Make a tiled floor over a wooden floor. How to lay tiles on a wooden floor: installation methods and description of the process. Formulas and nuances of calculating the number of tiles

Theoretically, it is possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor, but such material has several significant disadvantages, which can lead to deterioration of the condition of the cladding. Wood is prone to drying out or swelling when environmental conditions change. To prevent cracking of the tile covering, it is necessary to properly prepare the base. Violation of installation technology causes a reduction in the service life of the cladding.

It is recommended to lay the tiles on a strong, solid base. If this is not possible, other options must be considered. Many people wonder whether it is possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor. To do this, the following factors should be taken into account:

1. tile is considered a “cold” material, wood, on the contrary, retains heat well, for this reason it is not advisable to cover it with such cladding;
2. when installing wood, you should provide it with the ability to “breathe”, then the material will last much longer, and ceramics do not allow air to pass through;
3. tiles are rarely laid on a wooden floor, because this type of cladding is superior natural material in terms of service life, as a result the base will quickly collapse and be damaged along with it decorative coating;
4. wood is not static, which makes it an unsuitable option for flooring if you plan to cladding it with ceramic products;
5. When wood expands or dries out, the surface of the finishing material is deformed, and first of all, the integrity of the seam joints between the coating elements is damaged.

How to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

The work is carried out on logs - these are wooden cross members, which are characterized by a large cross-section. They serve as supports for the whole object or some structural elements. Wooden flooring is also in most cases mounted on top of the joists. If tiling is to be done, a rough base must be prepared. The condition of the floor may vary:

• The floorboards are completely dismantled due to their poor condition: extensive rot, cracks, and rot have appeared. If the flooring is damaged, you will need to remove all or only some of the covering elements. Having removed them, check the condition of the lags. If they are not damaged, installation work can continue. In the case where the logs are also affected negative factors, these elements are replaced or restoration is carried out: the crossbars are changed only partially and treated with special compounds.

• Sometimes logs are covered with cheaper materials - chipboard, OSB, plywood. The next step is laying the cladding.

• If it is clear that the logs are in good condition, the base in the form of flooring is left in its original form, but the floor structure is checked for damage. In this case, the tree has just been laid, or the base was installed not so long ago and has not had time to wear out. In both cases, the flooring is not replaced, but additional leveling may be required.

For each option, a different cladding technology is selected, since the process of preparing the base is different.

First method: dry leveling

To lay the tiles, prepare the base. To prevent the cladding from deforming during operation, its installation is carried out on slabs/sheets used to level the floor on the joists. Materials that can be used for this purpose:

1. drywall, characterized by moisture resistance;
2. gypsum fiber sheet;
3. cement bonded particle boards;
4. moisture-resistant plywood.

All these varieties are laid in 1 or 2 layers. The slabs can be fastened with self-tapping screws, and the installation step of the fastening elements should be small, otherwise the coating will “play” when walking. To make the rough base more durable, it is recommended to process the end sections using special glue, which is designed to work with the material.

If a wooden floor is installed in a bathroom, kitchen or other room where humidity regularly rises and there is a high probability of contact with water, the joints of the slabs are covered with polymer waterproofing membrane type. It is important to protect the corner areas where the wall meets the floor. Here the waterproofing is applied with a slight overlap on the wall (up to 5 cm).

The preparation of the wooden floor for tiles is carried out before installing the cladding. For this, a primer composition is used. They process the resulting coating. At the next stage, the painting mesh is laid. It is recommended to repeat the priming procedure on top. This measure will improve the adhesion of the adhesive and the base. Important point consists in the need to lay the subfloor slabs so that the joining joint falls in the middle of the wooden crossbar (joist).

Cement bonded particle boards should be laid on top of the plasterboard/plywood. They are the main structural element of a floor installed using dry leveling technology. This is due to the sufficient strength of such products and their durability. During the installation of the base, its surface is constantly checked for quality, for which a level is used. You cannot lay tiles on uneven floors.

Advantages of the dry leveling method:

• you can add a layer of insulation to the subfloor structure;
• thanks to light weight floor, the level of load on the joists is reduced;
• high speed installation, because in this case there is no need to work with cement screed.

So that the process does not have to be interrupted, the necessary materials are first calculated: the number of slabs, fastening elements, and cladding is determined. This method also has disadvantages. For example, installing a multi-layer floor structure, which is also raised on joists, will help reduce the height of the ceilings. This means that dry leveling technology is not suitable for all objects.

Second method: wet screed

Can be put tiles on a wooden floor, having previously applied the traditional leveling method using a cement screed, but in a lightweight version. By itself, a wooden frame (joists, flooring made of boards) will not be able to provide a sufficient level of strength. His load bearing capacity low, so the tile covering will not last long.

It is recommended to use installation technology based on the floating floor principle. Here the screed will not have direct contact with wooden frame and walls. It is separated from other structural elements of the object using a sufficiently dense waterproofing material. To level the floor, a polymer leveler or a cement-based mixture is often used.

