How to lay tiles on a wooden floor: an overview of basic installation options. How to lay tiles on a wooden floor: is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor and how to do it correctly. Base for tiles on a wooden floor

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 4 minutes

Laying tiles on wooden floor- in most cases, a difficult and troublesome task. This is due to the fact that very careful preparation of the base is required. Often this procedure is impractical: the tree is very mobile, it is constantly expanding or contracting. This creates increased stress on the ceramics and tile adhesive. The first begins to crack, the second begins to crumble. As a result, the floor covering may simply fall off. To avoid the troubles listed above, you must strictly follow the technology for laying ceramic tiles on wooden floors.

Floor preparation

Typically, a wooden floor is a plank covering laid on. Before laying tiles, you need to make sure the strength and reliability of the base. If necessary, carry out repair and restoration work. In this case, proceed as follows:

First, check the quality of the joists and subfloor. This is especially true for old floors. To do this, you will have to completely remove the boards or wood boards. If there is any doubt about the quality or reliability of an individual joist or board, then it must be replaced.

Important! The step between the lags should not exceed 50 cm: the tiles will put additional load on the boards; if the distance is too large, they will bend. If this rule is not followed, additional lags will have to be installed.

The joists must form a perfectly flat horizontal surface.

The subfloor and joists must be treated with an antiseptic, which is necessary to protect the wood from the destructive effects of fungus, dampness, mold, etc.
Then they move on to the wooden flooring: they also check the quality of the boards or slabs, replace them if necessary, and remove the old coating (varnish or paint).
Lay the plank base on the joists and check the quality of the resulting coating, remove protruding nails or screws, and sand.

But now it’s too early to start laying tiles on a wooden floor in a bathroom or any other room. The technology of fixing ceramics itself is not much different from the traditional one, but the base requires additional training using one of the methods below.

Laying directly on boards

Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor without adding an additional layer? This option is the least reliable and therefore used least often.

The order of work will be as follows:

First you need to provide waterproofing. To do this, the boards are covered with a thick layer of a protective agent. You can use hot drying oil the old fashioned way or prefer a more modern latex composition.
Without waiting for the waterproofing agent to dry, lay a fiberglass mesh.
When the reinforcing coating is laid and protective layer dried, the mesh is secured with self-tapping screws.
The surface is coated with a primer solution, which will enhance the adhesion of the floor.
Finally, the surface is covered with the following mixture: sand, liquid glass (or silicate glue) and water in a ratio of 2: 2: 1.

After drying, you can start laying floor tiles.

On wood boards (OSB, chipboard, plywood)

This is the so-called “dry” method. When preparing the floor in this way, you won’t have to bother with solutions. However, this option is suitable for dry rooms where the humidity level is not higher than average, and where water rarely gets on the floor. Preparation for laying tiles on a wooden floor is carried out as follows:

The boards are treated with an antiseptic.

If wood boards are laid on top, then the boards themselves can be laid loosely. The gap can be up to 15 cm.

After the impregnation has dried, a waterproofing agent is applied on top. In this case, you will need plastic film or special construction paper (bitumen, waxed, etc.).
Lay out the sheets. The slabs should lie apart and loosely. The gap between them should be 5–10 mm. This is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the sheets. Compensation gaps are also left around the perimeter of the entire room.

The slabs are secured around the perimeter of the room and along the length using self-tapping screws. The caps should go completely into the sheet. As a result, the surface should remain flat.
Compensation gaps are sealed with sealant or foam. After drying, the excess sealant is cut off so that the material does not rise above the base. Then even laying of the ceramics will be possible.
A reinforced layer of waterproofing is also applied to the slabs, as described above.
Then the surface is also treated with a primer and or OSB.

Thin screed

There are more reliable ways to lay tiles. One of them is pouring a thin screed. This technique will protect the tiles from the constant vibrations of the expanding and contracting wood.

They also begin by treating the boards: first with an antiseptic, and then waterproofing composition.
A special tape is glued around the perimeter of the room, which will not allow the screed to collapse at the points of contact with the wall.
Install beacons. Typically, the thickness of a light screed does not exceed 3 cm. Beacons are installed at the appropriate height.

It is advisable to reinforce the base. To do this, a metal or fiberglass mesh is placed between the beacons.

Prepare a solution for the screed. This can be a standard mixture of cement, sand and water, prepared according to the instructions. But it's better to use more modern means, containing plasticizers, reinforcing elements, etc., for example, self-leveling flooring.

