How To Install Ceramic Tile Over Plywood Floors

Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room.

How to install ceramic tile over plywood floors.

Lift one sheet leave the rest in place and spread thinset directly onto the subfloor filling the area left by the sheet use a 1 4 x 1 4 notch trowel. This is a mixture of cement fine grain sand and water that will adhere the new tile to the old. Once you ve set the tile out and imitated the grout size with spacers go ahead and cut the edge tiles with a carbide wheeled tile cutter. Slide the dry fit tile around on the floor until you have an equal sized gap on each end of the run ensuring that the edge pieces are uniform all the way around the room.

Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick. Also consider that doors cabinets and other hardware might need to be reworked or replaced with new ones to compensate for the higher floor. Try laying tile over 1 2 durock or hardie and see what happens when the joists are 19 2 or 24 on center. Mix your thinset according to the instructions on the bag.

Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. Lay down a vapour barrier overtop the concrete pad then fasten 3 4 inch plywood using a ramset to the concrete pad through the vapor barrier then install the heating system to the plywood followed by applying the self leveling mortar over top the heating system and plywood and finally installing the tiles over top that. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. When it comes to mortar latex or epoxy options are best for installing tile over tile.

Once you have filled the space place the sheet down onto the thinset. A successful tile installation project requires a level surface. Install the sheets one at a time. If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment.

Hope you didn t like your beautiful new tile floor. Use a thin set product to install ceramic tile over existing tiles. Tile can be installed over a plywood substrate and it is actually a fantastic way to make sure you don t have deflection in your floor. While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself.