How To Install Ceramic Tile On Subfloor

Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor.

How to install ceramic tile on subfloor. A thinner subfloor will cause the floor to flex due to the weight of the tile. The kitchen has linoleum. My subfloor is 1 12 boards laid diagonal to the floor joists which are on 16 in centers i might add this is over a basement i want to do the entry way to the kitchen and kitchen floor. Install ceramic tile over a subfloor that s no less than 1 1 8 inches thick.

I have a question about ceramic tile installation. Tile floors are heavy and tile is a hard material. It will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load. 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.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints. Plywood substrate alternatives. Osb panels provide an excellent base for many types of finished flooring including ceramic tiles if careful attention to the construction and preparation of the subfloor is paid in order to avoid costly callbacks.

The safest most prudent course is to install tile on top of a cement backerboard such as durock wonderboard or hardiebacker. Cement backerboard is made for tiling. Backerboard does not shrink or expand when it comes into contact with water mortar and grout both contain water. 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.

Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile. A plywood subfloor must be structurally sound and able to support the installation. Preparing a subfloor is an essential step for installing floor tile it provides a level surface that will allow the tiles to properly stay in place. Cement backer board can provide a solid flat surface to install tiles on if you have a wood subfloor.

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. Installing over wood. A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches.