Can I Install Ceramic Tiles Over Wood or Plywood Floors?
- To lay ceramic tile over an existing floor, the existing floor must be flat, solid and well bonded to a subfloor. To provide a minimum degree of support, both the floor and the subfloor should be at least 1-1/8 inch thick. Ceramic tile is a brittle material and needs consistent support from below. Someone standing or walking across the ceramic tiles will apply uneven pressure on the top of the tile and crack it.
- Wood and plywood pose problems for ceramic tile floors because wood moves and does not provide the consistent support that tile floors require. To lay tile, apply thinset to the existing floor. The hardwood will absorb some of the water from the thinset and expand. Lay the tiles and the thinset dries holding the tiles in place. Later, the wood releases the moisture it absorbed from the thinset and shrinks. The thinset remains firm and tries to hold the tiles in their original position, but the wood floor is no longer in the same position.
- Concrete backer board has a solid concrete core. Manufacturers bind fiberglass to each side of the board. To install tile floors with backer board, secure the backer board to the subfloor. Backer board manufacturers instruct installers to secure the boards to thick plywood. While the backer board may sit atop of a plywood surface, the key difference is that the backer board does not absorb water, even if the plywood beneath it absorbs and releases moisture.
- If you have wood flooring and you want to lay tile, the safest course of action is to remove the wood flooring. Though not everyone will experience cracked tiles when installing tile over wood floors, the chances are excellent. Removing the wood floor offers the other advantage of allowing you to inspect the subfloor's condition.
