Can You Lay Tile On Plywood Subfloor

Concrete board concrete board also called backer boardcomes in 1 4 and 1 2 thicknesses and is usually sold in 4 x 6 sheets.

Can you lay tile on 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. The subfloor must be free of moisture damage including rot and sponginess and must be securely fastened to the joists and squeak free. The go to product is 1 2 in. Loose areas on an existing plywood subfloor can cause peel and stick tiles to lift over time.

Additionally a steps must be taken to ensure that a concrete floor will create a solid bond. The best method is to refasten the subfloor then add a layer of plywood. Today s homeowner serves cookies to analyze traffic and better serve you. For residential use one form of underlayment the tile council of north america s handbook allows is plywood over joists that are 16 in.

Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Read on to find out more. Don t lay tiles on a concrete slab with cracks that appear to be spreading or irregularities that prevent you from leveling it. 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.

As with a wooden subfloor a concrete subfloor must be level for successful tile installation. But there are a few important considerations to take into account when tiling over a wood subfloor. Test by sprinkling water on various areas of the subfloor. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood.

Void free underlayment grade panels which both stiffen the existing floor and provide uniform support to prevent cracks in the tile above. According to backer board manufacturers and tile setters installing backer board directly over an old solid wood subfloor is risky for a couple of reasons. To prepare your concrete subfloor make sure that it can accept water penetration. Walk across the floor to learn whether any areas feel soft underfoot and secure them with screws.

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. First changes in humidity make solid wood shrink swell and cup more than plywood.