The screed layer can be 10-30 mm. If the thickness exceeds 10 mm, use it to strengthen the structure. polymer mesh. Sequencing:

1. Prepare the base. First, dismantle the old flooring, if any. Then they check the quality of the wood from which the logs are made. At the next stage, the distance between the crossbars is changed. It should not exceed 50 cm. If necessary, additional beams are attached. In progress restoration work check if there is a gap between the wall and the end sections of the joists. It should be 1 cm. Thanks to this, the coating will not deform when the material expands in conditions of high humidity.
2. The lag structure is treated with an antiseptic composition. Considering that wood is not a moisture-resistant material, it is important to eliminate the possibility of fungus formation.
3. The boardwalk is being installed. Use a material with a thickness of at least 4 cm. The recommended distance between the boards is 1 cm. If you lay them close to each other, you will need to make holes in the wooden flooring, which will ensure ventilation of the structure.
4. Moisture-resistant plywood is installed. The sheets are laid in the opposite direction to the flooring boards. The recommended thickness of this material is 12 mm. The subfloor is secured using zinc coated self-tapping screws. Their installation step is 20 cm. The plywood sheets should also be placed at a short distance from each other, but in this case the gap width should not exceed 3 mm.
5. A material is laid on top of the structure that is not susceptible to moisture. Suitable options waterproofing: bitumen/paraffin paper, dense polyethylene. The strips of material are laid overlapping with a margin of 10 cm. The edge is fixed with tape. Waterproofing is applied to the walls, the strip width is 10 cm.
6. A damper tape is laid along the perimeter of the room along the walls; its thickness should be 0.8-1.0 mm and its width 10 cm.
7. Fill the base of the floor with additional screed. After drying, you can lay the tiles. For this, tile adhesive is used.

Third method: express option

Laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor is carried out using a similar technology as in the previously discussed case with a screed, however, only sheets of moisture-resistant plasterboard are used as a rough base. They can be mounted in 2 layers. The sheets are arranged so that the seam joints do not overlap each other.

Moisture-resistant drywall is attached using two-component polyurethane adhesive. With its help, the expansion of wood in conditions of high humidity is leveled. In this case, a slight change in the size of the subfloor is compensated by an elastic adhesive mixture. In addition, silicone-based sealant is used to join drywall sheets.

So that the tree has the opportunity to expand without the risk of deformation of the tile, a gap of 1 cm is left between the wall and the end sections of the rough base. The finishing material is laid out after applying the primer to the surface of the drywall.

To avoid having to repair the coating soon, you should follow the advice of experts on laying tiles on a wooden floor:

• it is necessary to use well-dried wood, otherwise the structure will shrink after completion of the work;
• During the installation of joists, floorboards and other elements of the rough foundation, it is recommended to constantly use building level, this is necessary to ensure that the surface of the structure is smooth, with minimal errors at different points in the room;
• if the boards and logs are not level enough, the situation is corrected using any available materials, their choice is determined by the size of the gap that should be filled: fiberboard, slats, thin boards, roofing felt and even cardboard;
• the technological gap around the perimeter of the room should be closed silicone sealant, which will ensure the ability of the wooden structure to expand in conditions high humidity without the risk of breaking the tightness of the waterproofing layer.

The principle of laying tiles on the floor is the same as in the case when this type of cladding is mounted on top of a reliable concrete base. Work begins from a corner, and it is advisable to choose an area in the room that is most open to view.

Tiled flooring for the kitchen and bathroom - practical and durable, but is it possible to lay tiles on existing wooden floors without resorting to large-scale construction work? The answer will be yes. In this article we will study in detail all the nuances of the “cooperation” of such different materials.

According to their characteristics, wooden coverings at first glance are completely incompatible with tiles. Wood is not static during use. Even floors made from well-dried and treated boards still shrink within 2–3 years.

Daily temperature and atmospheric fluctuations lead to the fact that the surface “plays” - sometimes expanding, sometimes shrinking. These processes go unnoticed by humans, which cannot be said about tiles: they can peel off, crumble, etc. literally bursting at the seams.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to study the reasons influencing the deformation. ceramic coating and eliminate them if possible.

The main factor in the stability of tile coverings

When laying tiles, much attention is paid to the preparatory work. The aesthetic appearance of the finished coating and its further development depends on how well the surface is prepared and leveled. performance characteristics.

We have already found out that wood is not a static material, therefore our main task is to create a universal surface that will be the basis for installation. This basis must “reconcile” the two different coatings, then the main factor of stability of the tiled covering will be observed - staticity and strength.

Advice! You cannot lay tiles on “fresh” floors - the shrinkage period is at least 2-3 years from the time of installation.

Preparatory work: we check and

Before creating a stable base for the tiles, you need to review your wood covering. Then create from existing ones and additional materials, multilayer cake, which will preserve the solidity of the floor covering, will provide wooden parts ventilation of the structure and will minimize the load on the wood.

