Plywood Underlayment 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.

Plywood underlayment tile.

Most underlayment approved plywood is at least 11 32 inches the standard recommendation. Exterior plywood is an acceptable underlayment for tile and is preferred to interior grade plywoods because the bonding adhesives used are waterproof. Uncoupling membranes aren t recommended for tiles smaller than 2 inches square and should not be used when covering old hardwood flooring due to adhesion problems. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad.

Avoid using materials with distinct raised grain patterns which can affect the finish texture of the sheet vinyl. X 47 75 in. A 3 4 inch plywood subfloor on a joist structure with 24 inch spacing needs the extra thickness of cementboard or the floor will flex and the tiles will crack. Hardwood plywood underlayment specialty panel.

Basically you ll be making a sort of quot poor man s quot. Preparing a subfloor is an essential step for installing floor tile it provides a level surface that will allow the tiles to properly stay in place. A final mark to check is the thickness of the plywood. In fact due to the problems that edge swelling creates underneath a finished floor a couple of national ceramic tile associations have discouraged the use of osb as a subfloor or underlayment.

Plywood used as underlayment for sheet vinyl flooring should also have a sanded smooth surface on the topside. If water seeps through the tile installation to the underlayment it will not cause the wood to swell as happens with interior grade plywood. You do however have to properly prep the plywood before use though. Some professionals however will use plywood as thin as 1 4 inch for resilient flooring if the subfloor is in particularly good condition.