In the bathroom and kitchen as flooring It is recommended to use ceramic tiles, which are not afraid of moisture, are easy to clean and look aesthetically pleasing. But the owner of a private house often faces the question of whether it is possible to combine wooden base with tiles, and how to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

Failure to follow the rules for preparing a wooden base and installing tiles leads to dire consequences:

the floor covering is deformed and cracks due to movements of the wooden base;
The wooden floor in the bathroom or kitchen is damaged by rot and destroyed.

Wood – natural material, which is subject to deformation under the influence of humidity and ambient temperature. Tile requires a base that is resistant to deformation. To remove this contradiction, certain preparation technologies are used wooden structures, special attention is paid to the choice of materials for the installation of tile flooring, which must be airtight.

Laying tiles on a wooden floor is allowed in houses where the shrinkage period has completed or is nearing its end. Between the tiled cladding and the wooden base, a layer with damping properties is needed, which will absorb the movement of the base. At the same time, this layer will protect the wood from moisture penetration and prevent biological damage to the floor structures.

Preparing a wooden structure

Before laying tiles on a wooden floor, you need to tidy it up. Skirting boards and paneling door frame removed, the old floor is completely dismantled, the flooring boards are sorted out - damaged elements must be replaced with new ones, varnish, paint or the top layer of wood that has absorbed dirt is removed from the old floorboards.

To remove paint or varnish from old floorboards, the following methods are used:

Mechanical. The paintwork is peeled off with a wire brush or sandpaper. Power tools will speed up the work.
Chemical. A special remover dissolves varnish and paint, but work must be carried out in a well-ventilated area, using personal protective equipment.
Thermal. Outer side The boards are heated with a construction hairdryer; under the influence of high temperatures, the paint swells and is easily removed with a spatula.

The top, contaminated layer of wood can be removed manually or electric plane. Prepared flooring boards are treated with an antiseptic and a product with water-repellent properties (or a universal composition) - this will extend the life of the wooden base of the tiled floor.

Carefully inspect the joists - the reliability of the floor depends on their condition. You should first calculate the load on the base, based on the mass of the wooden flooring, tile cladding and materials that will also be used to create multilayer construction. It may be necessary to increase the cross-section of the joists or reduce the step between them. The logs are also treated with an antiseptic and water repellent.

The next stage is the installation of logs and plank flooring. It is important to avoid height differences and creaking; for this purpose, the logs are secured, checking the horizontal level. To insulate the structure, the gap between the subfloor and the top flooring is filled with small or medium-sized expanded clay. This heat insulator is not afraid of moisture and helps remove it from wooden structures.

A ventilation gap of 5-6 cm should be left between the surface of the backfill and the flooring. It is also necessary to provide a gap of 3-5 cm between the wooden floor and the walls so that the flooring does not swell when the wood expands under the influence of heat and moisture.

Base installation

A vapor barrier is laid on top of the logs - a layer of kraft paper with polymer coating. Next, the flooring is installed, for which you can use:

cement particle boards up to 20 mm thick;
processed boards.

Option 1.

The use of DSP has a number of advantages: they are characterized by durability, resistance to biological damage, and increased moisture resistance. Cement particle boards do not contain components harmful to human health. This material is suitable as a base for tiles.

DSP boards are attached to the joists with self-tapping screws. The elements are laid with a shift of half the width for structural rigidity. The joints between the slabs are filled polyurethane foam to create a waterproof base. The base should be treated with a primer (mastic) that increases the water-repellent properties of the material.

Option 2.

It is better to lay tiles on a wooden plank floor if the flooring is assembled from boards attached to the joists with self-tapping screws. A gap of 3-5 mm is left between the boards to compensate for expansion. This design is not prone to loosening and there is virtually no risk that the floor will swell over time.

If you plan to lay the tiles on a plank base, roll waterproofing material in two layers is laid on top of it. The overlaps of the strips when installing each layer must be at least 15 cm, the joints are glued with reinforced mounting tape. The second layer of waterproofing is laid offset so that the seams are not located directly on top of each other. The waterproofing material must extend onto the walls by at least 10 cm.

A reinforced screed 10 cm thick is installed on top of the waterproofing. It is recommended to use a modified composition with increased elasticity and resistance to cracking. An elastic screed compensates for movements of the wooden base. The screed is laid along the beacons in the direction from the far corner to the doorway. After the material has hardened (after 3 days), the surface is made strictly horizontal using a thin layer of self-leveling mixture.

Option 3.

