Modern construction technologies are constantly developing, which allows the consumer to use a huge amount opportunities for the use of conservative materials. In this regard, the question of whether it is possible to lay tiles on plywood receives not just a positive, but a detailed answer.
Today you can veneer anything, the surfaces are:
- wood;
- brick;
- concrete.
The first option is quite often interesting for beginning craftsmen. The answer to the above question can be answered positively for the reason that plywood has recently taken a strong position and is used not only for cladding ceilings and walls, but also as insulation for floors.
Plywood is chosen by consumers for many reasons. This material is suitable for covering surfaces that have an impressive area. Although laying tiles on plywood is possible, a number of nuances must be observed. For installing heated floors, this approach is not relevant, because a concrete screed will be required.
Plywood selection
Tiles are a rather heavy material, so it is necessary to choose the right plywood sheet that will have the appropriate density and thickness. It is one thing to purchase such a base for the ceiling and walls, and another thing for the floor. In this case, the instructions recommend purchasing material whose thickness is 28 mm or more.
The problem may lie not in the moment of laying, but in the consequences when insufficient sheet thickness leads to deformation. There is not much to say about the material itself. It is only necessary to note that it is environmentally friendly. Plywood can be waterproof, in this case we're talking about about its veneered variety, which is not inferior to clay brick.
Glue selection
When answering the question of whether it can be laid on plywood, you must decide which adhesive to choose. Some experts recommend preferring suitable look solution, while others advise buying universal option for wood. The main feature of such compositions is that they allow the finish to adapt to the movement of the base. Among their ingredients, highly elastic components should be highlighted, namely:
- fiberglass;
- microfiber;
- silane;
- silicone
However, this list is not complete, because there are other polymer modifiers. Once you have decided whether it is possible to lay floor tiles on plywood, you should also learn about some other nuances. They consist in the fact that the glue for installing ceramics on wood should be quite liquid, which will eliminate the need to tap on the finishing surface after installation. The mixture should spread over the surface on its own.
Among the non-standard solutions, the following should be highlighted:
- liquid glass;
- liquid Nails;
- NC varnish.
In the latter case, we are talking about a composition to which foam shavings treated with acetone are added. However, all these methods do not provide a 100% guarantee of reliable fastening, so it is better to use specialized mixtures.
Additional preparation of plywood
Due to the fact that it is almost impossible to lay on clean, smooth plywood, it is necessary to take care of preparation. To do this, the surface should be given higher adhesive properties. To begin with, it is treated with an antiseptic, then applied. This is true even for moisture-resistant sheets. Then, to improve adhesion to the coating, a sickle mesh is fixed to the surface.
Plywood must be primed several times. This will not only improve the quality of adhesion, but also provide additional protection of the material from moisture. Since you already know whether tiles can be laid on plywood, in the next step you can move on to installation work By standard scheme. When facing walls, at the first stage, a support rail is installed so that the material does not slide down.
An important point that must be taken into account when laying tiles and installing the plywood itself is that the material will change depending on the linear dimensions when exposed to external environment. For this reason, it is necessary to leave small gaps between the plates, as well as around the perimeter of the room. This will compensate for the movement of the sheets. To prevent voids from forming, they can be filled with polyurethane foam.
Conducting training
Now you know whether it is possible to lay tiles on plywood. However, when carrying out such work, it is important to pay attention Special attention preparation. It is important to bring the surface of the wood to perfect smoothness. In order to achieve perfect results, you can screw a few more screws into the material. The main condition for this is the requirement that the screw heads are tightly recessed.
Before starting work, you need to prepare a certain set of tools and materials, including:
- Sander;
- elastic glue;
- roulette;
- waterproofing;
- building level;
- hammer with a plastic nozzle;
- Bulgarian;
- grout solution.
Carrying out waterproofing
Many home craftsmen are wondering whether it is possible to lay tiles on plywood. Even if you do not have relevant experience in carrying out such work, then you know that such work can be carried out. At the next stage, the technology involves waterproofing. This step is necessary because wood, when exposed to moisture and temperature differences, undergoes rotting and deformation. Even during the installation of the panels, waterproofing can be laid under them, which can be mastic or polyethylene.
Before laying the tiles, the plywood must be coated with a primer in several layers, and mastic must be used for this. This composition will require 5 hours to completely absorb and dry. With this processing, the above question no longer arises.
Carrying out masonry
The glue dries quite quickly, so you should not rush to mix the entire volume of the solution at once. The mixture is laid in an even layer on the surface. After this, you can lay the first tile. You need to start from the corner where the whole product will be located. Ceramics are mounted with some pressure on its surface. In order not to deform the tile, it is necessary to tap the corners and central part with a plastic hammer.
Laying tiles on plywood is accompanied by adjusting its position for some time until the glue completely hardens. Once you are done with the first row, you can start the second. The crosses that are installed between the tiles will help you maintain a certain size of the seams. The average seam should not be more than 3 mm, however, sometimes tiles are laid with seams up to 7 mm, which is true for those rooms whose conditions are characterized by temperature changes. Before laying tiles on plywood, you should become more familiar with the technology. It involves creating a flat surface using cladding. In this case, you should use a building level.
For reference
Even a novice master should know whether it is possible to lay tiles on plywood. The answer to this question should be positive. However, before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with some nuances. Among them, it should be noted that the glue may contain hardeners. In this case, manipulations should be carried out quite quickly, otherwise the glue will quickly set and you will not have time to align the products horizontally.
Conclusion
It is also important to remember about the features of plywood selection. You should not take thin sheets in the hope of saving money. A good base can only be obtained with a 25 mm canvas. Now you know whether it is possible to glue tiles to plywood, but you should remember that such a base, even if it is moisture resistant, can deform over time under the influence of moisture. Therefore it is recommended to use additional funds waterproofing.
If you are thinking about what base to choose as a subfloor for tiles, it is preferable to choose plywood. This is due to the fact that this material helps to cope with the task of leveling uneven floors in the shortest possible time. Before laying tiles on plywood, you should know a few rules for carrying out the work.
Features of choice
Some craftsmen try to avoid using plywood as a base for tiles, because... They consider it not strong enough and resistant to various influences, as opposed to a concrete screed. You should prefer plywood only because it is easier and faster to install than screed. In addition, the plywood does not have to be further prepared after installation.
However, when choosing this material, you should take into account that the following rules must be observed, on which the quality of the work on laying tiles depends. When purchasing a substrate, you should take into account that the plywood must be moisture-resistant; it can be veneered plywood. In order to strengthen it to the surface, glue should be used and mechanical method fastenings in the form of self-tapping screws.
The plywood must be laid in such a way that there is a groove between adjacent sheets, the width of which is equal to the limit of 2 to 4 mm.
As for the cost of plywood, it is determined by many factors, including the dimensions of the sheet and the type of material. If you are not pursuing the goal of saving money, then you can purchase 2nd grade material, but for those who want to cost more budget option, may prefer a combined option - 2/3 grade. Sheets belonging to the 3rd grade will also become an inexpensive solution.
Laying tiles on plywood in rooms that need insulation should be covered with an additional heat insulator.
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Tools and materials
- rubber spatula;
- sealant;
- mallet;
- plastic crosses;
- notched spatula;
- self-tapping screws;
- glue;
- building level;
- tile;
- primer.
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Surface preparation
The tiles should be laid on the plywood surface using a special glue. It is first necessary to clean the base from dirt and dust after the old topcoat is removed. The surface must be free of cracks. In addition, it is necessary to seal the joints between the floor and walls using cement mortar.
Using a building level, beacons should be installed indoors. As an alternative solution, you can draw a line around the perimeter of the room, which will determine the zero level for laying plywood.
Tools for laying tiles: a spatula, usually a rubber hammer, a tile cutter and others.
A notched trowel will allow you to apply adhesive to the floor, which can be spread over the surface where you intend to place one sheet of plywood. Before placing plywood on the floor, it should be cleaned and degreased. Once the sheet is laid on the surface, you can tap it with a mallet and move it from side to side, this will allow the glue to better adhere to the base.
If temperature regime in the room remains stable and does not change much, then a gap width of 1-2 mm will be sufficient.
Then you can form several holes in the sheet to reinforce it with dowels and screws. The surface of the plywood after installation should be sanded and cleaned of dust. The next layer will be a primer, which must be applied in 2-3 layers, which will be determined by the quality of the material used.
If the tiles are to be laid in a room in which wood is laid as a subfloor under the plywood, it is necessary to treat it antiseptics. This will prevent the formation of fungi, mold and harmful insects under the floor. If necessary, level the floor under the plywood, you can use bars, which should be mounted on steel adjustable fasteners.
Laying tiles on plywood using glue that contains a hardener should be done without delay and in a planned manner, as it dries quite quickly.
Before laying the tiles, you should make sure that the plywood base is strong enough; this is a material whose thickness is equal to the limit of 2-3 cm; only such a surface will become a reliable base. For leveling, it is permissible to use several types of plywood, but the minimum thickness of the substrate is 18 mm.
The tiles can be laid on plywood mounted in 2 layers, this will allow you to get more quality foundation and will eliminate the possibility of tile peeling. In this case, the plywood sheets should be glued together. The base must be allowed to dry for 5 hours between coats of primer. Laying plywood followed by tiling in the bathroom should be accompanied by treating the surface with a waterproofing agent, which should be done before applying the primer.
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Laying technology
You should start laying tiles on plywood starting from the second row from the far wall of the room. The reason for installing tiles in this way is that the first row adjacent to the wall, as a rule, needs adjustment, which involves trimming the tiles due to uneven walls.
Tiles should be laid on plywood after first applying glue to the floor surface.
Laying tiles: 1 – wooden planks; 2 – gaskets; 3 – second row.
The next tile should be laid using plastic crosses placed at the corners of the tile.
The glue should be prepared in small portions, as it dries quickly; the mixture prepared at one time should be enough for 1-2 hours, during which time the tiles can be laid on 1-1.5 m2 of surface. The tiles should be laid taking into account the horizontality check, during which a level should be used, the length of which is 1 m or more, this will allow more accurate data to be obtained.
After you have succeeded in laying the tiles, you should leave them for 1-2 days, only after which you can start grouting the joints. To do this, you will need to use a rubber spatula, a rag and ready-made grout. It would be more convenient to use a sponge instead of a rag. When laying tiles on plywood, you should get rid of excess glue during the work.
Quite often in the bathroom, a heated floor system is installed under the surface. In this case, before laying the tiles, you should choose the right adhesive, which should not be elastic; in all other cases, using an adhesive mixture with such characteristics is advisable. In addition, heated floors can only be laid in tandem with a concrete screed.
The width of the seams, as a rule, ranges from 2 to 3 mm, but in the bathroom when laying tiles this figure can be increased to 5 mm, since temperature and humidity changes are frequent there.
You can prepare the glue using a special mixer, which allows you to obtain greater homogeneity of the mass. It is necessary to install tiles simultaneously on a small area, which can be limited to 1 m2. The tile must take its final position no later than 20 minutes after applying the adhesive, since this period is sufficient for the composition to set. During this period, the tile can be adjusted by lightly tapping it.
Despite the fact that plywood allows you to prepare the surface for further work in a fairly short time, it acts as a problematic material for laying tiles, so the adhesive must be designed for this. Glue for ceramics is suitable, but the manufacturer must take into account the possibility of using it for mounting the material on plywood. Besides conventional formulations for ceramics, you can use polyurethane two-component adhesives. This will avoid the need to use a primer. However, waterproofing must still be applied to the surface of the plywood, which is especially true for bathrooms.
In bathrooms and in any other rooms, after laying the tiles, grouting should be done; this process can begin 5 days after installing the tiles. A rubber spatula will allow you to easily apply grout to the seams. After half an hour, excess material can be removed by wiping the tile surface with a sponge.
Sooner or later, every master asks the question of how to lay tiles; in bathrooms this finishing method is used most often; you can begin to gain skills in this matter from just such an oversized room.
11-02-2015During renovation flooring often replaced with tiled ones. It is practical and meets all operating requirements. The tiles are attractive, durable, and resistant to numerous negative operational influences, including abrasion and mechanical stress.
But its installation requires a strong, rigid and smooth base. Suitable for this concrete pouring and even plywood. How to lay tiles on plywood, is this possible? This issue is not as difficult to solve as it might seem, but there are features that need to be taken into account.
Installation of tile covering on a plywood base
How to lay tiles on a plywood base? A number of conditions must be met to perform such work:
- When fastening sheets, it is important to ensure maximum rigidity, since deflections and other movements simply cause the floor to creak and crack the coating during use.
- Large solid slabs cannot be laid on the surface, as this will damage the coating. It is necessary to cut a large slab into several separate fragments. This ensures maximum rigidity. The sheets are laid on the base in such a way that there are no cross connections; each fragment is fastened with 9 self-tapping screws to ensure proper distribution of loads.
- If plywood boards are attached to joists, then the thickness of the sheathing increases to 30 mm, otherwise the tiles simply cannot be laid. The step is taken to be 40 cm. If the base does not correspond to this parameter, then you will have to choose a different floor covering.
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How to lay tiles on a plywood base?
To lay tiles on a plywood base in an apartment, you need to fulfill several simple conditions that will ensure quality and reliability:
- To lay the base, you need to take moisture-resistant plywood; the thickness of the sheet should be from 20 mm, since the floor must withstand not the smallest weight relative to the weight of the tile. Some experts argue that you can take several sheets of smaller thickness instead of one, but in reality this practice is not entirely justified. Special benefits from installation multilayer base no, but financial costs increase several times.
