Can you lay tile on plywood?

Tile can be laid on plywood. But do not install tile directly on the plywood subfloor itself. Use an intervening layer of a sheet of thinner plywood.

Can you tile directly onto plywood?

Under British Standards BS 5385 Part 1, plywood is not a suitable substrate for the direct fixing of wall tiles, therefore when tiling onto walls, a tile backer board is required.

What should be installed over plywood before ceramic tile?

On a plywood subfloor, you need either a layer of cement backer board or an underlayment membrane, like Custom Building Products' Wonderboard and RedGard, between the subfloor and tile for the thin-set adhesive to achieve a good bond.

Can I use plywood instead of cement board?

Better Adhesion

The best argument when determining whether to use plywood or cement board under tile is in the adhesive process. Plywood is porous, and not designed for use with most of today's latex-based thinset mortars. Cement backerboard is designed specifically for this use.

Will thinset stick to plywood?

Plywood and the flooring to which it is attached must be at least 1 1/8 inch thick to support the weight of thinset and tiles.

How to Lay Tile Over Plywood

How thick should plywood be for tiling?

When using plywood, you'll need to ensure it's at least 12mm or more in thickness to create a rigid surface for your tiles.

How thick should plywood subfloor be for tile?

The subfloor under the tile should be at least 1 1/8″ thick, with a minimum of 5/8″ thick exterior grade plywood topped by 1/2″ cement backer board.

Do I need backer board for floor tile?

Whenever you're laying tile on a wood subfloor, you need to first install cement backer board. Backer board prevents leaks and water damage that could harm your flooring and the structure of your home.

Can you use thinset to level a plywood floor?

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Mortars cannot be used to level or patch a floor – ever! The materials used in mortars render the product unstable once the thickness exceeds the manufacturers' recommended maximum thickness.

What do you put on subfloor before tile?

Install a cement backer board to set a good base for your tile and prevent any movement-related cracking of tile or grout. Backer board is screwed down to wood subfloor using specific backer board screws and mortared down with tile adhesive mortar plywood subfloor.

What do you prime plywood before tiling?

An extra precaution you can take before tiling the plywood surfaces is to use water-based plywood primers before spreading the adhesive on the plywood. This will protect your plywood from molds and will also help with adhesion.

What surfaces can you tile on?

What do you put under tile?

Underlayment is something you put on top of your substrate to prepare it for tiling. The substrate (or subfloor) is the ground, whether it's made of plywood or cement. Cement board or backer board are the most standard underlayments. They come in various thicknesses for different spaces.

Do I need to seal plywood before tiling?

24 Answers from MyBuilder Tilers

Plywood requires the application of a latex based bonding solution to the plywood to seal it and then the use of a flexible cement based adhesive, not pre-mixed tub adhesive.

Do you need plywood under tiles?

Yes you need at least 9mm thick plywood on bathroom floorboards screwed down prior to floor tiling layed with flexible floor tile adhesive.

Can you tile on 18mm plywood?

To do this, your timber flooring can be reinforced by overlaying with a suitably graded, 15-18mm thickness plywood. Before laying your plywood, check the edges and undersides of the boards to see that they have been adequately sealed, so they will not absorb any moisture and expand over time.

Will tile mortar stick to wood?

In any case, to bond tile to wood, you must use a flexible thin-set mortar with a latex additive. Wood shrinks and swells with humidity and frosts, which can break the bond between ordinary tile and thin-set.

What can I use instead of cement board?

Glass mat gypsum board is a better choice. Sheets of glass mat gypsum are made from water-resistant silicone-treated gypsum, reinforced on both sides by fiberglass mats. DensShield is one common brand. It is easier to cut than cement board, it is mold resistant, and it has a built-in moisture barrier.

Can I just screw down backer board?

Screw and Joints

Do not use drywall screws as they are not recommended to be used to hold the backer board in place. All of your backer board pieces should be cut before they are placed on​ the floor. Along the perimeter, screws should be installed at least ½ inch from the edge, but no more than 2 1/4 inches.

Can ceramic tiles be glued to plywood?

I would recommend gluing and screwing a ¼” thick Hardiebacker cementitious board to the plywood and then adhering the ceramic tile with a thin-set dry set mortar that meets ANSI A118. 4 or ANSI A118.