If it is in good condition, a sheathing of wood is installed over the boardwalk. moisture resistant plywood, all joints are filled with polyurethane foam. After removing excess hardened foam, the surface of the base is impregnated with an antiseptic and water repellent.

Then a painting mesh is attached to it using self-tapping screws and a layer of a special solution is applied, which consists of water, coarse sand and liquid glass (in a ratio of 1: 2: 2). Tiles can be laid on a dry surface. It is also possible to use special polyurethane glue as an elastic screed over a wooden base.

Note! Materials such as chipboard, gypsum fiber board and ordinary plywood are not recommended to be used to prepare the bathroom floor for cladding - they are less resistant to moisture and require high-quality waterproofing. Laying tiles on a wooden floor, the flooring of which is made of boards or fiberboard, is a more reliable option.

The kitchen floor allows the use of moisture-resistant plywood, and other materials are suitable for preparing the base for flooring in dry rooms.

Regardless of the chosen option for preparing the base, before laying the tiles, the technological gap around the perimeter of the flooring is filled with polyurethane foam.

How to lay tiles

Laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor begins with checking the quality of the base - it must be smooth and horizontal. It is recommended to use an adhesive composition with a high elastic modulus.

Layed tiles, clinker or porcelain tiles look aesthetically pleasing if you adhere to the work technology, which is carried out in several stages:

The layout is thought out (you can lay ceramic tiles in straight rows, staggered, diagonally), and depending on the chosen option, markings are made. With a standard layout, the first line is drawn along the central axis of the room at a right angle to the wall. The second line is perpendicular to it, also along the central axis.
Perform a rough layout, starting from the center. If necessary, shift the starting lines so that the tiles lie symmetrically near the bathtub or other plumbing fixtures or in order to minimize the number of trims.
Remove tiles from the floor. Start laying ceramic tiles on the wood floor from the intersection of the starting lines towards the far corner. Apply the adhesive composition using a medium spatula to an area of the floor approximately one square meter. Then lay the tile on its back, following the marked lines, and press firmly. The first row is laid along one of the lines to the end of the area with the glue applied.
Use plastic crosses to ensure that the joints are of equal thickness, or install the flooring without joints if the characteristics of the tile allow it.
Next, the tiles are laid on the wooden floor in the direction from the center to the walls. It is important to ensure that the cladding elements are located in the same plane. If the tiles different thickness, this is leveled out due to the thickness of the adhesive layer.
Having laid the cladding from whole tiles, they begin to fill the remaining gaps along the walls. Using a tape measure, measure each area to ensure that the tiles are precisely cut for future priming.
The tiles laid on the floor are covered with a primer after the adhesive layer has hardened. If the tile already has a primer layer (this is indicated by the manufacturer), no treatment is required.
With help rubber spatula the seams are filled with mortar or special composition, impermeable to moisture. Excess material must be immediately removed from the cladding surface.
The finished tiled floor is rubbed to a shine with a dry sponge.

Answering the question whether it is possible to lay floor coverings made of tiles, clinker or porcelain stoneware in wet rooms of a house with a wooden floor, we can say that this is quite possible and such a covering will last a long time.

A wooden floor will require significant effort during the preparation phase.

How to lay tiles on a wooden floor yourself: difficulties and features of the process

Generally speaking, ceramics are far from the best option for combination with wood. This is due to the different characteristics of the two materials:

Wood tends to change its size as a result of the influence of external factors: when humidity increases, the tree expands; when humidity decreases, on the contrary, it can dry out. In many cases, this leads to deformation of the tile covering and the appearance of cracks;
Unlike tiles, wood is highly susceptible to various kinds of destructive processes and has a much shorter service life than ceramics. Therefore, you can often encounter a situation where, due to destruction wooden backing you have to dismantle the tiles;

tile covering, together with water-repellent glue, blocks access to the wood of oxygen, which is necessary for the full service of the tree. As a result, a significant reduction in the service life of the base;
Only the lightest tiles can be used for laying on top. Otherwise, its weight will be too great for the wooden base and over time the tile will fail.

So, is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor? Can. But this is a rather complicated process. If you're still confident in your decision to install ceramic tiles over wood floors, be prepared to put a lot of effort into it. But the result is worth it, so let's move on to preparing the base. Let's look at how to lay tiles on a wooden floor step by step.

Helpful advice! It is strictly not recommended to lay tiles on top of a wooden floor that has not been installed for at least two years. This risks causing the tiles to crack during shrinkage.