- When laying, you need to check that all sheets of sheathing fit tightly against one another and there are no gaps. The plywood is additionally secured with self-tapping screws, the heads of which are recessed into the material. This ensures that there is no squeaking during use, the tile itself is laid as correctly as possible, and does not crack during use. Plywood is also checked during installation; it should not have cracks or defects; you cannot use ordinary plywood for such work; only a moisture-resistant type of coating is suitable.
- Before starting installation, top part the sheets must be sanded, otherwise there will be differences in height, which usually happens due to delamination. The tile covering will turn out uneven, and this should not be allowed.
- If you lay tiles on moisture-resistant plywood, it is necessary to additionally provide treatment with a primer and waterproofing mixtures. This is especially important for bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, and corridors. After treatment, you must wait until the coating is completely dry, only then can you begin further work on installation.
- Tiles for work can be taken in various formats. The main thing is to choose the right glue and prepare the floor for laying the covering.
To get the job done quickly, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- tile;
- polyurethane-based tile adhesive;
- metal notched tile trowel;
- rubber spatula for grouting;
- grout of the selected color;
- tile cutter;
- building level;
- ruler, simple pencil for marking the surface.
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Step-by-step instructions for laying ceramic tiles
Stow ceramic tiles not that difficult, especially if the base is pre-leveled. For this, a two-component polyurethane-based adhesive is used, which provides maximum suitable conditions for work. The problem is that when laid on a smooth plywood base, the tile covering can move horizontally until the glue dries.
And polyurethane mixtures make it possible to reduce this disadvantage to a minimum; There will be no deformation of the coating or damage during operation.
How to lay tiles on plywood? It is enough to follow the sequence of work:
- First, you need to apply markings to the surface; this is done in accordance with the selected scheme. This can be a regular straight laying, checkerboard, diagonal. For simple installation, you should immediately note the position of the first and second rows, but gluing the tiles itself begins only from the corner of the second row. This is necessary so that after finishing the work you can carefully trim the remains and lay rows that will adjoin directly to the walls. It is necessary to advance the installation towards the entrance to the room, this allows you to avoid walking on already laid tiles.
- The glue is mixed in a small amount, sufficient to cover square meter surfaces. The composition is applied to the plywood base with a notched metal spatula; the layer should not be thick, since the strength of the future coating depends on this. The tile is pressed against the base with the back surface and held for a couple of seconds. After that rubber mallet you can carefully adjust its position if necessary. Each row must be checked with a building level. This is required to ensure that the coating is neat and even; individual tiles should not protrude above the surface until the glue has dried.
- The tiles are laid using special cross-separators, which allow you to conveniently adjust the thickness of the seams. In this case, the surface turns out beautiful, and after installation the seams are simply filled with a special grout of the selected color. The width of such joints can be different, it all depends on what format of tiles is used. Usually 3 mm is recommended for standard tiles to ensure an attractive and aesthetically pleasing finish.
Modern market finishing materials offers a lot of options for floor finishing. Most often they contain tiles and plywood, which raises the question: is it possible to glue tiles to plywood?
As for floor installation specialists, the technology that explains how to glue tiles on plywood is relatively new. For a long time, tile materials were laid directly on the concrete floor - they fit perfectly together and form an excellent adhesion. Therefore, the question of whether it is possible to glue ceramic tiles to plywood becomes reasonable and you are faced with the task of deciding on the technology.
In this article we will also find out what kind of glue to use to glue tiles to plywood in order to ensure excellent adhesion and a durable result of laying the flooring.
Note! If you intend to install a heated floor system in your home, then you should avoid working with plywood, since installation of this equipment is carried out exclusively on top concrete screed and involves the use of materials resistant to moisture or temperature.
Preparatory stage of work
On preparatory stage you must take care to select necessary tools and materials, and provide a good base for installation.
The list of necessities includes:
- tile;
- primer;
- plywood;
- level;
- mixer;
- glue;
- building level;
- rags;
- grout.
The first thing you have to do is prepare the foundation for work. Make sure the floor is level and free of dirt and dust. To clean the surface of the base, you can use not only chemicals, but also Appliances that will allow you to achieve high-quality results. A vacuum cleaner is also suitable for removing dust, but to deal with dirt you will definitely have to use special detergents. Before gluing tiles, make sure that the floor surface is perfectly flat.
After this, you can start installing the plywood on the base. Its sheets must first be glued together to obtain double strength. As a result, installation will be done on a hard and very rigid surface.
