How to make tiles on a wooden floor. How to lay tiles on a wooden floor, preparing the base for laying tiles. Installation of base under tiles

Tiled flooring for the kitchen and bathroom is 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 its characteristics wood coverings at first glance they 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, and literally burst at the seams.

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

The main factor in the stability of tile coverings

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

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 you create a stable base for the tiles, you need to inspect your wood flooring. Then create a multi-layer cake from existing and additional materials, which will preserve the solidity of the floor covering, provide ventilation to the wooden parts of the structure and minimize the load on the wood.

Important! Indiscriminately wooden structure we can't get by. 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. Antiseptic treatment of all wooden structures is mandatory.

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.

The chemical method involves treating floors with a special reagent that dissolves varnish or paint.
Thermal method - heating the surface with a hair dryer. After that paint coating removed with a spatula.
The mechanical method of removing varnish or paint is done using a power tool: an angle grinder with a special attachment, and then the surface is sanded with a grinding machine or simply 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 log to the insulation).

Indicators	10-20 mm	5-10 mm	0-5 mm
Bulk density, kg/m3	280-370	300-400	500-700
Crushing strength, N/mm2 (MPa)	1-1,8	1,2-2	3-4
Granulometric composition, %	4	8	0
Frost resistance 20 cycles, gravel weight loss, %	0,4-2	0,2-1,2	not regulated
Percentage of crushed particles, %	3-10	3-10	No
Thermal conductivity, W/m*K	0,0912	0,0912	0,1099
Water absorption, mm	250	250	290
Specific effective activity of natural radionuclides, Bq/kg	270	270	290

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 tiles 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 of 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 wood waste materials are more static than wood due 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 instructions

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 stage. 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": the seams between the sheets should not match.

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.

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 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, and thick plastic 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 laid overlapping and carefully secured with 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 are used in a 2:2 ratio. The mixture is brought to the desired consistency with purified water.

Name. Brief description	Packaging kg	Consumption kg/mm/m2	Price	Strength MPa	Layer thickness in mm
ALFAPOL VP - finishing self-leveling self-leveling floor M200 F200 Pk5 W12 on a cement base	25	1,75	375-471	20	2-40
REAL Floor leveler, High-quality dry cement-based mortar	25	1,7	360	20	2-80
Bergauf BODEN ZEMENT MEDIUM, self-leveling floor for the final leveling of horizontal surfaces, ideal for further installation of any floor coverings (ceramic tiles, parquet, carpet, linoleum)	25	2	289-324	20	6-60
Forbo Eurobond 915, fast-hardening self-leveling floor, low shrinkage, self-leveling, quick-drying. Suitable for heated floors. For indoor use, incl. in damp areas. Withstands the load from furniture on casters.	25	1,7	405	20	3-50
Petromix PS, for leveling floors on concrete and other hard substrates in dry, damp and damp areas. Serves as a base for floor coverings (parquet, ceramic tiles, textile carpets, plastic coverings, linoleum, etc.)	25	1,5	441-471	25	2-30
The foundation will be T-42 Nipline, a self-leveling, high-strength, moisture-resistant, non-shrinking leveler on a cement-sand base using special chemical additives.	25	1,7	342-433	25	3-30
Ceresit CN 178, for the manufacture of screeds operating under conditions of low and moderate mechanical loads, incl. with constant exposure to moisture (in residential and public premises, on exploited roofs, balconies, terraces, open areas etc.), for external and internal work, in civil and industrial construction.	25	2	370	35	5-80
Vetonit 4100 cement-based mixture for leveling concrete floors indoors	25	1,6	520-537	20	2-30
vetonit 4150, suitable for quickly leveling concrete floors and creating screeds in residential buildings, offices and public buildings. Suitable for renovation and new construction various types floor coverings. Used in “Warm Floor” designs	25	1,6	520-550	20	2-30
Berghauf BODEN ZEMENT FINAL, self-leveling cement-based flooring for perfectly smooth surfaces. For rooms with normal and high humidity(bathroom).	25	1,8	435-490	20 If you are short on funds, then the last installation method is the most economical and advantageous in terms of pruning. Important! Before gluing, you need to try the masonry dry - this will help you choose the optimal installation method. Installation process step by step Now you know what to lay the tile covering on wooden floor– the task is doable, but whether the game is worth the candle is up to you to decide. Video - How to lay tiles on a wooden floor Video - Laying tiles on a wooden base

