How To Install Ceramic On Plywood

Step 1 measure.

How to install ceramic 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. Underlayment the preferred method for tile installations is to use a sheet of underlayment. However specialty thinsets are available that allow you to install tile and natural stones in unusual conditions such as on top of plywood instead of drywall for a wall setting. Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor.

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. 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. 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.

Start by measuring the room. Get the dimensions of the room and then multiply them to get the square. A poor ceramic installation will delaminate from the subfloor split at the grout lines or worse crack directly across the tile. 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.

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. Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile. Cement backerboard is made for tiling. This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints.

In order for tile floors to last for many years tile must have a level solid foundation. To install bathroom tile over plywood you ll have to follow a series of steps. How to prepare plywood for tile. Installing over wood.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile. In other words if you are installing tile over plywood the subfloor. The safest most prudent course is to install tile on top of a cement backerboard such as durock wonderboard or hardiebacker. No matter how firm the subfloor.