Important! We cannot do without dismantling the wooden structure. Regardless of the external condition of the top boards, they must be removed and damaged elements replaced. If necessary, shorten the laying step of the joists and level them horizontally using a level. Treating everyone with an antiseptic wooden structures required.

Stages of work

Step #1. We remove the wooden covering, having previously cleared it of paint and varnish treatment.

Important! If the condition of the boards is poor, skip this step; they are still unsuitable for further use.

There are three ways to speed up the process: chemical, thermal and mechanical. They are all quite time-consuming, so choose the one that is acceptable to you.

1. The chemical method involves treating floors with a special reagent that dissolves varnish or paint.
2. Thermal method - heating the surface construction hairdryer. After that paintwork removed with a spatula.
3. The mechanical method of removing varnish or paint is done using a power tool: an angle grinder with a special attachment, and then grinder or simply sand the surface with sandpaper.

Step #2. We check the condition of the beams and joists.

Replacement of damaged elements is mandatory. After this, horizontal alignment is carried out.

Step #3. Antiseptic treatment.

Do not spare money on this procedure - good antifungal products are not cheap. It is necessary to process strictly according to the instructions, observing the time interval and the number of coatings. Perform the next step only after complete drying.

Step #4. Insulation with expanded clay.

Expanded clay should be taken in small fractions. The entire space between the joists is filled. For natural ventilation a gap of 5 cm is left (the distance from the bottom of the joist to the insulation).

Step #5. Laying the rough covering.

If batten in good condition, it can be used as a rough coating. We secure it with galvanized screws and putty. You need to leave a 1 cm gap around the perimeter, which is filled polyurethane foam.

When the board is unsuitable for further use, then the role of a rough base will be performed by moisture-resistant plywood or chipboard treated with a special impregnation. The sheets are laid in a checkerboard pattern, the technological gaps are treated with foam.

Now you need to create another layer of “sandwich” - a strong and stable surface on which the tile will be directly glued. There are three ways to create a base:

• Express method;
• “Dry” leveling method;
• Cement-concrete screed or “wet” method.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at them in detail.

Express method of surface preparation

This method is best used on wood floors that are in good condition or have minor defects.

You will need sheets of moisture-resistant drywall, which will be attached with self-tapping screws to the rough boards in two rows. You can glue gypsum fiber board to wood using polyurethane glue. Its two-component composition is strong enough, so the glued sheets will be practically unaffected by the wood.

Main advantages:

• quick and cheap installation of the structure;
• good resistance to temperature fluctuations of wood.

Important! At the stage preparatory work described in the corresponding section, when leveling the surface using the express method, you do not need to fill in the insulation. This will significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the work and reduce its cost.

Main stages.

“Dry” method of surface leveling

The key objective of the method is to create the most stable sublayer of moisture-resistant plywood, chipboard, OSB. These materials are from wood waste more static than wood, thanks to the binding components used in manufacturing.

Advantages:

• increasing insulating properties due to laying an additional layer of insulation;
• execution time is significantly reduced due to the absence of work requiring technological waiting.

Flaws:

• This method of leveling the surface involves raising the height of the floor, which is undesirable in rooms with initially low ceilings.

If the height of the ceiling allows you to use this method, then keep in mind that the difference between the leveled and unfinished surface will be visible. You can visually hide this nuance by installing a small step or threshold.

Step-by-step instruction

First stage. Laying the insulating layer.

After treating the floorboards with latex impregnations, a painting mesh is laid and attached to them. Along the perimeter of the room it is fixed with an overlap to a height slightly higher than the level of the future screed, and is secured on top with a wide edge tape.

Second phase. Adding dry mixture.

The dry leveling mixture consists of fine expanded clay, expanded clay sand and other additives. The mixture must be thoroughly and evenly distributed over the surface.

Third stage. Laying sheets of particleboard or plywood.

The material is laid in two rows using the “brickwork” method: the seams between the sheets should not coincide.

Fourth stage. Sanding and priming.

Sheets of plywood or other wood boards must be sanded along the seams. The joints are filled with sealant and covered with a layer of primer.

"Wet" leveling method

The method of leveling the surface using the “wet” method is similar to the usual preparation of screed before laying tiles. The difference is that the layer of leveling mixture is much smaller than usual, since the load on wooden coverings is limited by their characteristics.

Self-leveling polymer or cement-sand mixtures are used for filling. Choose products from trusted manufacturers so that the performance characteristics of your floor do not deteriorate in the end.

Advantage: with this leveling method you will get a “floating” screed that will be resistant to the “vagaries” of wooden structures.

Basic flaws– this means increased labor costs and an increase in floor height. The financial component of the issue is higher than in previous methods.

Stages of work.

Step #1. Strengthening a wooden structure.

If the distance between the lags is more than 500 mm, then the preparatory work will include, in addition to inspection and replacement of damaged parts, strengthening the structure with the help of additional wooden beams.

Step No. 2. Install the intermediate flooring from the floorboard.

For this, you can use used boards if their strength leaves no doubt and their thickness is at least 40 mm. The boards are attached to the joists with a gap for ventilation (10 mm).

Step No. 3. Installation of the main flooring.

Chipboards or plywood are attached perpendicularly to the rough boards. The thickness of the material must be at least 12 mm. The installation method is “brickwork” with gaps between the slabs of 2 - 3 mm.

Step No. 4. Waterproofing.

We create a good insulating layer from paper, oiled or impregnated with paraffin, thick polyethylene film. It is necessary to carefully lay out the entire floor surface, as well as the perimeter of the room to a wall height of 10 cm and above. The material is overlapped and carefully fastened double-sided tape. A wide insulating tape is glued around the perimeter.

Waterproofing the floor with film

Step No. 4. Fill in the self-leveling mixture. The layer thickness should not exceed 10 mm.

Prepare the mixture according to the instructions on the package. Distribute by floor. After the composition has hardened, you can begin gluing the tiles.

Some builders, in order to save money, have gotten into the habit of making floor levelers themselves. To prepare it, purified sand and liquid glass in a ratio of 2: 2. The mixture is brought to the desired consistency with purified water.

Ceramic tiles have long been one of the most practical and beloved floor coverings, and their current availability and variety are increasingly pushing the boundaries of the use of this environmentally friendly finishing material.
The ideal base for laying tiles on the floor is concrete or at least cement strainer. But what about people who have wooden floors in their home?

There are two possible scenarios here:

• There is a need to lay tiles on a wooden floor in a house with concrete floors.
• The same issue needs to be resolved by a person living in an old house, where all the floors are wooden (and not only the attic, but also between floors).

As for the second option, the answer is clear - you shouldn’t do it.

Tiles are a rather heavy material, and in old houses with wooden floors Bearing beams should not be overloaded.

In 75% of cases, they are already in disrepair. Therefore, tiled flooring is only allowed here if the house has been major renovation and the floors were replaced with new ones. Nowadays, load-bearing beams in such houses are often replaced with metal ones.
If the floors are concrete and the floor is wooden, then this possibility is allowed.

But even here you will have to do some research first. Having decided to install a tiled floor over a wooden one, you need to be fully aware of how such an undertaking could end if the base is poorly prepared and the work is performed incorrectly.

• The tiles are laid on glue. This creates a sealed surface that does not allow air to pass through. And for wood it is critically important good ventilation, which prevents it from getting wet and rotting.
• Wood itself is an unstable material that changes its condition and size under the influence of the environment. Time isn't doing her any favors either. Therefore, sooner or later in conditions of high humidity or temperature changes wooden base may become mobile, which will cause cracking of the adhesive layer (and possibly the tiles) and peeling of the ceramic coating.

Therefore, before deciding to install a tile floor over a wooden one, you will have to examine the condition of the floor and the joists.

Floor condition survey

Start the examination as soon as possible in a simple way– walk along it, gradually covering the entire surface. Your task is to find places where the boards "play".

This could mean the following:

• the boards are poorly secured to the joists;
• the boards have already been damaged and may be rotting;
• the logs sank due to damage to the wood or the linings simply fell out from under them.

Any of these options means that the floor in these places will have to be opened and the necessary renovation work. If the floor seems to be durable - it doesn’t creak and doesn’t “breathe”, then you still need to open it up in some corner. This is necessary in order to make sure that there are no signs of rot or areas damaged by wood-boring insects on the boards and joists.

If you find even the slightest traces of damage, tiles cannot be laid on such a base.

In this situation, it is easier to completely remove the entire wooden floor and install the tiled floor as usual - directly on the concrete, having first leveled it. If the floorboards are cracked, but not rotten or wobbly, then they can be used.

Depending on the condition of the floor, surface preparation for tiles needs to be done in different ways.

There are several options for the development of events:

• quick preparation of the base;
• device wet screed on top of a wooden floor;
• leveling the surface without dampness and dirt.

Quick preparation of a wooden floor can only be used when the wooden floor is in almost perfect condition: it is strong, dry and fairly level.

To complete the preparation you will need moisture resistant drywall and polyurethane glue, which has high elasticity, which will subsequently level out possible movements of the wooden base.

The work is performed as follows:

• The floor must be carefully examined to ensure that its level is horizontal. If there are differences, they must be leveled using fiberboard or cardboard of suitable thickness.
• Two layers of gypsum fiber board are mounted on a flat wooden base in such a way that the joints of the sheets in the top and bottom rows do not coincide. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a technological gap of 10 mm between the wall and the floor surface.
• Joints plasterboard sheets needs to be filled with sealant.
• Then the surface is primed.
• After the primer has dried, you can lay the tiles in the usual way.
• After all the work has been completed, the gap between the floor and the wall is sealed with a plinth.

This method is not used in rooms with high humidity - bathrooms and kitchens. Its advantage is the high speed of work and the relative low cost of preparing the base.

The “wet” method is practically no different from regular pouring cement-sand screed. But here it is necessary that the wooden base be strong enough, since the screed has heavy weight. If the floor is assembled from boards less than 40 mm thick, and the logs are located quite far from each other (more than 400 mm), then this method will not work.