It is believed that a wooden floor is not a suitable base for laying tiles. But in this article we will dispel this myth and tell you in detail how to do everything correctly and reliably. We'll show you how to lay tiles on a wood floor using plywood as a leveler and stabilizer.

Also, if you are dealing with wooden floors, you need to use a special tile adhesive. But more on this later in the article..

So is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

Experienced tilers will most likely say that laying tiles on a wooden surface is a bad idea. This point of view is very common and generally correct. But, as you know: “if you really want to, then you can.”

This is due to the fact that wood is an unstable material. It changes its properties with changes in temperature and humidity, and can expand or contract. This will cause the surface to move. Tile, in turn, is a rigid finishing material, and the base for it must remain stationary. If the floor is in wooden house will “walk”, the tile will chip, peel off and collapse over time.

You also need to remember that under a layer of tile adhesive, the wood will not have access to oxygen. This can sometimes cause the wood fibers to rot and break down quickly. Even if you provide adequate underground ventilation and treat the wood with special impregnations, keep in mind that the service life of porcelain tiles is much longer than wooden planks and bars.

Comment from our expert:“In general, I personally am against tiles on a wooden floor. It's not as reliable or durable anyway. I had to deal with this several times - everything seemed to be fine. But in my opinion, it’s easier to remove the wooden floor and make a new “floor pie” with a concrete base. But yes, there are situations when you can take a risk and try to lay it on a tree.

It is clear that sometimes it is either impossible or very expensive to redo the floor. Only in such cases, if you really want to see tiles on a wooden floor, you can try to “stabilize” the floor.”

If for some reason you absolutely need to lay tiles on a wooden floor, there is a technology (or you can say instructions) that will help you avoid the problems described above.

How to do this?

Correct laying of floor tiles on a wooden surface can be done in several stages.

Preparing an old wooden floor

Before laying a stabilizing layer of plywood on the floor (more on this later in the article), it is necessary to tidy up the base of the wooden floor. Ideally, there should be 1-2 mm of distance between the boards for ventilation and movement when they dry out. But, if the finished floor is already in place and “pulled together,” you can simply leave gaps between the walls and the floor.

The logs on which the boards lie should run longitudinally and transversely, with intervals of no more than 50 cm.

There must be a layer of waterproofing under the subfloor. In the space between the rough boards and the main floor, you can lay mineral wool as a vapor barrier or fill the empty space with loose insulation.

It is important to leave 5 cm of free space between the main floor and the top of the bulk mixture for ventilation. Also check that the boards are level. Damaged boards and joists must be replaced.

Ideally, it is advisable to disassemble the old wooden floor and treat all its elements separately. Boards and joists need to be sanded and cleaned of old varnish or paint. After this, you need to impregnate all wooden elements with antifungal impregnations.

Only after the impregnation has dried, fill the empty space between the subfloor and the main floor with expanded clay. Don't forget about empty space for ventilation.

Laying plywood or drywall

When the old floor is prepared, waterproofed and insulated, you need to lay two layers of moisture-resistant plywood on it. It must be secured with galvanized self-tapping screws screwed into the joists. Plywood will strengthen the entire structure and eliminate the destructive movement of wood when temperature or humidity changes. Carefully level the plywood sheets and securely fix them.

Advice from our expert:“In general, in this case, I would recommend the scheme: old wooden floor - plywood - cement screed - tiles. But I understand that no one will bother that much. Therefore, we skip the screed element and act without it.

