Tiling On Plywood Floor

Trowel out bed of unmodified thinset over wooden subfloor.

Tiling on plywood floor.

Plywood must be protected from liquids since this material is highly susceptible to moisture. However backerboard does not provide any structural support so many tile setters prefer two layers of plywood on a floor. Click to enlarge plywood underlayment glued and screwed to a nominal 3 4 in. A quality unmodified thinset should be used and mixed with a latex additive.

Arrange the sheets so that the ends are staggered and don t align with each other. Leave a 1 4 inch gap between the edges of the backer board and the walls to allow for subfloor expansion and contraction. 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. Tape joints with alkali resistant cement.

Higher latex content is essential for bonding to plywood. In other words be sure that no four. Fasten hardiebacker 1 4 board with corrosion resistant screws or galvanized roofing nails 8 inches apart. Under british standards bs 5385 part 1 plywood has now been excluded as a suitable substrate material for the direct fixing of wall tiles therefore when tiling on to walls a tile backer board is required.

One example would be to use laticrete s 317 thinset mixed with laticrete 333 liquid latex additive. Thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Place hardiebacker in staggered pattern so no four corners meet. Plywood subfloor makes a sturdy substrate for ceramic tile.

It is important to observe the installation technology otherwise the coating will not be used for long. After all backer board sheets are in position remove. However tiling onto plywood floors is still acceptable under british standards.