To install the screed, you can use both cement-sand mortar, laid with a thickness of no more than 30 mm, and self-leveling mixtures on cement or polymer based. Their use makes it possible to obtain a screed with a thickness of no more than 10 mm, which is important for small apartments with low ceilings.

The work is carried out as follows:

• The condition of the floor is carefully assessed.
• If the boards are thick enough and the support joists are located on a small condition, then you can use the existing floor. If the logs are rare, then it is necessary to strengthen the floor structure with additional bars installed between the logs.
• In such a situation, it is necessary that the subfloor boards be located at a distance of 8-10 mm from each other. This will ensure better ventilation. So the floor will have to be opened in any case.
• On the floor with gaps you need to lay chipboard or plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm. The sheets are fastened with “ligation” of the seams at a distance of 2-3 mm from each other.
• Next, it is necessary to waterproof the surface by laying polyethylene film or other waterproofing materials. The waterproofing should extend onto the walls to a height of 7-10 cm.
• Next, the screed is poured.
• After the screed has gained strength, the tiles can be laid.

As you can see, this method requires a lot of labor, but the foundation will be strong and reliable.

Dry foundation installation is widely used both by professionals and when carrying out work on their own. For this you will need chipboard or plywood. If the leveling material will be mounted on the surface of the boards, its thickness must be at least 22 mm. If the floor is bad and the material will be attached to the joists, then its thickness should be at least 30 mm.

Installation is carried out as follows:

• Sheets of plywood are cut into 4 squares - this will allow you to remove internal stresses in the material.
• If plywood is attached to joists, then the distance between them should be no more than 400 mm. If it is larger, then additional supports should be installed - this will increase the rigidity of the base and the plywood will not sag.
• Plywood is installed in a checkerboard pattern - with sheets shifted in adjacent rows. Wood screws are used for fastening.
• When installing the base, you need to constantly check its horizontalness - this will allow you to lay the tiles without any problems.

If it was not possible to purchase thick enough plywood, you can use more thin material, but it will have to be laid in 2 layers, gluing them together. The seams of these layers should not match. It is necessary to leave a gap of 2-3 mm wide between the sheets. A technological gap of 10-12 mm wide is also maintained between the wall and the floor structure. Upon completion of the work, it is filled with sealant or polyurethane foam, and then covered with a plinth.

Before tiling the surface, plywood or chipboard must be cleaned of dirt, sanded and all dust removed.

After this, the base is treated with an antiseptic and waterproofing is arranged. To improve the adhesion of the tile to the base, you can attach a sickle or paint mesh to it, and then prime it.

Since installing a tiled floor on a wooden base is already a rather controversial method, to achieve good result not worth saving.

• Buy only quality materials from trusted suppliers.
• Do not use materials such as liquid nails, liquid glass, or a mixture of polystyrene foam and nitrocellulose varnish to attach tiles (such recommendations can be found). However, a high-quality result is not guaranteed at all.
• Buy good glue, suitable for working with the base you have installed. Not every tile adhesive is suitable for gluing tiles to plywood or chipboard.
• Do not prepare a lot of solution at once - it sets quickly and you may not have time to use it. Follow the technology for completing the work - haste can be costly.

Tiles are widely used as a material for laying in the bathroom and kitchen. Therefore, its installation is one of the most common types installation work. Most often, tiles are installed on concrete base, but there are unusual situations in life and the need arises to lay tiles on wooden surfaces. How to lay tiles on a wooden floor and whether it is possible will be discussed in the article.

Wood and ceramics are practically incompatible with each other. Their operating conditions and characteristics are too different. Therefore, if you want to combine these two materials, you will have to take on additional work to create comfortable conditions each material.
Wood reacts sharply to changes in temperature and humidity. In cold weather it swells. In summer, on the contrary, it dries out. Those. it turns out that the floor is constantly “moving”. Such movements can affect the tiles. The glue will begin to loosen, and so will it, which will lead to the fact that it may rise or even crack.
The weight of the tiles is quite heavy. The tree may simply not withstand it.

Besides facing covering does not allow air passage, which is so necessary for a wooden base, this will lead to the formation of microflora and, as a result, rotting, which will also result in movement of the tiles and loss of appearance.

Another criterion in favor of installation is the service life. Tiles will live much longer than wood, and the latter needs constant updating.
If, despite all the difficulties, you are still tormented by the question of whether it is possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor, then the answer is yes. But careful preparation of the wooden base will be required, and this will cost you time, effort and Money.
Therefore, think carefully before starting work whether you need this. The only option when this option is not possible is that the wooden covering is no more than three years old. In this case, she has not yet had time to fully adapt to all conditions, and in addition, she can still sit down. In this case, any repair work to the floor is impossible.

Tile laying technology

If you still stand your ground and want to lay the tiles, then get to work. The installation process will consist of several stages, the largest of which is preparing the base.
Laying tiles is a difficult process that requires careful measurements and some knowledge. In principle, anyone can handle the preparation of the foundation, but due to the labor intensity, this process takes much more time.

