Ceramic Tile Over Plywood Floor

A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood.

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. 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. 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. The floor tiles became loose cracked and ugly looking over about 2 decades of use.

Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. 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. 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. The tile industry recommends a sub floor of at least 1 1 4 thick.

As the plywood or osb expands the ceramic won t. If there is too much deflection in your sub floor then tiles may pop loose over time. Thin set was used instead of glue or adhesive. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation.

Ceramic tile doesn t expand contract nearly as much. 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. 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. Plywood and osb expand and contract with humidity and temperature much more than ceramic tile.

To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile.