How To Install Tile Floor Over Wood 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 to install tile floor over wood subfloor.

Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. Second the strength of wood boards isn t always consistent.

No matter how firm the subfloor. We have hardwood floors that have been let go for too long that they are not worth saving it s an 80 yrd old house. Concrete subfloors are prepared differently than wood subfloors. Tweet installing vinyl flooring over the existing floor in your room isn t especially difficult and can usually be done as a diy project however if you re working with existing wood flooring then you ll have to follow a slightly different method than you would with existing vinyl flooring or laminate flooring.

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. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile. Measure and cut 1 4 inch or thicker plywood with a circular saw to fit the entire floor of the room where you are installing vinyl flooring. The tub toilet and cabinets sit on top of the existing hardwood floors and i am wondering if i can just install a thin subfloor over the hardwood and then tile on top of the subfloor.

According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons. 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. 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 goal is to have a wooden subfloor consisting of two.

For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. 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.