Required tools and materials

Before you start working directly, it would be a good idea to stock up on everything you need. First of all, take care of purchasing tiles. Depending on the traffic flow of the room, its wear resistance class is selected. The hallway has the highest traffic volume, so the strongest class is needed - 4. For other rooms, smaller ones are possible.
The tiles are laid with glue, which means you need to purchase it as well. Modern market offers many various options, but the most main criterion- dry and ready-made mixtures. If you have repeatedly dealt with kneading, then you can save money and buy a dry one, but if this is your first time dealing with this type of work, then we advise you to buy a ready-made mixture.

A lot depends on the glue, and if the dosage is incorrect, you can ruin everything.

What else will you need during the installation process?

Floor preparation

It was said above that how the facing coating will lay depends on the preparation of the base. Therefore, you should not neglect any of the points at this stage.

Remember that installation is only possible if the wooden base is three years old. First you need to inspect the base for defects. It is necessary to inspect not only the boards themselves, but also the logs under them. This means the floor will have to be opened.
After you have lifted the boards, carefully inspect the joists and beams. If there are places of rot somewhere, then these elements must be removed and replaced with new ones. Rotting must not be allowed. This will make the floor even less durable and there is a risk that after laying the tiles the entire floor will simply collapse.
The logs must be installed in increments of no more than 50 cm. If the distance is greater, then you will have to install additional elements. The distance between the lags affects the strength of the structure. The wooden covering may simply not support the weight of the tiles.
Check the evenness of the structure using a level; all logs should be at the same height. If there are discrepancies somewhere, you can place a wedge or a piece of plywood.

When everything is in order, process wooden elements antiseptic composition against the formation of rot and mold, which will increase the service life.

The free space must be filled with expanded clay. If you already have one, then you can leave it. Previously, they liked to lay glass wool. In any case, you need to get rid of it and replace it with expanded clay. The expanded clay layer is leveled by the rule: it should be two centimeters below the lag level.
After this, proceed to inspect the boards. If they have been painted, then the paint must be removed without fail; you can heat the paint with a hair dryer or remove it with a special solvent. Inspect the boards for rot. If the damage is small, then the rot can be removed with sandpaper and then treated with a primer. If the percentage of damage is very large, then the board needs to be replaced.
After this, all boards are covered with primer on both sides. After the composition has dried, you need to secure the boards to the joists. This can be done using self-tapping screws. The hat should sink a little, and not protrude on the surface. After this, the wood is treated with drying oil or latex impregnation.

Leveling the flooring

Before laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor, you need to level the base. This can be done in two ways: dry and wet. The dry method is a more common solution. Sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are simply laid on the flooring. The lightness of the structure does not put pressure on the base. Sheets of plywood can be laid on joists or secured with self-tapping screws. Then the joints between the sheets are treated with sealant and the entire area is primed. The wet method involves pouring a cement screed. The thickness of the layer should be significantly less than when pouring onto a concrete base. No more than 3 cm. Wooden flooring may simply not support the weight. At the same time, there is no point in making the thickness smaller, since then the screed will not be strong. After the screed has been poured and dried, the surface is treated with a primer.

Laying tiles on a wooden floor

After everything preparatory activities completed, you can finally begin installing the tiles themselves. How to lay tiles on a wooden floor? First the marking is done. You won’t even dare to lay tiles “by eye” experienced specialist. Find the center point of the room and draw two lines through it: horizontal and vertical.
Then try on the tiles. Lay it out in exactly the same order as the drawing. The layout goes from the center to the edges. At this stage you need to cut the tiles for the required areas. If everything comes together, then the tiles can be removed.
Mix the glue if you have a dry mixture or open a ready-made one.

The composition must be mixed strictly according to the instructions. A lot depends on its quality: no lumps or bubbles.

The glue sets quickly enough, so don’t spread too much at once. Rinse the nozzle every time, otherwise you won’t be able to remove the glue from it. The glue is applied to the base using a notched trowel and leveled. The tile is laid on the glue; press it lightly, but not too much. Keep a sponge handy to immediately remove excess glue. Check the level of the first tile so that it is level, and level the rest according to it.

This fills the whole room. Insert crosses at the joints between the tiles so that the seams are even. It is not necessary to recess them completely; you can insert only one end. This will make them easier to get out.

After the entire perimeter of the floor is covered with tiles, it must be left until completely dry. You cannot walk on the surface. When the glue has dried, the crosses are taken out and the seams are filled with putty. Then the tiles are cleaned of excess putty.

Things to remember

• Laying tiles on a wooden base that is less than three years old is impossible;
• If you fill concrete screed, its thickness should be exactly 3 mm;
• Repair of wood flooring is required. If you don't check the joists and beams, this can lead to the destruction of the floor;
• The primer is needed not only for better adhesion, but also as an antiseptic. Processing of boards, joists, beams, concrete bases, and plywood sheets is necessary.

