Ceramic Tile Osb Subfloor

Laying tile on plywood.

Ceramic tile osb subfloor.

Tile floors are heavy and tile is a hard material. Ceramic tile doesn t expand contract nearly as much. Laminate luxury vinyl and ceramic tile are examples of floor coverings. Cement backer board can provide a solid flat surface to install tiles on if you have a wood subfloor.

Plywood or osb flakeboard can expand and contract at too high a rate to be a stable foundation for tile. Installing ceramic floor tile to a plywood sub floor has unique challenges beyond that of installation on a concrete floor. This will cause either the tile itself to crack and even come loose or cause the grout to crack inside the joints. Osb panels provide an excellent base for many types of finished flooring including ceramic tiles if careful attention to the construction and preparation of the subfloor is paid in order to avoid costly callbacks.

This guide will show you how to prepare your subfloor for a tile installation project to ensure that it s fit to support ceramic or porcelain tile. As the plywood or osb expands the ceramic won t. 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. Regular seasonal humidity shifts are significant enough to make the average 10 x 10 wood subfloor floor expand or contract as much as 1 2.

It will break or dislodge if the surface bends under the load. Planning and patience along with these tips will help ensure that you install the quality of finished flooring you are looking for.