Is it possible to lay floor tiles on plywood. Laying ceramic tiles on plywood

Modern market finishing materials offers a lot of options for finishing the floor. Most often, tiles and plywood protrude into them, which raises the question: is it possible to glue tiles on plywood?

As for flooring specialists, the technology that explains how to glue tile on plywood is relatively new. For a long time, tile materials have been laid directly on the concrete floor - they fit together perfectly and form an excellent hitch. Therefore, the question of whether it is possible to glue ceramic tiles on plywood becomes reasonable and you are faced with the task of deciding on the technology.

Even in this article, we will have to figure out what glue to glue the tiles to plywood in order to ensure excellent adhesion and a durable result of laying the flooring.

Note! If you intend to equip a system of underfloor heating in your house, then you should refuse to work with plywood, since the installation of this equipment is carried out exclusively on top of concrete screed and involves the use of materials resistant to moisture or temperature.

Preparatory stage of work

On the preparatory stage you must take care to pick necessary tools and materials, as well as provide a good foundation for laying.

The list of required 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 from dirt and dust. To clean the surface of the base, you can use not only chemicals, but also Appliances to achieve high quality results. A vacuum cleaner is also suitable for removing dust, but in order to cope with dirt, you will definitely have to use special detergents. Before gluing the tiles, make sure that the floor surface is perfectly level.

After that, you can do the installation of plywood on the base. Its sheets must first be glued together in order to obtain double strength. As a result, laying will be done on a hard and very hard surface.

Note! In the process of installing plywood sheets, it is very important to make really high-quality fasteners. You can use self-tapping screws, which should be placed in increments of 20 cm.

At the final stage of the preparatory work, the floor surface is finalized. To do this, you need to apply a special primer. It is better if you apply several layers of this composition. Let the surface dry a little before applying each new layer. The total drying time of the primer is about five hours.

Laying technology

Before installing the tiles on the floor, you need to lay waterproofing material, and the installation of tiles should begin from the second row. The first strip must be left untouched, since it is provided for the subsequent installation of tiles already with undercut dimensions.

Start laying the material should be from the far corner of the room. During the installation process, do not forget to monitor the horizontalness of the surface, using a water-type building level for this. The laying result can be adjusted until the adhesive composition on which the tile sits has completely hardened.

To ensure even tile joints, you can use special tools. For such purposes, corners or crosses are suitable. As a result, you will get seams with identical location geometry. The approximate distance in this case will be two to three millimeters. In rare cases, this figure can be increased to five millimeters. The adhesive composition is best applied to the surface in small quantities, as it dries fairly quickly.

A device such as a mixer will allow you to stir the adhesive composition to a homogeneous state. The area for applying glue to plywood is 1 m². It is this area that is the most comfortable for you to have time to produce quality styling and adjust the result until the glue completely hardens and dries.

If you don’t know how to glue tiles on plywood to the floor, the answer is simple - with a specialized adhesive designed to work with ceramic tiles. You should not save on the purchase of this material, it is best to give preference to high-quality global manufacturers with famous name products that have already proven themselves. Only in this way will you 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 adhesive based on polyurethane is used. It is able to provide such high-quality adhesion of materials that there is no need to apply a primer.

Carrying out final work

At the final stage of laying tiles on plywood, grouting is carried out, thanks to which the floor takes on a neat and beautiful appearance.

Note! The grouting process should not be started immediately after the installation is completed. The adhesive must dry completely to provide the desired fixing effect. This will take several days.

Some instructions claim that the adhesive composition immediately seizes the surfaces, but it is better to play it safe once again so as not to spoil the results of your work. This does not mean at all that you should not trust the manufacturer's recommendations, however, it should be borne in mind 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. It is enough to 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.

In the process of work, you may notice excess material that remains on the tile. They are removed with a soft cloth. It is highly undesirable to use any hard material for this, because it can cause damage to the surface. The cloth must be moistened before use. And after processing the surface, you need to give 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 chemicals to remove grout residues, as they can provoke a chemical reaction.

Sooner or later the turn comes to floor coverings.

And in order for the surface to be perfectly flat, it must be leveled. And this applies to any material.

Today it is very possible to lay tiles on the floor, because thanks to special coatings, such floors have become quite safe.

But is it possible to lay tiles on plywood? We will just talk about this below.

In fact, the network has its own nuances in this matter.

It will depend on them how high-quality and reliable the final result will be.

Therefore, it is worth analyzing these problems in more detail.