Another point: it’s better not to use tiles. It’s better to take porcelain stoneware - it’s stronger, and in such a situation this is critical.”

You can use moisture-resistant plasterboard instead of plywood ( GVL), OSB sheets, sometimes even chipboard, but plywood is better.

Expert advice:“The plywood must be laid “staggered,” i.e. so that the joints of the top layer do not fall on the first layer. Yes, by the way, instead of plywood, you can lay gypsum fiber board.”

After the moisture-resistant plywood is fixed, it must be treated with a deep penetration primer ( We recommend “betonkontakt”).

It needs to dry for 4 hours to continue further work. A moisture-resistant sealant must be applied around the perimeter.

Tile laying process

When the surface is primed, you can begin laying ceramic tiles.

In our case, classic tile adhesive will not work. You need to use a special polyurethane tile adhesive. It will be more expensive than classic tile adhesive made from dry mixtures, but such adhesive will at least slightly compensate for the mobility of the floor.

Alternatively, you can take glue from the Litikol company. Its cost is 3,500 rubles per 5 kilograms. The height of the glue grooves should be 8-10 mm. It is just suitable for wooden floors and porcelain tiles.

After applying the glue to the plywood, start laying the tiles on it, inserting plastic crosses between them. Be sure to check each tile using a level. After the glue has completely hardened, it is necessary to rub the seams and fill them with fugue.

Our website has separate and detailed articles on these topics.

The tiles can be cut using a grinder. Apply glue using a notched trowel.

Reliability and durability

Even if all the rules are followed, the reliability of such a surface will be much worse than tiles laid on a concrete base. A concrete base is much more reliable and durable in all respects. It is easier to lay tiles on it.

In a wooden house, the tiled floor may crack and “peel off” over time.

We understand that there are situations where it is too difficult and expensive to redo a floor. In these cases, you can lay the tiles as we described above.

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 conditions change environment. 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:

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;
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;
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 along with it the decorative coating will be damaged;
wood is not static, which makes it an unsuitable option for flooring if you plan to cladding it with ceramic products;
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, you can continue installation work. In the case where the logs are also exposed to negative factors, these elements are replaced or restoration is carried out: the crossbars are only partially replaced and treated with special compounds.

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

If the joists are seen to be in good condition, the decking base is left in its original condition, 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:

drywall, characterized by moisture resistance;
gypsum fiber sheet;
cement bonded particle boards;
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 a special glue that 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. An important point is the need to lay the subfloor slabs so that the joint 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;
due to the low weight of the floor, the level of load on the joists is reduced;
high installation speed, because in this case there is no need to work with cement screed.

So that the process does not have to be interrupted, a calculation is made in advance necessary materials: determine the number of slabs, fastening elements, cladding. 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

You can lay tiles on a wooden floor by first using 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. Its load-bearing capacity is 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, a polymer mesh is used to strengthen the structure. Sequence of actions:

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. During the restoration work, they check whether 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.
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.
The boardwalk is being installed. Use 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 wooden flooring, which will ensure the possibility of ventilation of the structure.
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.
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.
A damper tape is laid along the perimeter of the room along the walls; its thickness should be 0.8-1.0 mm and width 10 cm.
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.

To ensure 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. Finishing material laid out after applying the primer on 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 a building level; this is necessary to ensure that the surface of the structure is level, 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 of high humidity without the risk of violating 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.

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 5 minutes

The vast majority of apartments, especially those built during the Soviet period, were equipped with wooden floors. But for rooms with high operational load or high humidity - such as corridors, kitchens, bathrooms, showers - tiled floors are more suitable. Ceramic tiles (tiles) are superior to wood in durability and practicality. It is much easier to keep it perfectly clean. But will the tiles fit on a wooden floor if you don’t want to dismantle it? Or is it not possible to do this?

What are the problems with laying tiles on wood?

