How To Install Ceramic Tile Floor Over Plywood

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 to install ceramic tile floor over plywood.

Plywood and osb expand and contract with humidity and temperature much more than ceramic tile. Ceramic tile doesn t expand contract nearly as much. 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. With this patented new technique ron s friend shows us how to build a strong base and then prepare it using the tavy thin skin system so that the tile is as strong.

While most floor tile these days is installed onto a layer of cement board or similar backerboard it is possible to lay tile directly over plywood. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. 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. Laying tile over a plywood subfloor can be a bit tricky but if you take the time to prepare the sub floor properly you can enjoy a new tile floor that will last for a lifetime.

But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. Tile floors are an attractive functional option for kitchens bathrooms laundry rooms and entryways. Regular seasonal humidity shifts are significant enough to make the average 10 x 10 wood subfloor floor expand or contract as much as 1 2.

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. Installing over wood. No matter how firm the subfloor. Installing a tile floor in any of these rooms will give you an easy to clean waterproof floor that holds up against weather and wear.