So let's get started.

In order for the floor to be reliable, special attention must be paid to the plywood itself.

Such crosses vary from 0.1 to 0.3 cm in size.

Grouting begins only when the glue is completely dry.

separators are removed from the seams
the entire floor is re-cleaned of debris and additionally wiped with a damp sponge
while the surface dries, the selected grout is diluted in the container
using a rubber spatula, the product is applied to the seams
after a few minutes, with a damp cloth, clean the surface of the tile itself to remove excess grout
as soon as everything dries, the entire floor is washed again, but with detergent

After 72 hours, the seams must be treated with another special grout. It is bred and already applied to the seams with a rubber knife at the joints of the elements. Here, after some time, wet cleaning is carried out, and after half an hour, the surface is wiped with a dry cloth.

After such events, the floor is ready for full operation.

Advantages and disadvantages

After reviewing the requirements and technology for laying tiles on the floor, we can summarize - is it worth it? To answer this question, you should simply evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of such a flooring system.

The strengths include the following:

this type of flooring allows you to cope with the work in a short time, while it entails a minimum of dirt
great option for frame houses, since here the load on the floor is not only evenly distributed, but it is also minimal
the service life of the base is quite long, as it has high strength, but this is provided that all requirements (especially regarding plywood) have been met
all adhesive mixtures used in this laying provide additional waterproofing, so that tiles on plywood can even be used for bathrooms

But for the sake of justice, it is worth going through the negative aspects of such flooring. These include:

the quality of the result and the time are largely influenced by the thickness of the plywood (which is why you should not save on such material, but immediately purchase sheets with a minimum of 2.2 cm)
if the floor is made for the kitchen, corridor or bathroom, then in no case should one forget about additional waterproofing, although this will incur another financial investment
Under the tiles on plywood, you can not put the "warm floor" system.

But all the minuses can be easily converted into pluses, the main thing is to remember all the requirements for such a process.

Many are wondering not only about the floors, but is it possible to lay tiles on plywood on the wall?

And here the conditions for laying and choosing plywood do not differ from the floor ones.

And so that all the work goes not only quickly, but also with high quality, you should familiarize yourself with the advice of professionals:

any base substrate must be pre-cleaned of any coatings
it is advisable to seal the joints and the floor before starting work
the minimum thickness of the base plywood should be 2.2 cm, but the thinner or larger the tile, the thicker the sheet should be. On the extreme case if it is not possible to purchase required material, it is allowed to install additional plywood sheets.
you can’t skimp on self-tapping screws, spending at least 9 pieces per sheet of plywood.
if the tile is laid on the wall, then for every two rows it is worth nailing a thin wooden lath, which will allow the top elements not to slide down
be sure to use the building level after laying each tile, otherwise the evenness of the surface can be called into question
plywood must be sanded not only after its installation, but also before, in order to avoid possible defects
if installation is in progress wooden base on the screed, then waterproofing is carried out, and here both materials of the appropriate purpose and special impregnations for sheets are used
do not neglect the “crosses”-separators, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve even seams
the final grout should be designed specifically for flooring
laying starts from the far corner of the room, at the opposite end from the entrance

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 4 minutes

Ceramic tiles are very easy to use, have excellent aesthetic and strength qualities, but at the same time high requirements to the foundation on which it is laid. It is easiest to lay tiles on concrete, but what if the apartment has wooden floors or partitions? Is it possible to lay tiles on plywood if you choose this material for leveling the base?

Pros and cons of using a plywood base

Before figuring out how the installation is carried out ceramic tiles on plywood, you need to figure out: why can't it just be laid on a wooden floor? The answer is simple: the physical characteristics of wood and ceramic tiles are too different, and such an undertaking will not lead to anything good.

Tiling requires an absolutely fixed base. Otherwise, the tile will collapse or begin to “walk”, cracks will go along the seams. Wood, on the other hand, changes its geometric dimensions under the influence of temperature and humidity. Therefore, to combine these materials, large preparatory work, during which an intermediate layer is formed, leveling the differences between tiles and wood.

For the preparation of quality foundation can apply various ways and materials. But it has a number of undeniable advantages:

This is the most fast way: no need to wait long time as, for example, when a cementitious or self-levelling screed dries.
When laying plywood on the floor, much less dust and debris is generated than with other methods.
The weight of the structure under construction is negligible, so the load on the logs or wooden floors will increase insignificantly.
The method is quite simple, does not require specific skills or materials. At the same time, it will allow you to get a high quality base with the required characteristics.

