Can You Tile Over Plywood Underlayment

Before you learn about the various grades of plywood and which are most appropriate for use as underlayment it is important to distinguish between an underlayment and subfloor.

Can you tile over plywood underlayment. Tile floors are beautiful durable and a fairly diy friendly option but for tile s good looks to really last it s vital to start with what you can t see the ideal underlayment. 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. While you can tile over drywall walls the paper covering on drywall can tear destabilizing the tile. Though often used interchangeably the two terms refer to different components of a well structured floor design.

Most thinsets are designed to only work with a concrete or fiber board underlayment not with wood. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. Even if you use a waterproof underlayment membrane the floor will still be either 1 4 or 1 2 higher than the subfloor plus the thickness of the tile and adhesive. Check for dips in the floor by sliding a 4 foot to 6 foot straight edge in different directions all around the room.

Never lay tile over these materials. Laying underlayment over an existing flooring. A successful tile installation project requires a level surface. Vinyl tile resilient vinyl and multi layer vinyl.

When it comes to installing a new flooring material you sometimes have the option of installing the underlayment for your new floor directly on top. But a number of precautions must be taken to ensure a successful installation. Some subfloors are wholly incompatible with tile flooring and must be removed and replaced with a proper underlayment. If you re installing new plywood use galvanized screws to fasten it and countersink the screw heads.

A number of different types of substrate are used for tile including plywood. Fill seams in the subfloor with caulk. If you find hollows and valleys you must fill them with a self leveling underlayment. Loose areas on an existing plywood subfloor can cause peel and stick tiles to lift over time.