Basic requirements for data processing construction work, look like this:

provide oxygen access to the lower layers of the coating (wood);
distribute evenly permissible loads over the entire surface;
ensure the stability of the base.

In order for all these points to be met, it is necessary to plan the order of work and follow the plan. It would also be useful to look various videos on how to lay tiles on wood floors.

Assessing the condition of the coating: is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

The first stage involves a thorough inspection and assessment of the condition of the wooden base. To do this, it is best to remove the top boards and carefully inspect all structural elements: beams, joists, each board on both sides, insulation, etc.

If there are any signs of damage, the base section must be replaced or repaired. What you should pay special attention to:

presence of rot. There are many types of rot, so you need to carefully inspect the surface. Regardless of the type of fungi that generate this process, the wood softens, changing its color or structure. Checking for the presence of rotting elements is carried out as follows: you must insert an awl into any fragment that makes you suspicious. Easy entry is a reliable indicator of destructive processes in wood. All affected elements must be eliminated, and adjacent parts must be treated with special antiseptic agents for wood;

wood-boring beetle larvae. These insects destroy wood, gnawing many passages in it. To solve the problem, the same approach is used as in the first case - replacing the damaged area and carefully treating it with a special compound.

Most of the processes destructive to wood develop as a result of high humidity. Therefore, installing tiles on a wooden floor in a bathroom requires special attention. In dry rooms, the development of fungi can occur as a result of a violation of the integrity of the heat-insulating layer. Considering these factors, it is worth checking carefully waterproofing materials for damage. You may need to lay down an additional layer.

Helpful advice! Fungal spores are present in almost any wood. The only way to prevent them from ruining the floor is to carry out high-quality processing antiseptics and create the most unsuitable living conditions for them.

If none of the above defects were found on your floor or you have already eliminated all existing defects, then you can lay tiles on a wooden floor.

How to lay tiles on plywood: preparatory stages of work

Before you begin preparing to lay ceramic tiles on a wooden floor, you must make sure that the distance between the joists does not exceed 50 cm. Otherwise, it is necessary to install additional supports, since otherwise the structure may not support the weight of the coating and fail. As a useful source of information, you can use the videos presented on the Internet: how to lay tiles on a wooden floor is discussed in some detail.

Helpful advice! Do not forget to treat all new wooden elements with antiseptic agents.

Next, you need to check how even the logs are, what is it used for? building level. As a rule, during the shrinkage process, irregularities appear due to uneven subsidence of wooden parts. All these defects must be eliminated by cutting off excess elements with a plane or, conversely, by additionally lining small pieces of bricks or any other material. If it is not possible to push the missing element under the bottom, you can stuff an additional board on top, trimming it to the required height.

After leveling, it is necessary to treat the coating against fungus and bacteria. To do this, use the product with as long a break between repeated treatments as possible and follow all the recommendations specified in the instructions.

The most common surface treatment before laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor is hot drying oil. For high-quality protection, it must be reapplied several times (up to five). The product is a completely natural, environmentally friendly impregnation. Each subsequent layer of drying oil is applied after the previous one has completely dried. You can make sure it is dry by touching the surface - it should not be sticky.

The main thing in the process of treating with drying oil is not to let it cool down, because its antiseptic effect directly depends on the temperature: the hotter it is, the better it destroys larvae, spores and bacteria. In addition, when hot, drying oil is more liquid and can penetrate deeper into microcracks.

Helpful advice! Heating drying oil is an unsafe process. Its vapors can be flammable, so placing the container on the stove is strictly prohibited. When heating the septic tank, keep it over the stove and, just in case, prepare a piece of tarpaulin that can be used to extinguish the source of fire.

How to lay tiles on a wooden floor: necessary cleaning of the boards

If all previously removed boards are in satisfactory condition, they can be reinstalled after first cleaning them of the old varnish or paint with which they were covered. This can be done while you wait for the antiseptic solution to dry completely.

To remove varnish and paint residues from the surface of the boards, you can use the following methods:

construction hair dryer set to a temperature of 200-250 °C. A stream of hot air must be directed at the paint, as a result of which it will begin to swell with bubbles. To remove it, use a spatula, knife or scraper. In some sources you can find recommendations for using blowtorches, but this is not very good idea. There is a high probability of overheating of wood, and, as a result, deterioration of its technical characteristics;
chemical removers are a gel-like mass and are sold in almost all hardware stores. This remover must be applied evenly to the surface and after a while removed with a spatula along with the softened paint. The only drawback of this method is the considerable cost of the material when it comes to processing large area gender;
mechanical cleaning involves peeling paint from the surface with a spatula or sandpaper without use auxiliary materials. It's cheap, but it takes a lot of time. A sanding machine will help speed up the process significantly.