The installation of tiled floors requires a perfectly flat, stationary base. Wood is sensitive to changes in the microclimate of the room: it swells with excessive humidity, dries out and shrinks when used at high temperatures. This type of base is not suitable for tiles: they will crack or begin to “walk”. When using tiles small size cracks will appear along the seams between the floor elements.

In turn, wood is also uncomfortable under the ceramic layer. Wooden parts deprived of natural ventilation will deteriorate much faster under the influence of dampness and microorganisms.

But modern materials and appropriate technologies make it possible to create an intermediate layer that allows tiles to be laid on a wooden floor.

Revision of old coating

Before choosing a method for preparing the base for laying tiles, you need to conduct a thorough inspection of it. The sequence of future work will largely depend on the condition of the old floors.

Under no circumstances should it be installed on newly constructed wood floors. They need to be given at least two to three years to shrink. So in new buildings you cannot lay tiles on wood. You must either wait or completely dismantle the floors and construct a fundamentally different base, for example, a concrete screed.

It should be noted that the tile covering is laid for a very long time. Therefore, you need to be absolutely sure that the elements of the old coating will last no less. There is no point in fussing with the tiles if they will soon have to be opened due to rotten elements of the base.

Professionals insist on a complete overhaul of old floors to find and replace all defective elements.

Be sure to check the condition and distance between them. It should not exceed 50 cm, otherwise the base may not withstand the weight of tiles, glue and other materials.

Strong boards that do not have visible defects can be used, but first they must be freed from the old coating: paint or varnish. This can be done in different ways:

Mechanical - clean the coating using an abrasive tool: sandpaper, grinder, grinder with a special attachment.
Thermal – heat the paint with a hair dryer. It will swell and be easily removed with a spatula. Some craftsmen manage to use a regular blowtorch for these purposes, but we must remember about the possibility of fire.
Chemical - remove varnish or paint using various reagents. But the tree, saturated with them, will continue to emit unpleasant odors, so this method is used very rarely.

Preparing the base

So, you should carefully disassemble the wooden floors and assess the condition of the joists. Replace defective ones, add additional joists if necessary, securely fasten them and level them.

All elements of the wooden floor structure must be treated with an antiseptic. After it dries, you can update or replace the insulation. This could be a layer of expanded clay, mineral wool slabs or another type of thermal insulation. When laying, the recommendations for using the selected material must be followed.

Between the subfloor boards and the insulation it is necessary to leave a space of 5 cm to create natural ventilation.

When installing the flooring back, you should not pack the boards tightly, but leave a gap of a few millimeters between them so that the wood can breathe. A 10 cm gap is left between the floor and the walls. Then it can be sealed with polyurethane foam.

The progress of further work depends on the chosen method of preparing the base. The main ones are the device of lightweight screeds, or polyurethane adhesives.

A layer of solution consisting of sand (2 parts), liquid glass (2 parts) and water is applied to the floor surface. All components must be thoroughly mixed.

The tiles are fixed with two-component polyurethane adhesive. It retains its plasticity after hardening, so it will not only ensure reliable fastening of the tiles, but also compensate for slight vibrations of parts of the subfloor.

Lightweight screed

The point of this method is to create a solid and level base that is not connected to walls or wooden floors. This floating structure will ensure the integrity of the tile covering. The optimal thickness of the screed is 30 mm: a smaller thickness will not provide sufficient strength to the base, a larger thickness will significantly increase the weight of the floor.

A layer of waterproofing is created. It could be roll material: glassine, bitumen paper or even thick polyethylene. Waterproofing mastics or heated drying oil are often used. In this case, reinforcement with fiberglass mesh is used.
Damper tape is glued along the perimeter of the room between the floor and the wall.
A thin layer is attached to the waterproofing layer with self-tapping screws. metal mesh.
A screed with a height of 30 mm is poured.

You can use a regular solution of cement and sand, but it is better to use self-leveling mixtures: they dry much faster and are more convenient to work with.

After hardening, the screed is primed, and then the tiles are laid in the same way as on a regular concrete base.

