Tiling Over Plywood Underlayment

Begin by applying the thin skin adhesive to the plywood with a smooth trowel.

Tiling over plywood underlayment.

Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. For residential use one form of underlayment the tile council of north america s handbook allows is plywood over joists that are 16 in. Roll on a layer of latex primer sealer. Void free underlayment grade panels which both stiffen the existing floor and provide uniform support to prevent cracks in the tile above.

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. While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself. Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick.

Step 5 skim coat the paper. Tape off any affected vents with painter s tape. The go to product is 1 2 in. No matter how firm the subfloor.

This prepares and seals the surface for the. A tapered piece of plywood may be difficult to fabricate and may not offer the support required for a good installation. Tape over holes and cracks in the wood subfloor or slab before pouring on the self leveling tile underlayment to keep it from seeping through and leaving indentations. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room.

Once the surface is completely covered cover the adhesive with the fiberglass based paper and smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles with a broad drywall knife.