If, after removing the coating, you find any defects that were not noticed before, it is better to replace the damaged areas. In addition, all boards are subject to antibacterial treatment. After the impregnation is completely absorbed, you can begin laying the subfloor under the tiles.

How to Lay Ceramic Tile on a Wood Floor: Laying a Subfloor

The process of laying a subfloor begins with laying an insulating layer. The material you choose should be non-hygroscopic. This will keep the area underneath the tiles dry and prevent bacteria and fungi from growing there. Also the material must have minimum weight to create as little load as possible.

Extruded propylene foam can be considered a suitable option. Due to its synthetic origin, it prevents the development of any living organisms on its surface. True, of this material There are also disadvantages: it does not allow air to pass through well and is quite expensive.

As an alternative, expanded clay can be used. It is natural and conducts air well. However, it has more weight and a more hygroscopic structure.

Whatever insulation you prefer, it must be laid on top of the waterproofing layer

Mineral wool was used as insulation for the flooring.

If you want a heated floor under tiles on a wooden floor, then in this case it is better to seek help from professionals. Installation of the system is quite complex and requires a certain level of skill.

When all the boards are laid and secured, they can be puttied and then leveled using grinder. All cracks must be sealed with foam. It is flexible enough to allow the wood to expand, but can also support the weight of the tiles and adhesive.

Wood cladding may raise some doubts, but there is a certain technology for laying it in this way. Expert advice will allow you to take everything into account important points during the installation process and carry out quality repairs in the room.

1. Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor in a bathroom?

Most often, this issue worries those who make repairs in private houses and cottages. In such buildings, wood serves as the basis for cladding. In this case, cladding is acceptable, but it is worth assessing the condition of the surface and carrying out certain works the day before installation.

Further actions depend on the preliminary inspection of the base:

If the surface is in good condition, then minor processing is done and masonry can begin;
If there are serious flaws, installation is unacceptable. First, you should repair the base by replacing the necessary parts.

Calculate the required volume of material for the flooring of the room, taking into account the specific layout option (herringbone, offset, diagonal, rows, etc.).
When making repairs yourself, it is advisable to choose the simplest installation method, for example, cladding in rows. When laying in a diagonal direction, the consumption of tiles will increase significantly, since trimming will be necessary.

2. Preparing the base for cladding

When thinking about how to lay tiles on a wooden floor, you should first treat the surface of the base. Before covering, carefully check the surface. The covering can be made of boards or laminate.
The floor structure consists of rough-level boards, which are fixed on wooden joists.

Old paint can be removed using different methods:
. Mechanical method.
The point of this method is to use grinding machine, or electric drill with a sandpaper attachment. For initial processing, grit size No. 40 is suitable; final sanding is recommended to be No. 100 or No. 80. The main advantage of mechanical action is the ability to clean fairly large areas.

. Thermal method.
You will need a hairdryer for processing. high power, which can warm the air to + 300.. + 600 degrees. The device should be kept at a distance of 250-500 mm from the floor; after heating, the paint is removed in small parts, using a scraper or metal spatula when working.

Experts advise purchasing an industrial hair dryer with a special scraper, so you can combine the process of heating and cleaning the wood from paint.

. Method of chemical exposure.
Various solvents are suitable for this method. Chemical composition saturate the paint, applying it with a spatula or brush, depending on the consistency of the substance. The saturation time is 10-30 minutes, after which the paint layer softens and can be easily removed.

When organizing the subfloor, logs are installed on top of the ceilings. Then parchment (waterproofing) is laid, and the structure is completed with sheets of chipboard, gypsum board or plywood. Make sure the surface is even; logs must be installed level.

Before laying the material, chipboard sheets, plywood or gypsum boards must be treated with warm-temperature drying oil or another composition with protective properties. The device can be started immediately after the impregnation has dried.

Preparation of finishing material

Immersion in water will help displace the air from the tiles; 10-20 minutes is enough. If on outside stains appear on the tiles; in this case, a slight moistening of the surface from the inside is sufficient.

3. Do you need a screed?

Before laying, you should check the coating and evaluate how even it is using a level. If there are significant deviations, it is necessary to make a screed before facing.

What alignment methods are there?