Plywood base

To create a flat and durable base for the tiles, sheets of plywood are used. It is better to cut them into 4 parts. Installation is carried out following the following recommendations:

After impregnating the base with an antiseptic and laying the waterproofing layer, the plywood is fastened in a checkerboard pattern.
A compensating gap of 5 mm is left between the individual elements. In the future, it can be sealed using sealant or foam.

Plywood is also subject to thermal expansion, which is why a compensating gap is needed between the individual sheets. A 10 mm wide gap is also left around the entire perimeter of the room.

The resulting surface is processed with a grinding machine along, across and diagonally. Then it is primed.

A waterproofing layer is formed from latex impregnation, paint mesh and liquid glass solution.

The tiles are attached with polyurethane glue.

Plywood can be replaced with slabs of moisture-resistant plasterboard or gypsum fiber. The technology will not be much different, but it is worth using components designed specifically for these materials.

Laying tiles

Tiles are laid on wooden floors in the same way as on a concrete base:

Laying begins from the middle of the room or from the far corner opposite the entrance.

For lightweight screeds or gypsum boards, it is recommended to use cement adhesive mortars; for plywood or boards, use two-component polyurethane adhesive.

Tile has long been considered a good facing material. It is used today in commercial and residential construction. There are many types of tiles.

It can compete with any coating with its patterns, textures, colors and other external characteristics. Its main advantage is wear resistance, excellent fire-resistant and water-repellent properties.

Laying tiles on a wooden floor

Tile is most often used for bathroom or kitchen tiling. Craftsmen increasingly began to use it in work and living spaces. Is it safe to lay ceramic tiles on a wooden floor, and how effective is it?

Many tile manufacturers state that their products cannot be laid on wood. A plank base does not guarantee strength and rigidity for the structure.

If the moving wooden floor begins to rot, the concrete screed on it will begin to crack in a situation where the boards begin to sag. Then the tiles will collapse, and cracks will begin to appear in the floor.

Now new techniques are emerging that make it possible to lay tiles on wooden floors. In this technique, the quality of base preparation plays an important role.

Preparing a wooden floor for tiles

At the beginning of the work process of laying a new floor on top of the old one important point is the correction of defects and shortcomings that the previous coating has. The key point when choosing tiles is wooden base with a high level of rigidity and strength.

Floor preparation

The process of preparing a wooden floor can be divided into the following stages:

First, the entire wooden floor must be sorted out; boards that have flaws, rotten or cracked, must be removed. The frequency of installation of logs must correspond to their load-bearing capacity. The weight of the floor together with the tiles will increase several times.
After disassembling and reassembling the floor, you should check its evenness. We use a level capable of measuring the horizontalness of the log. During such a check, you need to leave 10 mm gaps between the rough base and the walls. These gaps are insulated with polyurethane foam. To make the floor durable, expanded clay is used, which will increase the energy efficiency of the floor and will be an excellent sound insulator.
Then the wooden base is laid. You can use boards in good condition, plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm. This plywood is well suited for a tiled floor as a base and can support its weight.
All remaining rough coating and joists should be treated with special chemical impregnations, which will clean them from rot and fungus.
We fix the plywood and boards, providing ventilation due to the presence of gaps between them, up to 5 mm wide.
Waterproofing made of bitumen, parchment or polyethylene film is laid on top of the rough base.

Installing the base under the tiles

Laying tiles on a wooden base

There are three ways to install under the base tile. Each of them has its own technology:

The first case is to use a conventional screed, which is lightweight and thin. For this, a metal mesh is used, attached with self-tapping screws to the subfloor using beacons. Then the cement screed is poured, its thickness is approximately 3 mm. It is permissible to use a self-leveling screed.
The second case involves the use of a base made of polyurethane glue with a liquid glass base. After drying, it forms excellent moisture insulation. Such joints are suitable for laying tiles on top of a wooden floor. It can support a lot of weight.
The third case is installation on waterproofing cement bonded particle board, moisture-resistant gypsum fiber or drywall. It is recommended to use gypsum fiber from these materials. This material is characterized by insulating properties, ductility and greater strength. The flooring is attached to the subfloor using self-tapping screws. It is important to avoid overlapping floor elements and plaster joints. By special means glue the seams of the base. The slabs or sheets should then be covered until completely dry. soil base. This option is good when laying tiles on a wooden floor in a wooden house.

