Can you tile on wood floorboards? Good news, yes you can! Tiling over floorboards is possible with the use of plywood or backer boards. In short, a layer of ‘board’ over your floorboards will keep the surface you’re tiling strong and sturdy, and help you minimise any movement from your old floorboards.

Can you tile on a wooden floor?

The good news for those that want to replace plain floorboards with tiles is that you can indeed tile over wooden floors. There’s no need to concrete over the boards or rip them up to start again. However, you can’t lay tiles directly onto the floorboards.

Can I tile directly over wood?





If you are planning to tile over a wooden surface, one of the first and most important things you need to do is ensure the wooden subfloor has enough rigidity to not disrupt the tiles as well as selecting the correct tile adhesive, that is flexible to manage the small movements in the subfloor.

How do you tile over wood floor?

The best approach would be to remove the wood flooring and screw down a layer of 5/8” or thicker plywood followed by a layer of 1/2″ cement backer board before laying the tile.

Can I tile straight onto floorboards?

Can you tile on wood floorboards? Good news, yes you can! Tiling over floorboards is possible with the use of plywood or backer boards. In short, a layer of ‘board’ over your floorboards will keep the surface you’re tiling strong and sturdy, and help you minimise any movement from your old floorboards.

Is it OK to tile on plywood?

Under British Standards BS 5385 Part 1, plywood is not a suitable substrate for the direct fixing of wall tiles, therefore when tiling onto walls, a tile backer board is required.

How do you prepare wood for tile?





Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: It should be clean free of debris or extrusions. And strong enough to hold the weight of the tile. Make sure all seams are filled with caulk and tape off any vents or outlets.

How do you tile a floor on floorboards?

We don’t recommend tiling directly onto floorboards due to excessive movement. Lay plywood or Hardie Backer Boards onto the floorboards first, using a bed of tile adhesive, to ensure a sound, flat surface which you can then tile onto.

Should I PVA plywood floor before tiling?

Short answer. No, never use PVA to prime a surface before applying tiles. The acetic acid produced when cement and PVA come into contact would render the adhesive and grout useless.

What to lay on floorboards before tiling?

What will I need? Tiling on top of floorboards requires a layer of overboard being laid to create stability. Plywood or speciality backer board can be used for this. Flexible adhesive and grout is also imperative.

What do you put under floor tiles?



Underlayment is something you put on top of your substrate to prepare it for tiling. The substrate (or subfloor) is the ground, whether it’s made of plywood or cement. Cement board or backer board are the most standard underlayments. They come in various thicknesses for different spaces.

How do you prepare a plywood floor for tile?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Work quickly while the thinset is wet and set the sheet of backer board in place arrange panels so that the ends are staggered. Walk gently on the panels to set them into the thinset.

What do you prime plywood before tiling?

An extra precaution you can take before tiling the plywood surfaces is to use water-based plywood primers before spreading the adhesive on the plywood. This will protect your plywood from molds and will also help with adhesion.

Does grout stick to wood?



When you grout, you have to be very careful where the grout touches the up against the wood table. If you use sanded grout, the sand can scratch the wood finish. Don’t get any more grout on the wood than is necessary.

Can tile adhesive stick to wood?

One question I’m always asked if whether you can tile onto timber floors. Well the simple answer is yes, provided they are capable of carrying the additional loads and are sufficiently rigid and stable.

Can you glue ceramic tile to wood?

Glue, called mastic, is the least expensive method for installing tiles. Mastic adheres the tile directly to a wooden sub-floor, to a wooden back-splash or onto a piece of plywood.

Should I grout between tile and wood?

Most wood look floor tile requires a 1/8 or 3/16” grout joint. That’s a pretty narrow grout joint. And it’s very important. Without that joint, the tile won’t be able to adjust to minuscule movements in the subfloor and you’ll end up with breakage, lippage, or an uneven surface.

How much gap should be between wood and tile?



Considering solid hardwood flooring does expand and contract during seasonal changes or fluctuations in relative humidity, many installers will provide a gap between the stone or tile that matches the grout joint spacing. Let’s use the example of 3/8 inch which is a common grout joint spacing for ceramic tile.

Should grout be lighter or darker than tile?

ProTip: If you are looking for contrast, a good rule of thumb is to select a grout several shades lighter or darker than your tile color. The more of a contrast you choose with your grout color, the more pattern you add to your space.