Naturally, there are also disadvantages:

Plywood is not compatible with underfloor heating.
The quality of waterproofing works will be of great importance, especially in rooms with high humidity. This may result in additional costs.

For laying on the floor, you will need thick plywood, at least 22 mm. It is preferable (and for a bathroom or kitchen it is a must) that it is also moisture resistant. This will also affect the final cost of repairs.

Foundation preparation

Plywood can be laid both on draft floor boards and directly on logs.

For laying directly on the logs, you will need thicker plywood with a thickness of at least 30 mm, optimal distance between the lags is 300 mm.

Most often sheet material lay on top of the floor boards, observing the following recommendations:

Carefully examine the wooden floors. You can not leave defective or damaged elements: after laying the tiles, access to them will be closed.
The boards must be cleaned of paint and impregnated with an antiseptic solution.
A gap of 1 cm thick is left between the surface of the wooden floor and the wall along the perimeter to compensate for possible deformation of the wood. Subsequently, it is sealed with mounting foam or covered with a plinth.
Good waterproofing is a must. As you know, the stone "attracts" water, and this will negatively affect the service life of the wooden base. Therefore, it is necessary to protect it: you can soak the boards with hot drying oil or latex, use other materials.

In order to make the plywood more rigid, it is recommended to cut each sheet into at least 4 pieces and fasten each piece separately.

Before installing plywood, you should outline the height of the future base. To do this, draw a line on the wall using a level. You can use beacons, but this is less convenient.

It is better to fasten plywood in a combined way: the sheets are first planted on glue, and then additionally fixed with self-tapping screws. A layer of glue will not only ensure reliable fastening, but also smooth out the unevenness of the old floor.

The thickness of the seam between the elements should be 1–2 mm. With such insurance, the plywood surface will not swell.

Often used laying in two layers of thinner plywood. In this case, the sheets are shifted relative to each other so that the joints do not match. The layers are glued together and fixed with self-tapping screws.

The heads of the self-tapping screws should be slightly recessed into the plywood so that they do not interfere with the grinding of the base.
Grinding is performed with a special machine in three directions: along, across and obliquely.

Using a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth, the plywood base is thoroughly cleaned of dust and debris.
Plywood is primed in at least two layers. After applying each of them, you should wait at least five hours for the primer to dry.
From above, plywood must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. It can be a film laid on walls or other materials.

Laying tiles

Laying floor tiles on plywood is not much different from installing on a concrete base. The main difference will be in the adhesive used. For use silicone-based adhesives or two-component polyurethane formulations. They remain elastic after drying, which allows you to compensate for possible fluctuations in the base. Also, such adhesives will provide additional waterproofing due to the components that make up their composition.

HELPFUL INFORMATION: How to tile a wooden floor in a bathroom

When planning a renovation in the premises, the owners are faced with the selection of material for the construction of the finish. Considering that the main load during operation falls on the floor surface, special attention is paid to it. Porcelain stoneware is one of the most durable and affordable coatings on the market. But no matter how high properties the material possesses, it will lose its qualities as a result of improper installation, the features of which depend on the base surface and the degree of its preparation. How to properly lay porcelain stoneware on plywood and prepare the base is described in the text below.

Why porcelain stoneware?

The manufacture of ceramic granite slabs for flooring and wall cladding of industrial and auxiliary premises was organized by the Italians for a long time, but only in the eighties, technologies were developed and introduced that made it possible to give them exceptional design qualities. Glaze coating, different shades and texture solutions allowed the material to take its rightful place among the finishing materials.

Material characteristics:

Porcelain tiles are an environmentally friendly product, as only proven products are used in the manufacture. source materials, while there is no recommendation to limit use in rooms with children or people with special needs.
In the production, the technology of pressing and firing the molded blank is used, which gives a durable material that cannot be destroyed by exposure to water, chemically aggressive environments, temperature fluctuations;
The density of the material makes it possible to declare the possibility of its use under heavy weight loads, resistance to destructive mechanical stress.

Exterior finish buildings

The surface of the tile for a long time does not change its external characteristics when changing operating conditions and is recommended for use for interior decoration and external facing of the task, arrangement of sites, laying paths.
After long-term operation the surface of the tile may lose the brightness of the color, but applying an additional layer of a special dye will give the product a presentable appearance.
The tiled floor is maintained in good sanitary condition without the use of special equipment and chemical compositions– simple wet cleaning.
The price of the product is affordable for most consumers.

