Ceramic Tile Directly On Subfloor

Installing over existing vinyl.

Ceramic tile directly on subfloor.

You can have the best mortar in the world but you re getting movement and moisture coming up and it will definitely pop those tiles every time. 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. I can home from work last night to find that the contractor began tiling in the master bathroom and is applying the ceramic tiles directly to the existing subfloor. You need a backer.

Installing ceramic tile over vinyl or linoleum surfaces can be more complicated than expected and probably should be avoided whenever possible. Ceramic tiles on wood subfloors bathrooms ceramic tile text. 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. Because of issues of moisture movement and adhesion ceramic tile will work well with certain types of subfloor underlayment systems and can go dramatically wrong with other subfloor materials.

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. Osb panels provide an excellent base for many types of finished flooring including ceramic tiles if careful attention to the construction and preparation of the subfloor is paid in order to avoid costly callbacks. 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. For this reason ceramic and porcelain tile floors can be considered somewhat delicate despite the inherent strength of the material.

A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. Is this floor strong enough to prevent cracks in the ceramic tile. 1 2 or try that schluter product. My knowledge isn t vast but i would see this as a huge problem.

No matter how firm the subfloor. A poor ceramic installation will delaminate from the subfloor split at the grout lines or worse crack directly across the tile. However if you can t remove the old surface or otherwise decide to install over it lay a backer board with thin set over the old surface to serve as your new subfloor material. The subfloor is 3 4 inch plywood.

Planning and patience along with these tips will help ensure that you install the quality of finished flooring you are looking for. The floor consists of 2 x 10 southern yellow pine floor joists 16 inches on center. Always follow the manufacturer s installation. By the way use a mortar that is enhanced with latex.

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.