For flooring use intervening sheets of plywood.
Attaching ceramic tile to plywood.
While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself.
Use the right type of plywood.
You can bond tile directly to a plywood subfloor and expect it to last.
Unscrew register covers and save the screws.
If possible you should always use concrete board underlayments rather than plywood.
Tips for laying tile on plywood subfloor.
Level the surface using a wood filler.
Then in either case the subfloor should probably be about an.
Fill in all large gaps and holes as these will prevent proper adhesion of the tiles.
This guide will teach you how to properly lay cement backerboard and use mortar to secure and level your subfloor before installing tile.
Remove any obstacles from the installation area.
Tiling onto plywood using a standard tile adhesive can be problematic initially i would make sure that the plywood surrounding the pipe work is secure and that you don t have any movement in it.
Unscrew switch plate and outlet covers and set aside.
The joists if they re 2x8 newer code and not 2x10 older code must be braced every four feet with cross braces which minimizes independent flexing of each joist and the subfloor above.
There are thin set dry set mortars design specifically for adhering ceramic tile to plywood that is designated as an ansi a118 11 thin set mortar.
Backerboard can double the thickness of an installation which can be troublesome in some locations.
For wall installations plywood is overkill beneath the concrete or fiber board which is designed in five eighths inch material for wall settings.
The silicone or urethane adhesives should work too but the thin set mortars are easier to work with and easier to get full adhesive contact between the tile and its substrate.
Space the field and edge fasteners.
There may be times when you want to bond tile directly to plywood or another wood surface rather than screwing down backerboard first.
Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor.
This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints.
However the floor must be properly reinforced to minimize flexing.
You can bond tile directly to wood with a flexible adhesive.
Use thinset with a higher latex content.
Unlike wood or drywall sub surfaces cement backerboard will not rot warp or grow mold and mildew when exposed to water.
How to glue tile to wood.
Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile.