Important! When purchasing products from porcelain stoneware, make sure the quality of the products. To do this, read the product conformity certificate.

Design solutions

The financial costs of repairs directly depend on the correct calculation of the amount of material for the formation of a porcelain stoneware floor, the planned laying scheme, and therefore it is important to consider the following:

It is customary to add 15% to the area of the purchased tile for trimming to fit the coating to the perimeter of the room. With complex styling patterns (zigzag, checkerboard), the increase in volume will be another 5%.
When choosing a tile, tone and caliber are of great importance, where the latter is the difference between the declared and actual size of the product. It is not uncommon for the packaging to indicate the parameters 300 × 300 mm, but in reality they differ by several millimeters up or down. The reason for this is that the manufacturer calibrates the products after carrying out the entire complex of technological measures, packs them in packages, indicating the rounded size. In one package, the tiles are the same, but the other batch may be different. With large floor areas and small discrepancies, geometric errors can be leveled due to the expansion joint and the thickness of the adhesive.

Ceramic tiles

It is highly likely that the tone of the product in different boxes is also different. Therefore, when purchasing a product, it is important to select according to this parameter.
Giving preference to the formation of a complex pattern, it seems useful to a person without sufficient experience to mark the base according to the intended outlines. This will help you accurately calculate right amount tile material and make sure right choice ornament.

Important! If the decision is made to lay the tiles with a seamless method, pay special attention to the uniformity of the sizing and the tone of the purchased materials.

Preparatory activities

The result of laying ceramicmagnet tiles on the floor depends on the correct preparation of the base surface, the use of high-quality glue, and the availability of the necessary tools.

The rigidity of the base is a guarantee of the reliability of the floor covering. If it is represented by plywood, consider the following points:

The thickness of plywood for the base is selected within 22 - 28 mm.
To avoid dynamic surface stress, do not use solid plywood sheets. It is recommended to dissolve them into four parts and lay them in a checkerboard pattern, leaving thermal gaps up to 5 mm in size.
Plywood is fastened with self-tapping screws of sufficient size with a pitch of no more than 150 mm, sinking the heads.
The surface is ground and primed with special compounds.

Plywood base

When installing porcelain stoneware on a plywood base, the use of cement-containing mixtures is not allowed. On the market building materials you can find two suitable types of glue: for indoor and outdoor use. Adhesive compositions for porcelain stoneware are presented as packed powder mass. Preparation of the working mixture is a process of thorough mixing with water, while the powder is added to the liquid, the opposite will lead to the formation of lumps.

measuring instruments (tape measure, building level, metal ruler);
construction trowel;
spatula for spreading glue;
capacity sufficient for the preparation of the adhesive mixture volume;
an electric drill, supplemented with a special nozzle for mixing working compositions;
rag.

Glue mixing

Important! Before preparing the adhesive, carefully read the attached instructions for preparation and use. Manufacturers' requirements may vary.

Tile installation

After proper preparation of the base and the acquisition of the estimated amount of adhesive, they proceed to the direct installation of the tiles. The work is carried out taking into account the following recommendations:

The adhesive composition is prepared in portions - the period of preliminary "setting" after application to the surface does not exceed 15 minutes. Depending on the selected tile size, they plan the area for using a one-time glue batch.
For inexperienced builders, it is recommended to use preliminary markings for tile placement over the entire floor plane.
With an unmarked surface, tile laying starts from the far wall from the second row. In the future - in accordance with the chosen ornament. Tiles adjacent to the walls are glued last, as they often need to be adjusted due to uneven joints.

Start laying

In the course of work, using the building level, the strictly horizontal position of the tiles is checked. When using the suture method, special inserts are used - two on each adjoining side.
Excess and drops of glue that have fallen on front surface of the mounted product is immediately eliminated with the help of pre-prepared rags.
In the presence of sanitary equipment or pipes, their locations are tiled last. Pruning is carried out as accurately as possible. For an aesthetic appearance use additional decorative overlays.
After the adhesive has dried (the time is indicated on the packaging of the mixture), the seams are rubbed with a special paste. To do this, use a rubber spatula, and remove the residue with a sponge.

Grouting

Familiarization with the requirements for preparing the base for a plywood floor, the procedure for direct installation of porcelain stoneware on it will allow you to lay the floors with tiles yourself in a short time. The result of this work will be a reliable flooring with the longest service life without loss of user qualities. Proper Care behind the surface will allow you to keep the room in proper sanitary condition.