Note! When installing plywood sheets, it is very important to perform really high-quality fasteners. You can use self-tapping screws, which should be placed in increments of 20 cm.
On final stage preparatory work The final finishing of the floor surface is being carried out. To do this, you need to apply a special primer. It is better if you apply several layers of this composition. Allow the surface to dry a little before applying each new layer. The complete drying time for the primer is about five hours.
Laying technology
Before installing the tiles, you need to lay waterproofing material on the floor, and the installation of the tiles should begin from the second row. The first strip should be left untouched, since it is intended for subsequent installation of tiles with cut dimensions.
Laying the material should begin from the far corner of the room. During the installation process, do not forget to monitor the levelness of the surface using a water-type building level. The styling result can be adjusted as long as adhesive composition, on which the tile sits will not harden completely.
To ensure even tile seams, you can use special devices. Corners or crosses are suitable for such purposes. As a result, you will receive seams with identical geometry. The approximate distance in this case will be two to three millimeters. In rare cases, this figure can be increased to five millimeters. It is better to apply the adhesive composition to the surface in small quantities, since it dries quite quickly.
A device such as a mixer will allow you to stir the adhesive until smooth. The area for applying glue to plywood is 1 m². It is this area that is most comfortable so that you have time to carry out high-quality installation and adjust the result before the glue completely hardens and dries.
If you don’t know how to glue tiles to plywood on the floor, the answer is simple - with a specialized adhesive composition designed for working with ceramic tiles. You should not save on purchasing this material; it is best to give preference to high-quality global manufacturers with famous name, products that have already proven themselves. This is the only way you will achieve reliable and durable adhesion of the two surfaces.
Note! Each glue comes with its own instructions, which can be completely different. Before you start using it, be sure to read the recommendations indicated in it.
In some cases, a specialized two-component polyurethane-based adhesive is used. It is able to provide such high-quality adhesion of materials that there is no need to apply a primer.
Carrying out finishing work
At the final stage of laying tiles on plywood, the joints are grouted, thanks to which the floor takes on a neat and beautiful appearance.
Note! The grouting process should not begin immediately after installation is completed. The glue must dry completely to provide the necessary fixing effect. This will take several days.
Some instructions state that the adhesive composition immediately sets to surfaces, but it is better to play it safe once again so as not to spoil the results of your labors. This does not mean that you should not trust the manufacturer’s recommendations, however, it should be taken into account that the glue is placed between two dense materials that do not allow moisture and air to pass through, and this increases the drying time. All you have to do is wait three to five days to be sure.
The material used is a special grout, which must be rubbed into the seams located between the tiles. Armed with a rubber spatula, you can easily cope with this task. Such a tool can be purchased at any hardware store.
As you work, you may notice excess material remaining on the tiles. They are removed with a soft rag. It is highly undesirable to use any hard material for this, as it can cause damage to the surface. Before use, the rag must be moistened. And after treating the surface, you need to give it time to dry.
There is a wide range of grouts on the market, which can be dry or need to be diluted with water. Never use to remove grout residue. chemicals, because they can provoke a chemical reaction.
In some cases, it is necessary to replace the floor or complete construction wall structures and then the question arises - how to glue tiles to plywood, OSB or chipboard? The structure of the material is significantly different from concrete, and therefore it is necessary to use a special tiling technology. What is its specificity?
Technology of laying tiles on wooden surface has its own nuances and differs from traditional cladding
Features of wood-based materials
Plywood, OSB, chipboard and other similar materials consist of wood in the form of shavings or chips, firmly bonded with resins. In this regard, it is necessary to highlight two determining factors that influence the method of installing tiles:
- Resins provide high strength to the board and also reduce its moisture absorption capacity. In some cases, you can even do without additional hydro- and vapor barrier, but this same factor also reduces the adhesive properties of the coating. Therefore, styling floor tiles on OSB or plywood traditional way impossible.
- The material consists of wood components, which means it has properties similar to solid wood. That is, when air humidity increases, it swells, and when it decreases, it dries out. Thus, the coating is constantly in motion. This can affect the condition of the tile covering and even lead to its destruction.
How then to glue tiles onto plywood or chipboard? Is this even possible? Modern manufacturers building materials have already taken care of solving this problem. To perform cladding of this type, you will need special glue, some auxiliary materials and patience.
Illustration for the floor installation project, where tiles are laid on OSB (also relevant for plywood)
Glue selection
First, you need to understand the choice of composition for the solution and understand what is better for gluing ceramic tiles to plywood and other similar materials. For each of them, you can find a suitable type of solution or purchase a universal version for wood.