Ceramic tile - best option for finishing the floor. It is preferable to lay the tiles on a concrete base. However, if the floor in the room is made of wood, it can also be finished with tiles. Let's look at how to lay tiles on a wooden floor below.

Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor: advantages and disadvantages

The only advantage of laying tiles on wood flooring, is that there is no need for additional leveling of the floor before starting installation work. That is, there is no need to install additional screed and level the flooring.

However, this process has many disadvantages. First of all, tiles are unstable to deformation processes on the floor; under their influence, they can crack. A tree, in turn, increases in size at high humidity and shrinks at low temperatures. These linear movements can negatively affect general condition floor, after laying the tiles.

In addition, we will highlight several more factors that indicate the inappropriateness of installing tiles on wooden flooring:

• wood has a warm structure, and the tiles are cold; it is unreasonable to lay cold ceramic tiles on a warm wooden floor;
• after laying tiles on wood, oxygen does not reach it and the material begins to rot and destroy;
• The service life of tiles and wood is not the same; wood will last less than tiles, thereby shortening its service life;
• in the process of exposure to linear movements on the tile, it begins to crack;
• a wooden floor does not have the static quality that is so necessary during the installation of tiles.

Installing tiles on a wooden base in a room is often necessary if there is high humidity and the need to constantly wash the floor. This is true for such kitchens or bathrooms

The main rule for high-quality laying of tiles on a wooden floor is the creation of a durable and practically motionless flooring. Before starting work, you should evaluate the individual characteristics of the room and choose the most optimal technology gluing tiles. The quality of the resulting coating directly depends on the correct choice of this technology.

How to lay tiles on a wood floor

Wood flooring is a multi-layer sandwich made from lumber. There are several flooring options on which tiles can be laid:

• exclusively joist flooring on which the floor covering has been dismantled;
• covering the floor with plywood with moisture-resistant characteristics or chipboard sheets, with or without joists;
• wooden floor with virtually no defects;
• wooden flooring that needs repair.

The type and further steps for laying tiles depend on the condition of the floor on which repair work is being carried out. Installation of tiles on a surface made of wood on each floor is carried out according to the same scheme, however, the order of preparatory work for all floor options differs.

As a result, after the preparatory work the result should be smooth and perfect. Smooth surface, on which ceramic tiles can be laid.

If moisture-resistant plywood is laid on the floor on joists, then it is necessary to initially install a waterproofing layer on it, then a screed with additional reinforcement should be laid. After the screed has dried, the floor is covered with moisture-resistant glue and ceramic tiles are laid on it.

The plank flooring installed on the joists is initially provided with double waterproofing. Next, you should install moisture-resistant plywood and a layer of polyurethane glue on the flooring. After this, tiles are laid on the floor.

These options described above are relevant for interfloor floors. If the floor is being installed on the first floor, the procedure changes somewhat.

After the foundation slabs, plank flooring is laid on the floor and two-layer waterproofing is mandatory. After this, a cement screed is installed, covered with tile adhesive and directly with the tile itself.

It is possible to cover the floor with insulation, waterproofing, OSB, an additional board, and then glue and tiles.

How to lay floor tiles on a wood floor

When studying the question of what to put on a wooden floor under the tiles, you should be guided by individual characteristics premises where renovation work is being carried out.

The simplest and most technologically advanced correct method preparing the floor for laying tiles - leveling it. With its help, it is possible to form a stable rough coating, for the production of which plywood with moisture-resistant characteristics or similar in composition is used Decoration Materials. In order to level the floor using the dry method, the following materials are used:

• already exist ready-made kits adjustable floor, which has screws or plastic supports, which allow installation plywood sheet very fast;
• manufacturing a joist system on a strong wooden flooring, followed by installation of plank materials on it;
• installing another plywood layer on top of the existing one;
• fixing the material in the form of OSB using self-tapping screws onto an already leveled flooring.

The dry preparation of the flooring for laying tiles is completed by installing chipboard, plywood or similar materials. These materials have minimal linear movement, therefore reducing the risk of tile deformation during use.

To fix the tiles on such a flooring, a two-component polyurethane-based adhesive is used, which has a certain elasticity.

Before fixing ceramic products, the plywood must be sanded along the seams. To seal the resulting joints, a sealant or glue is used, and a wood primer is used to treat the surface.

Among the advantages of using this method preparation of a wooden floor includes:

• the possibility of increasing insulating properties by laying such thermal insulation materials like polystyrene foam, mineral wool or expanded clay;
• the presence of a minimum load on a wooden surface that does not have the strength of a reinforced concrete base;
• high speed of production of a perfectly smooth coating; there are no technological breaks, for example, for drying screed.

However, the disadvantage of dry leveling is the reduction in the height of the ceiling in the room, the presence of a difference between the wall and the floor, for the decoration of which a threshold or step should be installed.

Please note that the floor in a room with ceramic tiles should be several centimeters lower than the floors in adjacent rooms. Since when a room is flooded with water, it will not flow into other rooms. If the floor in a room with dry leveling is higher, we recommend abandoning this method.