Wet screed . Suitable for cases where it is necessary to increase the strength characteristics of the floor. At the same time, a gap is created around the perimeter of the room, taking into account possible deformation. This condition allows the base to move without destroying the installed coating;

Dry screed method . This method is the most popular because it allows you to create not only a flat, but also a reliable floor with high load-bearing capacity;
Leveling using gypsum board sheets is considered the easiest option . First of all, carefully examine the condition of the wood floor. Those bars that have rotted should be replaced with new elements. Next, the drywall is installed, the sheets are fixed with polyurethane glue, and the joints are treated with sealant. You should also soak the sheets with a primer mixture.

4. Laying the tiles

Basic steps when laying tiles on a wooden floor:

Before tiling the floor, you need to determine the location of the parts. The center is measured big wall and a line is fixed on the floor, usually it is perpendicular. Similar actions are also carried out for a short wall.
The resulting lines at the intersection point indicate the center of the room, if the room represents rectangular shape. Organize the most interesting option layouts, avoiding cutting tiles along the walls as much as possible.
It is recommended to tile the floor around the bathroom symmetrically.

The glue composition is used to treat 1 square meter of base in one of the corners, measured by the center of the room. In order to conveniently distribute the glue, it is better to use a spatula or spatula.
Provided the surface is flat (differences in height are no more than 3 mm), glue consumption is reduced to a minimum. In this case, it is enough that the layer is less than 5 mm, because the adhesive composition serves only to adhere the floor and tiles. To level the surface, there is a special glue on sale that can eliminate protrusions (up to 30 mm). Also, glue consumption depends on the thickness of the tile.
There is no need to mix the entire volume of glue at once, because installation takes quite a long time. The composition should be gradually diluted as needed.

You need to create pressure on the tile, then press it to the base. After this, you should continue laying, following the marked markings. Cover the entire floor area treated with adhesive.

The layout is directed from the central point to the walls, while certain gaps between the tiles must be maintained. After half of the floor surface in the bathroom is filled with tiles, the remaining part is also tiled. Next, you need to wait for the adhesive to dry completely.
Individual elements must be on the same level. If necessary, you can add a layer of glue.
We supplement the space between the wall and the laid material with trimmings. In order to carefully cut off some parts finishing material It is better to use a construction cutter.

Sometimes when laying flooring you need to go around something in the bathroom. In this case, use a precise outline, cutting it with an electric saw.

After the glue becomes hard, the tiles are impregnated with a primer.
There are collections of floor tiles in which the elements are coated with a primer. This information is specified on the packaging.
A scraper with a rubber tip is capable of filling all the gaps between the elements with a solution. Excess solution can be removed with a dampened sponge the day before drying;
If the bathtub is located close to a tiled wall, the gap between the wall and the bathtub must be sealed to ensure tightness. A gap of less than 5 mm can be filled with tiled grout or moisture-resistant grout.

Ceramic tiles are an excellent material for flooring, especially in rooms with high humidity or where there is a high likelihood of liquids or other substances getting onto the floor. Typical examples are bathroom, toilet, hallway, kitchen. They do not refuse to use tiles in residential premises if the floor is equipped with a heating system.

But what about the owners of private housing, in which all the floors originally wooden? A similar question may arise for owners of apartments in old buildings, where the plank covering is mounted on joists. Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden floor?

You can immediately reassure those who are worried - this is a completely doable operation that does not require complete dismantling of the coating to the ground or concrete base and subsequent pouring of thick concrete screed. True, you will have to work hard, since the success of such a modification of the coating will mainly depend on the quality and strength of the wooden base.

Taking on the task of laying tiles if there is even the slightest suspicion that the wooden base is unstable is the height of recklessness. This is explained simply:

Wood is a fairly flexible material, tending to return to its original configuration after deformation. But what is "forgivable" wooden floor(slight deflection, springing, etc.), absolutely unacceptable for ceramics. Each individual tile is very rigid and cannot be bent. If the floor “plays”, it may simply crack.
Another case is if, for example, ceramic tile small format. Cement-containing Tile adhesive also does not like dynamic bending loads. It will definitely develop small cracks, begin to delaminate, and the tile, even maintaining its integrity, will simply move away from the base.

We should not forget that the load on the coating will increase significantly - in addition to everything else, the ceramic tiles themselves have considerable weight, mortars, other possible elements the design of the created multi-layer “pie” of the floor. Thus, the wooden base must have guaranteed static stability. This is exactly what needs to be achieved at the first stage of work.

