How To Install Ceramic Tiles On The Plywood Subfloor

Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile.

How to install ceramic tiles on the 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. Backerboard does not shrink or expand when it comes into contact with water mortar and grout both contain water. One question that folks new to ceramic tile frequently ask is whether they can lay the ceramic directly on top of a plywood or osb subfloor using a thinset cement or liquid nails to glue down the tile to the wood. This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints.

The plywood floor does have a few gouges in the surface from pulling up the old tile. The bathroom is small 25 sq. A plywood subfloor must be structurally sound and able to support the installation. It will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load.

No matter how firm the subfloor. A poor ceramic installation will delaminate from the subfloor split at the grout lines or worse crack directly across the tile. Plywood must be installed over an. If needed sand the plywood down to level the subfloor.

Plywood substrate alternatives. 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. The coach demonstrates how to install a 3 8 plywood subfloor in a bathroom. This old tile grout was cracked along the seam in the plywood subfloor.

The safest most prudent course is to install tile on top of a cement backerboard such as durock wonderboard or hardiebacker. 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 backerboard is made for tiling. Laying tile over a plywood subfloor can be tricky but.

Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor. 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. Remember that you need a very flat surface to work on.