Ceramic Tile Over Plywood Floor

We have our large kitchen and hallway that was originally covered by 12 x 12 ceramic tiles on top of 3 8th inch plywood.

Ceramic tile over plywood floor.

Now the entire flooring of ceramic tiles needs to be torn out and replaced. 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. Ceramic tile doesn t expand contract nearly as much. Plywood and osb expand and contract with humidity and temperature much more than ceramic tile.

The tile industry recommends a sub floor of at least 1 1 4 thick. 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. 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.

Thin set was used instead of glue or adhesive. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad. Keep in mind when building up the thickness of your sub floor to overlap the seams of the different layers of plywood as this will also help stiffen the floor. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation.

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. As the plywood or osb expands the ceramic won t. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. If there is too much deflection in your sub floor then tiles may pop loose over time.

Installing over wood.