It is clear that the first step is always a thorough visual inspection, applying the best possible problem areas wooden floor in order to identify its possible vibrations and sources of squeaks. If there are any, then no questions should arise at all - the coating must be thoroughly rebuilt and repaired, and not only in places of instability, since strengthening the floor in one place does not guarantee that it will not appear in another. It is necessary to understand the cause and eliminate it at the root.

Sometimes after dismantling the floor a “scary” picture appears

Moreover, experienced craftsmen always advise, in all cases of laying tiles on a wooden base, to carry out a complete search of it. If you are planning a ceramic coating, then you need to think that it is for the long term, and not for a year or two. Where is the guarantee that the hidden floor wooden flooring a defect or the beginning of the process of decomposition of wood, which does not manifest itself in any way today, will not be discovered literally in a month or even a year, when the tile covering has already been completely laid? To carry out repairs, you will have to remove all the tiles, dismantle wooden base- and all due to the fact that the preparation did not show due integrity. Isn’t it better to be completely, 100% confident in the reliability and stability of the wooden floor before you start laying tiles?

Don’t let this prospect be particularly scary - compared to completely dismantling a wooden floor and pouring a new concrete slab to replace it, this procedure is much simpler and requires significantly less labor and financial investment.

So, usual scheme wooden floor - plank covering mounted on logs. The logs themselves can be installed according to concrete base. Another option is that they are a double wooden covering, with a rough and finished floor and a space between them that can be filled thermal insulation material. For any type of floor inspection, you will have to remove the boardwalk completely to expose the joists for inspection, repair and alignment.

If the condition of any of the joists causes even the slightest concern - there are cracks or areas with signs of wood decomposition, it must be unconditionally replaced.
If the distance between adjacent joists exceeds 500 mm, it will be necessary to install additional bars, otherwise even the thickest batten may give a bend in this place.
The logs must be leveled horizontally. If they are securely embedded, and it is not possible to change the height of the supports, this can be achieved teasing using a plane, or, conversely, by extending it with a wooden plank.
Of course, if there is a subfloor, it should also be given some repairs - replace dilapidated or cracked boards, eliminate possible distortions, creaks, etc. When it is ready, both it and the logs are covered with a layer of dense waterproofing film.
If you already have the opportunity to get to the joists and subfloor, you should take the opportunity and treat all the parts with antiseptic and water-repellent compounds. You should not attribute your reluctance to carry out this procedure to the fact that similar treatment was carried out earlier, during the initial installation of the floor - the compositions are inexpensive, the process itself will not take much time, but the durability of the structure will certainly increase.

Literally every board of the removed flooring is checked for integrity, the presence of weak areas, cracks, hammered and bent unnecessary nails, etc. All boards with significant flaws should be disposed of and replaced with fresh ones.
An important action that should not be forgotten is cleaning the finished floor boards from old paint layers if subsequent laying of tiles is planned directly on them. Creating a reliable base for tiles involves working with a cleaned wood structure.

This cleaning can be done in several ways:

Thus, paint or varnish can be removed in advance by scraping or using abrasive materials - grinding and polishing machines, sandpaper or special attachments on a grinder or electric drill.

Sometimes used chemical method cleaning - washing off paint with solvents. However, this is not the best option because organic solvents actively absorb into the wood, damaging it natural qualities and reminding you of yourself for a long time with an unpleasant, pungent odor.

Widely used thermal method- by using construction hair dryer or even blowtorch. Under the influence of high temperatures paintwork either burns out or melts to such a state that it is easy to remove with an ordinary scraper (spatula).

Before you begin reinstalling the floorboards, you have the opportunity to think through and additional insulation floor. Between the logs you can fill expanded clay, lay mineral wool mats or expanded polystyrene slabs. Additional thermal insulation will never hurt anyone.
The reverse laying of the boards onto the joists is not carried out “solidly”, but leaving a gap of 3-5 mm between them is necessary so that the wooden floor under the tiles has the opportunity to “breathe” and to compensate for possible linear vibrations of the material. Another option is to drill into the boards in any order through holes. Be sure to leave a gap at the walls around the entire perimeter of the room, about 10 mm. Any remaining gaps can be lightly covered with adhesive tape or foam.
After the final installation of the floorboards on the joists using self-tapping screws, a thorough quality control of the coating is carried out again. If no shortcomings are identified, you can proceed to preparing the base for laying ceramic tiles.

Several ways to prepare the base for laying tiles

So, we have a repaired, solid plank base. What should I do next to fully adapt it to laying ceramic tiles?

1. The tiles are supposed to be laid directly on top boards

First, you need to create a thin but stable and reliable waterproofing layer. To do this, the wooden floor is thickly treated with hot drying oil, but this method is quite outdated and also very unsafe, so it is better to use a latex impregnating composition. It is applied thickly with a wide brush to the floorboards, which immediately after this, without waiting for the composition to dry, are covered with a fine-mesh fiberglass painting mesh.

When the latex composition is completely dry, the mesh should be secured to the floor surface with galvanized self-tapping screws with wide heads for reliability.
The result is a durable waterproofing coating, which, in addition, has certain reinforcing properties.
Now it’s tedious to achieve good adhesion of the tile adhesive to the resulting base. You can do it this way. Prepare a solution consisting of 2 parts large fraction sand, 2 parts silicate glue (often called " liquid glass"), and one part of water. After thorough mixing, the resulting composition is evenly applied thin layer over the entire floor surface.

After complete drying, you will get a rough monolithic surface, completely ready for laying ceramic tiles.

Video: example of laying tiles directly on plank flooring

2. It is planned to fill a thin screed

If you read the opinions of many experienced craftsmen, some of them are categorically against laying tiles directly on a plank base. Their suggestion is to pour a small light screed on top of it.
The initial process - impregnation of the floorboards with a waterproofing compound - does not change.
Next, a damper tape should be glued around the perimeter to prevent deformation and destruction of the screed near the walls.
A beacon system is installed, based on the screed thickness of about 30 mm. Between the beacons you can additionally lay a thin metal or fiberglass mesh.
For screeding, you can use a standard base cement-sand mortar with fine seeded sand (1: 3), but it is better to use special dry building mixtures, which include fiber fiber micro-reinforcement and plasticizers. This screed matures faster and is more durable for such conditions. In addition, nothing prevents the use of the technology of pouring a self-leveling composition.

After the screed has hardened and fully matured, it is treated with a primer, after which it can be considered ready for laying ceramic tiles.

3. The floorboards will be covered with plywood (chipboard, OSB)

If there is no desire to stir up dirt by filling the screed, the room does not belong to the category of high humidity, but is characterized by a fairly intense dynamic load, then the plank base can be covered with plywood sheets 10 mm thick. The thickness may be greater, but we should not forget that this is an extra load on the joists and floorboards. By the way, here you can save on the floorboard - it is enough to lay it at intervals of even up to 150 -200 mm.

The work is carried out in next sequence:

Plank base, after antiseptic impregnation, covered with waterproofing material. In the described case, this role can be played by waxed, paraffinized or bitumen-impregnated construction paper or even ordinary polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 200 microns.
Sheets of plywood are laid out staggered so that there is always a compensation gap of 5 to 10 mm between them. A similar gap is left around the perimeter of the room along the walls.

The plywood is attached to the board base with self-tapping screws, in increments of no more than 150 - 200 mm, both along the perimeter of the sheet and along its plane. The screw caps must be completely recessed into the thickness of the material.

After laying the plywood over the entire area of the room, the expansion gaps between the sheets and along the walls are sealed with sealant or polyurethane foam. After drying, excess material is cut off to floor level.

The next step is to create a waterproofing reinforcing layer and prepare the surface for laying tiles. Here, in se exactly the same as described above for the plank floor: latex impregnation → painting mesh → treatment with silicate-sand composition.

After this, you can proceed directly to laying the tiles.

4. Wooden floor closes gypsum fiber sheets (GVL)

This method is somewhat similar to that described above (with plywood), but it also has its own characteristic features:

As a rule, gypsum fiber boards are equipped with a locking part for mating adjacent sheets. In these places they are connected by a special adhesive composition and self-tapping screws. The use of self-tapping screws along the entire perimeter of the gypsum plasterboard and in its center is not required.

If the strength of the wooden base of the floor allows, and the operational features of the room require special reliability of the coating, gypsum fiber boards can be laid in two layers. In this case, the second one should be oriented perpendicular to the first. Coincidence of joints is not allowed.

Approximate diagram of the resulting “pie” with two layers of gypsum fiber board

The GVL surface, after being treated with a primer, does not require any additional manipulations - it is ready for laying ceramic tiles.

The process of laying tiles on prepared wooden floor surface basically no different from conventional technology, which is discussed in detail. The only thing you should pay attention to is the brand of tile adhesive. It is best to choose a composition “for complex surfaces”, and for some adhesive mixtures The instructions for use directly indicate the possibility of using them for laying tiles on a wooden base. This installation of tiles will be more reliable.