Base for ceramic tile

[Chase_19]

Hi, I currently have wood flooring (parquetry) in my kitchen. I want to replace it with ceramic tiles. Once I pull up the wood parquetry what is the minimum thickness of plywood I have to put down before I lay my tile?

Thanks in advance for your help .

 

[JIM456]

Hi Chase,
The minimum is a 4mm construction/exterior grade plywood which is usually fine. If the floor is a bit dodgy then a 6mm plywood should be fine.

 

[Chase_19]

Thanks Jim for taking the time to reply!

 

[simonh1024]

Sorry, but the answer was completely wrong. YOU never use 4mm let alone 6mm exterior ply. Building regs for UK tilers state at least 14 mm ex ply. The problem is that the thinner the ply, the more likely the movement, even if it is going on a solid base.

I've been tiling for 25 years and recently went to a new re-build extension where the builders had put down 6mm ex ply onto concrete, guess what, the tiles were snapping under the weight of traffic. You can put the ply down with your adhesive and then tile, but its got to be thick enought to take the abuse.

If you go to beladhesives.co.uk they tell you at least 18mm ply!!!!!!!

 

[JIM456]

Simon,
why exactly would they have laid 6mm plywood onto concrete?

 

[Craigtaylor]

have i got this right or am i being thick

If you are laying tiles even on concrete floor you need to put down plywood first

 

[masona]

have i got this right or am i being thick

If you are laying tiles even on concrete floor you need to put down plywood first

Not heard of it.

 

[JIM456]

If you lay plywood on top of a concrete floor all your doing is introducing a potential weak link between the subfloor and the floorcovering. You can't screw and countersink 4mm or 6mm plywood to the floor and you can't trust fixing it with adhesive.
If the subfloor is stone/concrete/asphalt and has to be raised or smoothed out then latex screed should be used.
Plywood is only used to line a timber subfloor and protect the floorcovering from the movement which will always occur.

 

[Craigtaylor]

thanks thats what i thought, not going mad after all

 

[jonnyb1]

ref craigs comments thats exactly what i thought!!!!

 

[felix]

I wouldn't care to lay ceramic tiles on anything less than solid masonary but if you must tile on wood then the thicker the better. I think I'd go for 3/4" marine ply.