tiling directly on plywood

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rockgod

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Hi Guys
Not sure what section this should be in but, I built a mantle with an electric fireplace for the bedroom. I want to tile around the "fireplace section" which is framed in plywood.
Can I put slate tiles directly on the plywood? Is there a specific thin set made for plywood as opposed to drywall? I can't imagine there would be much, if any flexing so I'm not too worried about that.
I just have never tiled on anything but dry wall.

Thanks
 
not a good idea, the wood will move with temp. and humidity changes and will , at some time, break the bond and the tile will fail. You should instead, nail cement backer board to the plywood, then tile with the appropriate cement
 
There are types of thinset that you can use over plywood. Sometimes it's recommended for use over exterior grade ply, other times they'll just say wood. Some will say floors only, some walls. If it's a small section that's secured well, I can't see much flex. Just make sure you get the correct thinset.
 
If not going to be walked on you can use mastic. That and most thinsets will work on wood. They are designed to adhere to it yet most will not recommend it including myself.

My mother did her entry which was raised plywood on a 2x4 base about twelve years ago with regular white thinset and it is still holding strong with no cracks or bond lost.
 
no , on plywood, you must lay down a cement backer board, a 1/4'' thick will be fine

if you dont, the tile will crack in the joints

Figure6-34.jpg
 
I don’t know if this is right or wrong (most likely wrong) but I put some up to plywood 25 years ago using liquid nails and then grouted the seams and never had one come loose.
 
Back when I was doing tile for a living it said on the thinset bag that it was ok to use on wood. I always thought that was kind of odd but I really think it all depends on circumstances. If it is a backsplash or wall I don't see why not. Heck most backsplashes were just mastic on painted drywall and held up for years and years.

In my old house I slated an entire fireplace and wall using whit thinset on the painted drywall. 7 years later I remodeled the house and removed it, it pulled the drywall off in chunks it was bonded so well.
 
How to Do It Yourself

www.howtosimplified.com


•Proper Thinset: He notes that "a quality unmodified thinset be used and mixed with a latex additive, such as Laticrete's 317 thinset mixed with their 333 liquid latex additive." The reason for this is that it will give you a higher latex content, essential for bonding to plywood.
•Proper Plywood Subfloor: This one is a little trickier, and may not be within your control if the subfloor has already been laid. Vincent recommends two layers of exterior grade or better plywood, with the top layer screwed down every 8" on the edge and every 6" in the field (interior). Make sure the joints of the top layer are well away from the joints of the bottom layer. Leave a 1/16" gap for the joints. But here's the most important part: Vincent stresses that "when screwing down the top layer...you're going no further than the bottom layer of plywood." This, he says, "...negates the effect of double layering the floor by transmitting the movement from the joists right to the top layer of plywood
 
rockgod said:
Hi Guys
Not sure what section this should be in but, I built a mantle with an electric fireplace for the bedroom. I want to tile around the "fireplace section" which is framed in plywood.
Can I put slate tiles directly on the plywood? Is there a specific thin set made for plywood as opposed to drywall? I can't imagine there would be much, if any flexing so I'm not too worried about that.
I just have never tiled on anything but dry wall.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I use the mastic used for VA floor tile, either stacked or spaced for grout.

There are 2 types, 1 is slow setting and the other is fast setting and the adhesion is similar to contact cement.

Spread with a trowel allows for natural embedding.
 
my home built in 1990 is tiled directly over the plywood. They used a metal mesh over the plywood and then thinset. In one bathroom, the floor had sagged almost 1/2" in 4-5' and there was not one broken tile or grout line. Of course, PO's could have fixed it, but it would have been grout line only.

For a mantle, I would go over the plywood and use thinset - cheap and relatively easy once it is all setup.
 
As I've read elsewhere, there are differing opinions on this. Some say sure, some say no way.
I'm gonna try it, it's a small area so if it falls apart, it should be easy enough to replace the plywood with drywall or cement board.
thanks for all the input...
 
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