Preparation for installing floor tile depends on the type of subfloor in the room you are tiling.
Laying tile on old wood floor.
To install ceramic tile over wood the wood surface must be structurally sound enough to support the weight of the tile.
Before beginning remove tiles from the different boxes and randomly mix them to ensure that minor color differences don t form an unwanted pattern in your new floor.
Finish laying the tiles for the first couple of rows placing 1 8 inch spacers in between the tiles and frequently checking that the tiles are even and level.
This row determines the size of cut tiles along the walls.
There is a 2 3 cement mortar bed the tile was on that is still in tact.
Space the field and edge fasteners correctly the top layer of plywood should be screwed down every 8 inches on the edge and every 6 inches in the field or interior section.
It supports your decorative floor finish whether it s carpet hardwood vinyl laminate or tile.
For more information download our pdf about types of subfloors.
For consistent joints use tile spacers.
A subfloor is the bottom most structural level of your floor.
Provided that both are in good condition and level it is.
To prepare a concrete subfloor for installing tile you ll need to do a different kind of preparation.
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.
There is the remanats of the thinset on top.
Laying tile to veneer plywood risks loosening and unbonding the veneer creating an unstable base for the tile.
I removed an engineered wood floor that was glued down to tile.
It is in an entry way and i was going to install tile there anyhow.
For more on prepping the floor read prep a tile floor.
At the room s center place a tile where the chalk lines cross with its edges touching the lines.
Installing over wood.
Installing vinyl tiles over wood requires slightly less prep work than ceramic or stone tile.
This old house recommends securing a 1 2 inch sheet of cement board to the wood subfloor using.
To prepare a wood subfloor for installing tile install a cement based backerboard following the manufacturer s instructions.
The tile came with it.
Lay a row of tiles along a straightedge more than halfway across the room.
First make sure you have prepared the subfloor properly before you begin laying tile.
The line crossing at the room s center are the starting point of the tile.
How to tile on a wooden floor.