Plywood is quite often used when making various finishing works. With its help, ceilings, floors and interior partitions. The versatility of the material has made it very popular.

Plywood is versatile finishing material, which is mainly used for leveling surfaces.

And in order for all the work to be performed at the highest level, you need to understand the features of working with this material, in particular, to know how to lay tiles on plywood yourself.

Possible problems

Before understanding the order of laying tiles on plywood, you need to study the problems that may arise in the process.

Firstly, veneered plywood can delaminate, so it is best to use adhesives that will not penetrate deep into the material.

Secondly, if you are laying tiles on a large partition, keep in mind that plywood is a fairly flexible material and it can deform under heavy loads. It is necessary to do everything so that the tile does not peel off during deflection or accidental impact. Therefore, the most optimal composition for gluing tiles to plywood are elastic adhesives. However, other formulations can also be used. Check out brief description each and choose the one that suits you best.

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Material selection

A simple tile adhesive for gluing tiles to plywood will not work. The moisture included in its composition will cause the surface of the material to swell and accidental deflection or impact will cause the tile to peel off. There are several solutions to this problem.

First of all, you can use drywall as an intermediate coating. You need to do the following:

Cut the drywall into the required pieces.
Pull it to the frame with self-tapping screws or directly through the plywood.
Lay tiles on drywall using ordinary tile adhesive.

However, this technique has its drawbacks. First, cutting drywall sheets– the operation is quite dusty. Second, to work with tile adhesive certain skills are required. In addition, this technique is not suitable for the kitchen and cases with small boxes.

When looking for a solution for gluing tiles to plywood, one must not forget such a thing as liquid nails. This is a thick all-purpose adhesive that can be used for laying tiles on plywood. It must be applied with several points in the center and in the corners, or in a continuous line along the perimeter of the tile. At the time of setting the composition, the tile must be fixed. For grouting, compositions on epoxy based. Cement should be refrained from, because. when plywood vibrates, such putties quickly crumble.

When choosing a composition for gluing tiles to plywood, one cannot help but pay attention to silicone sealant. It allows you to provide exceptionally reliable adhesion of the tile to the surface, and insignificant bends and vibrations of the panels will not lead to the peeling of the tile. Transparent silicone is suitable for grouting. Such a partition will look very presentable. If you plan to use this method in a bathroom or kitchen, then before using liquid nails and sealants, you must definitely treat the plywood with drying oil and prime it with a hydrophobic primer.

In order to prepare the adhesive for tiles, you will need acetone and foam.

Silicone sealant and liquid nails are excellent, but quite expensive formulations. If you are on a tight budget, you can use the following method. You need to take foam and acetone. Styrofoam crumbles, poured into plastic dishes and poured with a certain amount of acetone. The resulting mass must be applied to plywood or tiles using an ordinary spoon or wooden stick.

You can also use foam as an adhesive. It is only necessary to apply a certain amount of material to the back of the tile and firmly press the tile to the plywood. About volume increase polyurethane foam you can not worry. Due to the fact that the tiles are laid without gaps, this effect will be absent.

There are also alternative substances. For example, you can use acrylic tile adhesive. It costs less than liquid nails, and when applied in a continuous layer, it is in no way inferior to them in terms of strength. Acrylic putty can be used instead of acrylic tile adhesive.

In the case of working with fairly thick plywood, you can use PVA. However, it is important that the plywood has such properties that would allow it not to deform in the event of moisture.

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Preparation Guide

Plywood must be laid in two layers. This will reduce the risk that the tile will peel off or lie unevenly. It is recommended to use plywood with a thickness of 22-28 mm. It is better if it is glued in 2 layers: this will increase the strength of the structure as a whole. Plywood must be fixed as tightly as possible on the base to minimize the likelihood of deformation.

Before laying tiles, plywood must be cleaned and primed.

After that, you need to prepare the base for the tile. Plywood is carefully sanded and cleaned. It should be as even as possible. A smooth, even surface is primed in 2 layers. The next layer can be applied only after the previous one has completely dried. If the tile will be laid in the bathroom, then before priming, the base must be treated with a waterproofing material.

Prepare tools and materials for work:

plywood. It is best to use sheets with a thickness of 2.5-3 cm.
Primer.
Waterproof film.
Self-tapping screws.
Elastic adhesive.
Cross stitches.
Spatulas.
Building level.