Can You Lay Tile On Plywood Subfloor

Loose areas on an existing plywood subfloor can cause peel and stick tiles to lift over time.

Can you lay tile on plywood subfloor.

For residential use one form of underlayment the tile council of north america s handbook allows is plywood over joists that are 16 in. The subfloor must be free of moisture damage including rot and sponginess and must be securely fastened to the joists and squeak free. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. It should be fastened to the subfloor using thinset and then screwed down every 10 square.

Test by sprinkling water on various areas of the subfloor. If you are working in an interior setting in a dry area where the tile will never come into contact with water you can install the tile directly onto the face of the plywood so long as you use the proper type of thinset. Read this article from home improvement expert danny lipford to find out if you need to apply cement backer board before tiling over a plywood subfloor. The use of a plywood subfloor topped by cement backer board has made tiling much easier today than when i started my remodeling career.

There are two materials commonly used for laying ceramic on plywood or osb that are applied before the tile. To prepare your concrete subfloor make sure that it can accept water penetration. The best method is to refasten the subfloor then add a layer of plywood. As with a wooden subfloor a concrete subfloor must be level for successful tile installation.

Don t lay tiles on a concrete slab with cracks that appear to be spreading or irregularities that prevent you from leveling it. While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself. Void free underlayment grade panels which both stiffen the existing floor and provide uniform support to prevent cracks in the tile above. Concrete board concrete board also called backer boardcomes in 1 4 and 1 2 thicknesses and is usually sold in 4 x 6 sheets.

The go to product is 1 2 in. Walk across the floor to learn whether any areas feel soft underfoot and secure them with screws. Today s homeowner serves cookies to analyze traffic and better serve you. But there are a few important considerations to take into account when tiling over a wood subfloor.

Read on to find out more. Additionally a steps must be taken to ensure that a concrete floor will create a solid bond.