Laying Floor Tile Over Plywood Subfloor

We intended on laying 1 2 cement board over the subfloor prior to installing all of the tile but were told by the main tile guy for the builder of our home that we don t need to install the cement board in the kitchen.

Laying floor tile over plywood subfloor.

Bc plywood over the old subfloor using construction adhesive and driving 1 1 4 in. With this patented new technique ron s friend shows us how to build a strong base and then prepare it using the tavy thin skin system so that the tile is as strong. Measure and cut 1 4 inch or thicker plywood with a circular saw to fit the entire floor of the room where you are installing vinyl flooring. The goal is to have a wooden subfloor consisting of two.

Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. Screws every 6 in. The plywood adds stiffness and stability to the floor. 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.

A 3 4 inch plywood subfloor on a joist structure with 24 inch spacing needs the extra thickness of cementboard or the floor will flex and the tiles will crack. 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. Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling. For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors.

The kitchen is 20 22 and we re going with 16 16 tiles. 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. Laying tile over a plywood subfloor can be a bit tricky but if you take the time to prepare the sub floor properly you can enjoy a new tile floor that will last for a lifetime. It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.

A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. With the plywood in place install the backer board as you normally would. Add a layer of 1 2 in.

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. Uncoupling membranes aren t recommended for tiles smaller than 2 inches square and should not be used when covering old hardwood flooring due to adhesion problems.