. Other common types include cementboard or tile backer used under ceramic or stone tile foam underlayment used under laminate and engineered wood floating floors and rosin paper used under solid hardwood flooring. Tile installed over wood floor systems must have a minimum of 1 1 4 inches of solid material beneath it. Due to the brittle nature of the tile it is important to make certain that the floor system is as stiff as practically possible.

Exterior plywood is an acceptable underlayment for tile and is preferred to interior grade plywoods because the bonding adhesives used are waterproof.