How To Install Ceramic Tiles On Plywood

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.

How to install ceramic tiles on plywood.

We have our large kitchen and hallway that was originally covered by 12 x 12 ceramic tiles on top of 3 8th inch plywood. The floor tiles became loose cracked and ugly looking over about 2 decades of use. Install ceramic tile over a subfloor that s no less than 1 1 8 inches thick. Thin set was used instead of glue or adhesive.

A poor ceramic installation will delaminate from the subfloor split at the grout lines or worse crack directly across the tile. 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. Plywood substrate alternatives. Here are the basics of how to install bathroom tile on plywood.

Backerboard does not shrink or expand when it comes into contact with water mortar and grout both contain water. Get the dimensions of the room and then multiply them to get the square. Step 1 measure. Start by measuring the room.

A flexing subfloor results in cracked tiles and grout and a lot of headaches. Now the entire flooring of ceramic tiles needs to be torn out and replaced. To install bathroom tile over plywood you ll have to follow a series of steps. 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.

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. 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.