Can You Tile Over Plywood Underlayment

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.

Can you tile over plywood underlayment.

While you can tile over drywall walls the paper covering on drywall can tear destabilizing the tile. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. Vinyl tile resilient vinyl and multi layer vinyl. Before you learn about the various grades of plywood and which are most appropriate for use as underlayment it is important to distinguish between an underlayment and subfloor.

A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. Loose areas on an existing plywood subfloor can cause peel and stick tiles to lift over time. Most thinsets are designed to only work with a concrete or fiber board underlayment not with wood. Laying underlayment over an existing flooring.

When it comes to installing a new flooring material you sometimes have the option of installing the underlayment for your new floor directly on top. 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. If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles.

Some subfloors are wholly incompatible with tile flooring and must be removed and replaced with a proper underlayment. Never lay tile over these materials. While i prefer using 1 2 cement backer board over a plywood subfloor you may be able to get by with 1 4 backer board instead. Though often used interchangeably the two terms refer to different components of a well structured floor design.

If you re installing new plywood use galvanized screws to fasten it and countersink the screw heads. A successful tile installation project requires a level surface. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room. Even if you use a waterproof underlayment membrane the floor will still be either 1 4 or 1 2 higher than the subfloor plus the thickness of the tile and adhesive.