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Laying down tile on wood question

dzalphakilo

Banned
Last house we sold we put tile down on the floor, riped up the old tile, cleaned it up, laid the tile down no problem because it was on a slab.

Doing some work on the third floor bathroom, carpet is coming up. Wood under the carpet. Anyone do this before? I'm assuming I will need some sort of "barrier" between the tile and wood. Being in the bathroom, water won't/shouldn't be an issue, but again, assuming somthing should go under the tile (I'm also assuming that it would be idiotic to glue the tiles to the wood floor if for some reason I want to remove the tile at a later date for wahtever reason). No one at the box store to answer my question, seems like a dumb question, but never did this before.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yep. You're going to want something between your plywood and the tile.

In most areas of the house, regular subflooring is OK but in a bathroom, it's best to use a concrete backer board. It's kind of like drywall but made out of concrete and has fiberglass facing on both sides. This makes it impervious to water and the fiberglass provides needed expansion area. You'll also want to get the appropriate adhesive for adhering it as well as fiberglass tape for any cracks. It's basically the same steps as doing drywall work but the board is harder.

One thing to watch is the new height of the backer board and the tile combination. Basically, you'll need to watch (and possibly cut) the bottom of the door and other trim.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
You can lay tile over a wood floor if the wood is stable. Your first mistake was going to the box store. Go to a real tile store. You will want to look for a high quality latex-modified or latex-based thinset morter to hold your tile down. They make some that are specifically designed for holding tile down to wood subfloors. My uncle was a bricklayer and tilesetter, he taught me how to set tile. Tile can be pretty much stuck to any solid backing if you have the right materials. That is why you need to go to the tile specialty store to get the proper advice.

One of the keys to a good tile floor is that the subfloor must be very stable and rigid. Ceramic offers zero flex, so any flex under the tile will cause the tile to crack. You must make sure the subfloor is both thick and stable. If you need to, you can buy 1/4" or 1/2" thick tile backer board that can be installed over the sub floor. These are generally recommended if you are installing over plywood, especially if the plywood is 1" (actual) thickness or thinner. When you are nailing down the backerboard, make sure you use corrosion resistent roofing nails because the mortor is corrosive to untreated nails (treated deck screws work too). Don't skimp on the nails/screws, put them down about every 6" to 8" on center.
 
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