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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. No matter how firm the 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.
How thick should subfloor be for ceramic?
The subfloor under the tile should be at least 1 1/8″ thick, with a minimum of 5/8″ thick exterior grade plywood topped by 1/2″ cement backer board.
Does a plywood subfloor have to be 100% level for installing ceramic tile?
Before installing tile on your floor you must make sure your floor is properly prepared. A properly prepared floor does not have to be level.
Can you tile 1/2 plywood?
To accommodate the 1/2 inch difference in floor heights, purchase or cut a transition strip of hard wood. According to the three most prevalent manufacturers of backer board in the US, no, 1/2″ ply is not acceptable. All of them require at minimum 5/8ths plywood.
Do I need to seal plywood before tiling?
This expansion gap should be filled with a silicone sealant to prevent it from being filled with tile adhesive when fixing your tiles. Before fixing your plywood overlay, ensure the reverse and edges of the boards have been sealed using BAL Bond SBR neat, as this reduces water permeability.
What kind of subfloor is needed for ceramic tile?
Exterior-Grade Plywood Exterior plywood is an acceptable underlayment for tile and is preferred to interior-grade plywoods because the bonding adhesives used are waterproof. If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment, it will not cause the wood to swell, as happens with interior-grade plywood.
Can you put ceramic tile on subfloor?
Tile can be laid on plywood. But do not install tile directly on the plywood subfloor itself. Use an intervening layer of a sheet of thinner plywood.
How thick should plywood be for a tile floor?
You’ll need to cover your floorboards with a rigid and smooth surface to prepare it for tiling. Traditionally, 12mm thick plywood was the way to go, but this can raise the floor height of the room by around 1.5cm once tiled.
How level does the floor need to be for tile?
As noted in the first answer above, the surface to be tiled, in your case the floor, must be flat within 1/8” in 10′ when measured from the high points of the floor. To achieve this, be sure to use the appropriate patch or self-leveling compound (with the same manufacturer’s primer), but never thin set mortar.
How uneven can a floor be for tile?
As a general rule the floor needs to be almost perfectly flat. When the underside of the tile is uneven it’s difficult to get enough glue coverage. And the recommended glue coverage for indoor tiles is around 80%. Any less than that and the tiles become damaged very easily.
How smooth does subfloor need to be for tile?
A subfloor is the bottom-most structural level of your floor. A good subfloor needs to be durable, level, at least 1 ⅛ inches thick, and free from residue. If it is not, it won’t support tile well. Even the smallest cracks or depressions in a concrete floor could cause your tile to break early.
Can you wall tile onto plywood?
If you are working in an interior setting in a dry area where the tile will never come into contact with water, you can install the tile directly onto the face of the plywood so long as you use the proper type of thinset.
Can you install wall tile on plywood?
You can use plywood for tiling floors but when it comes to walls, it is unfit. As plywood goes under a continuous change in size, tiles and grout can crack and cause irreversible damage. Although wall tiles can’t expand and contract, plywood can be used for tiling your floor.
What kind of plywood do you use for tile subfloor?
Tip: Make sure the subfloor will not deteriorate when it gets wet. Particleboard is not an acceptable subfloor material for tiling projects. Oriented strand board (OSB) and exterior-grade plywood will work if first covered with a latex-modified mortar and a tiling backer board.
How do you seal plywood before tiling?
Plywood requires the application of a latex based bonding solution to the plywood to seal it and then the use of a flexible cement based adhesive, not pre-mixed tub adhesive.
Can you use thinset to level a plywood floor?
Because mortar will stick to the concrete slab and the wood subfloor, and mortar will stick to mortar, then it would only make sense that mortar would work for leveling or patching, right? Well, the answer is actually no. Mortars cannot be used to level or patch a floor – ever!Aug 3, 2020.
How do you level plywood before tiling?
Slide a 4- to 6- foot straight edge around the subfloor you’re prepping for tile. Go in all different directions, looking for valleys and hollows. If you find any uneven areas, they will need to be filled in with a layer of self-leveling underlayment before you move on to the next step.
Does tile adhesive stick to plywood?
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. No matter how firm the 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.
Can I tile directly onto wood?
Tiling on wood. Can you tile on wood? Yes, but because wooden floors naturally bend, bounce and expand, tiles can end up cracking under the pressure if installed incorrectly. Tiling on wood surfaces is all about ensuring there is enough rigidity in the wooden subfloor and selecting the correct flexible tile adhesive.
What is the best subfloor for porcelain tile?
1. Backer Board. This is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain tile. Backer board comes in four-foot-by-eight-foot and three-foot-by-five-foot rigid panels that contain a combination of cement, fiberglass, and sometimes crushed glass particles.
Can you lay tile directly on OSB?
You can lay tile over an OSB subfloor, but a membrane should be installed between the subfloor and the tiles to ensure a bond between the tile and the floor is made. Even if you are looking for a new subfloor to install, OSB is inexpensive and can work well with tile.