How to properly lay tiles on a wooden floor

The second, simpler way to level a wooden floor for gluing tiles is the wet screed method. This method of filling is relevant if the wooden surface does not have the necessary hardness to hold the tiles.

Please note that the screed on a wooden floor is cut off both from the walls of the room and from the underlying layer. That is, it is in some way reminiscent of a floating floor, which is not affected by the thermal expansion of wood. In this case, it will be possible to achieve a perfectly flat flooring that is not affected by linear movements.

Initially, the wooden floor must be repaired and rotten or old boards replaced with new ones. It is also advisable to polish it. After this, the floor is poured using a polymer-based leveler. In this case, the coating is pre-treated using a primer. If it is necessary to level the floor by more than ten millimeters, a polymer-based mesh should be glued to the flooring.

The optimal screed thickness for a floor made of wood is three millimeters. Increasing this value is not advisable, as it increases the weight and pressure on the wooden flooring.

To install a screed on a wooden floor, follow these steps:

1. Remove the flooring down to the timber. If there are questionable and unreliable elements on the floor, replace them. If there is a pitch of more than 50 cm between the logs, care must be taken to strengthen the system by installing additional timber supports. Use antiseptic impregnations to treat all floor parts.

2. The next stage is assembling the flooring for pouring. For these purposes, you will need new or old boards, the thickness of which is about 4 cm. Please note that a gap of approximately 10 mm is left between the boards. It is necessary to ensure ventilation in the underground space. When laying boards tightly, ventilation holes settle into the flooring independently.

3. Next, moisture-resistant plywood is installed transversely to the boards, the thickness of which is at least 1.2 cm. It is possible to use other types of pressed boards. The arrangement of elements should resemble brickwork. To fix them, self-tapping screws about 200 mm long are used. Provide a gap of 30 mm between the sheets.

4. Further actions are related to the installation of waterproofing on the floor. For these purposes, waterproofing based on bitumen or paraffin is used. It is possible to use waterproofing materials such as parchment, glassine or high-density polyethylene. In order to form a monolithic insulating coating, lay the material overlapping and secure with tape. The waterproofing extends 10-15 cm onto the walls. They are also fixed to the wall with tape.

5. A damper-type tape, about 1 cm thick and 100 mm wide, is laid on the surface between the floor and the wall.

6. Next, the screed itself is installed, for the manufacture of which a leveling mixture or self-leveling compounds are used. In order to prepare such a solution yourself, you should combine sand and liquid glass in a ratio of 2 to 1. In addition, one part of water is added to this composition.

After the poured layer has hardened, the tiles are laid on a wooden base. Usage this method wooden floors in the bathroom, how to lay tiles is especially important.

You can also prepare a wooden floor for laying tiles by pouring a screed based on a mixture of sand and cement reinforced with fiberglass. In this case, the layer thickness will be about 3 cm. The screed is grouted immediately after it is poured. To level such a screed, beacons are used. Next, the screed should gain strength over the course of three weeks, and after that it is coated with a primer.

Tile adhesive is prepared in batches. Because it is highly flexible and dries quickly. Excess glue is squeezed out by pressing on the tile. In order for the tile to fit tightly to the surface, it is struck rubber mallet. After 24 hours from the moment of laying the tiles, the surface is treated using a fugue.

Recommendations on how to lay tiles on a wooden floor with your own hands

The last method of gluing tiles to wood flooring involves installing the tiles directly onto the floor using polyurethane-based adhesive. Which does not lend itself to the effects of movement caused by the thermal expansion of the tree.

The floor is first inspected for defects that require repair. Next, the base is covered with moisture-resistant plywood. In order to improve the rigidity of the floor, moisture-resistant plywood slabs are laid in two rows. However, the seams of the bottom row should not coincide with the top.

The base is also constructed as a floating floor, to compensate for the thermal expansion of the wood underneath. Sealant is used to fill the joints between the plates. For surface treatment, we recommend using a universal primer.

Next, the tiles are glued to the base. Please note that two-component glue should be diluted strictly following all recommendations from the manufacturer. The slightest errors in this process will lead to a violation of the integrity of the coating.

The perimeter of the room is closed using a baseboard laid on silicone. Under no circumstances should moisture seep through it onto the lower areas of the floor.

How to Install Vinyl Tiles on Wood Floors

Initially, you should prepare the surface wooden base for laying tiles on it. To do this, the varnish or paint is removed from the coating, and the floor is sanded. If there are cracks, they should be repaired. Next, the surface is primed. At the same time, all work is carried out at temperatures from 19 to 23 degrees.

When gluing tiles to the floor, you should determine the central part of the room and move from it. The tiles are fixed to the floor surface using acrylic dispersion adhesive. The principle of its preparation is indicated in the instructions.

There are two options for laying tiles on the base - in the form of a pyramid or layer-by-layer laying. Please note that small gaps are left on the surface between the wall and the floor, which are covered with a plinth.

The seams must be treated after two days from the moment the tiles are laid on the wooden base.

How to lay tiles on a wooden floor video: