Tiling on wooden floorboards

[J2009]

I had a tiler a couple years ago tile onto hardboard (the bendable kind) in our bathroom. I have since learnt that he should have used plywood on top of the floorboards. The tiles are 33cm x 33cm basic B&Q floor verity tiles. 2.5 years later and the tiles and fine.

I now need t tile the kitchen floor. Same wooden floorboards. I planned to do exactly the same - tile on hardboard. I have already purchased the hardboard.

Q1a. Should go and purchase plywood instead and how thick should it be?

Q1b. If I use Plywood then my washing machine may not fit under the worktop. Any ideas?

Q2. Do I just ply and tile the visible kitchen floor plus under the washing machine? up to the kitchen cabinet legs?

Q3. I have seen kitchen cabinet plinths (the board which attaches to the legs) sitting into a see-through holder strip. This protects the plinth from water damage and keeps it in place. Does anybody know what it is called and where I can buy it?

 

[bcafg1]

Id use hardibacker board or no more ply 6m thick(20mm depth with tile and addy?
Take off the plinths finish board and tile underneath plinths doesnt have to be tiled all the way through.
Once tiled cut the plinths to size
Never used the strips , dont know what water damage your expecting, but should imagine all kitchen outlets sell them.

 

[zanwan]

Id use hardibacker board or no more ply 6m thick(20mm depth with tile and addy?
Take off the plinths finish board and tile underneath plinths doesnt have to be tiled all the way through.
Once tiled cut the plinths to size
Never used the strips , dont know what water damage your expecting, but should imagine all kitchen outlets sell them.

is 6mm not too thin to go onto floor boards?

I asked one of the guys in Topps Tiles and they recommended 16mm ply. I have a similar problem to the above poster in that i'l be tiling onto wooden floorboards upstairs, but i'm getting conflicting views on what should be used.

 

[Richard C]

I had a tiler a couple years ago tile onto hardboard (the bendable kind) in our bathroom.

He wasn’t a good tiller

I have since learnt that he should have used plywood on top of the floorboards.

Yes

The tiles are 33cm x 33cm basic B&Q floor verity tiles. 2.5 years later and the tiles and fine.

You’ve been extremely lucky but I would not expect it to continue, your tiled floor will fall apart at the slightest hint of moisture

I now need t tile the kitchen floor. Same wooden floorboards. I planned to do exactly the same - tile on hardboard. I have already purchased the hardboard.

Don’t take the hardboard back or use it for something else.

Q1a. Should go and purchase plywood instead

Yes

and how thick should it be?

British Standard & practically all good adhesive manufacturers recommend 15mm WBP but generally 12mm is sufficient in most cases in bathrooms; in a heavy use area such as a kitchen you would be better to use 15mm.

Q1b. If I use Plywood then my washing machine may not fit under the worktop. Any ideas?

Get a different integrated washing m/c which has adjustable legs.

Q2. Do I just ply and tile the visible kitchen floor plus under the washing machine? up to the kitchen cabinet legs?

You can do it that ways but if not tiling the whole floor in the case of a refit, I tile just beyond the plinth line & under the feet of any appliances

Q3. I have seen kitchen cabinet plinths (the board which attaches to the legs) sitting into a see-through holder strip. This protects the plinth from water damage and keeps it in place. Does anybody know what it is called and where I can buy it?

For plinth seals, try a decent fitted kitchen suppler.

 

[buycountertop]

Nice questions you put in front of us I am also looking for some interesting answers.....thanks for sharing

 

[CY078]

I put cement fibre sheeting on top of my timber floors before putting the tiles on.

I am "assuming" that there were not enough nails used to hold down the cement fibre boards as there is (again "assuming") flex in the board hence the grout breaks up, falls down the crack, and has to be re-grouted often in certain places (high traffic areas where the two boards meet up).

So if the above is accurate ... put more nails in to hold the boards so they don't flex.

The other factor is that I live in Sydney, Australia .... so the weather is quite different to yours.

Good luck.

 

[Richard C]

I put cement fibre sheeting on top of my timber floors before putting the tiles on.

I am "assuming" that there were not enough nails used to hold down the cement fibre boards as there is (again "assuming") flex in the board hence the grout breaks up, falls down the crack, and has to be re-grouted often in certain places (high traffic areas where the two boards meet up).

So if the above is accurate ... put more nails in to hold the boards so they don't flex.

The other factor is that I live in Sydney, Australia .... so the weather is quite different to yours.

Good luck.

If the floor has excessive flexing, your tiles will fail & in some cases additional joists or sister joists will be needed to make a suspended floor rigid enough to accept a tile base

Never use nails to “tighten up” existing floorboards, fix new flooring or when over boarding, always use screws & fix every 150-200mm max.