Laying stages

When the base for the tiles is prepared, it is necessary to check its horizontalness with a building level. Then the tiles are laid.

Installation steps:

Preparatory work.
Marking.
Sticking.
Laying.

Preparatory work consists of correctly calculating the amount of material. Often up to 10% of the space reserve is taken into account, in comparison with the total area of the room. It is important that at this stage the purchased ceramic tiles are actually floor tiles and not wall tiles. These two types of tiles are similar to each other, but weak wall tiles are not suitable for flooring. It also does not have an anti-slip effect.

Then the tiles should be laid out in the room over the entire area in order to evaluate the appearance of the future floor externally and determine the locations for pipe openings and other communications.

It is necessary to check whether the height of the new floor allows for opening the doors. Otherwise, you will have to change the height of the doors, rehang them on higher hinges before installing the tiles on the wooden floor.

So that there is no air in the tile, it is soaked in water for 15 minutes. If the tile cannot withstand this procedure and stains form on it, then the surface of the tile should be cleaned with a damp brush.

Marking and preparing glue

It is necessary to mark in such a way that fewer cut tiles have to be used when placing them near the walls. When laying diagonally, you will have to cut a lot of tiles, and laying along the wall is carried out, starting work from the opposite side to the entrance of the room.

If according to design solution If a special pattern is assumed, then it is necessary to act according to this plan. It is important to take into account the requirements for optimal floor height, communications and other preparatory nuances.

Then the glue is prepared. Tiles are laid on a wooden floor using special cement adhesive. For its production it is used plain water, purchased dry powder and a certain amount of plasticizers.

Such mixtures have a short drying period (no more than 4 hours), so the glue must be used immediately or prepared in small portions. To ensure a high-quality glue consistency and good installation, it can be mixed with a construction mixer.

Apply the glue in even stripes using a notched trowel. Application begins in the center of the room, in one of the corners. For each size of tile used, you must select separate trowel sizes. The spatula teeth should have a size that is 30 to 40 times smaller than the width of the tile.

The glue dries in a fairly short time (about 15 minutes), so it should be applied to approximately 1 square meter of area, and the tiles should be laid immediately.

Laying on a wooden floor

Features of adhesive for laying tiles on wood

When the tile is laid on a wooden floor, it should be pressed into the adhesive using a rubber hammer. The seal is sealed with light blows. Each surface area of the treated edges must be covered with tiles. Then another area of the room or the next square meter is processed.

First, whole pieces of tiles are laid on a wooden floor. Then they begin to fill the free space near the walls. The required pieces of tile can be cut with a special tile cutter.

After installation, the floor is cleaned with a rag to remove any remaining adhesive. Wait for it to dry for two days, then seal the seam joints. They are rubbed with fugues, which gives the floor a more aesthetic appearance.

The fugue is applied with a rubber spatula using diagonal movements. All seams must be filled, then the remaining fugue must be removed. After 30 minutes, the fugue will dry, and the floor should be wiped with a damp cloth, and after 1 hour - with a flannel. After this, the tile floor on the wooden floor is ready.

The coating is completely identical to the tiled one, which is laid on a concrete screed. It is sufficiently durable if no mistakes were made when processing boards, plywood and joists. Treated wood can serve for a long time as a base under a tile covering. It also guarantees good thermal insulation.

Impregnation of a wooden floor, the use of special compounds and expanded clay improve the reliability of the tile covering, which eliminates its own shortcomings. Even the simplest floor will be an excellent base for laying floor tiles on wood.