Laying plywood on joists
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During repairs, sometimes it becomes necessary to combine materials of different structures. For example, such a situation may arise when leveling a wooden floor in a hallway using plywood and then covering it with ceramic tiles. This raises the problem of choosing adhesive for tiles on plywood.
Technologies
Polyurethane adhesive - application features
Polyurethane adhesives are synthetic adhesives that are obtained from substances used to synthesize polyurethanes. Polyurethanes are polymers that are film-forming substances that have increased resistance to gasoline, acids, oils and other aggressive substances
How to choose heat-resistant tile adhesive
Using heat-resistant tile adhesive, ceramic clinker tiles are laid, insulating materials, concrete blocks, a natural stone, glass, mosaic panel, wooden panels
Frost-resistant tile adhesive for outdoor use. Description and Application
Frost-resistant tile adhesive is not afraid of temperature differences, does not deform, has high strength and a high degree of adhesion
Ready-made tile adhesive: application features
When working with ready-made adhesives, complex and messy work on diluting mixtures is not required; laying ready-made tiles on tile adhesive is easy and simple
Two-component tile adhesive. Features of use
Polyurethane two-component adhesives are used for gluing PVC tiles, ceramics, earthenware, concrete, metal, wood, polystyrene on absorbent and non-absorbent substrates, also on industrial and sports floors
Tiles on plywood have become popular. Laying tiles on the floor is not difficult, so tiles under plywood in the bathroom are in demand. This technology is used in the arrangement of:
- Interior partitions;
- Sten;
- Paul;
- Ceiling.
The smooth surface of the plywood ensures high-quality installation without much dirt ceramic tiles. However, in their texture and properties, these two materials have different compatibility. Therefore, in order to correctly lay tiles on plywood, you need to thoroughly study the features of this technology, strictly follow the instructions and the diagram of sequential actions for performing this work.
- 1 Advantages and disadvantages of new construction technologies
- 2 Features of the preparatory stage
- 2.1 Tools and materials
- 3 Main installation steps
- 4 Conclusion
Advantages and disadvantages of new construction technologies
Unlike traditional way laying on cement screed, laying ceramic tiles on plywood sheets has a number of its qualitative advantages and certain disadvantages.
Tiles on plywood have positive aspects:
- A significant reduction in the load on the floor, which is especially important for the installation of modern frame wooden houses;
- Obtaining cladding with reliable strength characteristics and a fairly high service life;
- Obtaining an additional layer of waterproofing through the use of a special adhesive composition, which is very important for arranging rooms with high humidity, which include kitchens, bathrooms, corridors.
As for the negative factors, they focus on the following:
- The minimum thickness of plywood that can be used for working with tiles or ceramics must be at least 22 mm;
- Additionally, in wet rooms, enhanced waterproofing must be carried out to preserve wooden structures Houses;
- A heated floor system is absolutely incompatible with installing plywood on it for further cladding with ceramics or tiles.
Features of the preparatory stage
Laying ceramic elements on plywood sheets has its own special moments installation and specific pitfalls. Since ceramics and tiles are heavy, the selection and preparation of a plywood base must be approached very responsibly.
- Plywood for walls must have optimal thickness 28 mm, for floors, when laid on joists, at least 30 mm. Its structure should be strong and not fragile.
- All plywood structures must be securely fastened with self-tapping screws. During installation, parts of the products must fit tightly against each other, since gaps between them are unacceptable. This is done so that in the future during operation there will be no slightest deflections, which will lead to sagging, peeling and cracking of the tiles.
- Step between joists during further installation flooring, should be about 30 cm to ensure even distribution of the load on each ceramic element.
- The number of tiles required for installation must be purchased, taking into account:
- Room area;
- Size of one tile;
- Laying method;
- Feature of the drawing;
- Waste for cutting.
Tools and materials
Provide quality work A kit will help you install tiles on plywood necessary materials and tools in the form:
- Machines for sanding plywood sheets;
- Special glue with elastic properties;
- Polyethylene film for waterproofing;
- Primer composition;
- Self-tapping screws for wood;
- Notched trowel;
- Pencil for marking;
- Construction level;
- Roulettes;
- Special plastic crosses;
- Rulers;
- Grout of the required shade;
- Special glue.
Main stages of installation
When starting work on laying plywood, you should definitely check the thickness of the plywood layer, sand its surface, and clean it from dirt and dust.
- Depending on the installation destination facing material, it is necessary to carefully fasten the plywood to the base, taking into account its tight fit and the absence of gaps.
- Then the plywood is primed in two layers. The period of time after applying each layer should be at least 5 hours to allow the previous one to dry well.
- When arranging bathrooms, after priming, the plywood sheet should be covered with a thick overlapping layer on top plastic film to create an additional waterproofing layer.
- Special action adhesives are used to fix tiles. In addition to their main purpose, they additionally protect the plywood from all kinds of linear transformations, moisture and temperature fluctuations. Two-component polyurethane glue and adhesive compositions based on modified silane are recognized as the best for this work.
- After all the preparatory work for arranging the base of the floor has been completed, the main laying of ceramic tiles begins. They start from the opposite corner of the front door.
- Laying facing tiles for walls has a slight difference. Here this material begins to be laid from the second row from the floor. To prevent the tile from sliding down during work under the influence of its weight, nail down under its lower level wooden slats. This way it will hold the entire structure until the cladding is completely dry, after which the first row is laid.
- The adhesive must be applied evenly in an even layer, both on the tiles and on the floor surface. For this operation, a notched spatula is used.
- After applying the adhesive, the tile is pressed by hand to the main surface and held in this position for several minutes to allow the adhesive to strengthen.
- You need to constantly control the thickness of the adhesive layer, using building level.
- To control the width of the seams between facing tiles, plastic crosses are used. They control the size of the seam during operation, which can range from 1 to 3 mm.
- After laying all the tiles, the joints between the tiles are treated with grout, the remains of which are removed from work surface with a damp cloth.
Conclusion
Today frame technology construction, where ceramic tiles for cladding are laid on plywood, is a very popular and optimally acceptable option for arranging wooden houses. Plywood is recognized as excellent building material, and ceramics and tiles are an excellent finish.
Modern construction technologies today make it possible to combine these incompatible materials to create any design solution. After all, ceramic tiles, replacing any wooden surface, brings its own special uniqueness to the cozy comfort of the room and creates excellent conditions for accommodation.
Tsugunov Anton Valerievich
Reading time: 4 minutes
Ceramic tiles are very easy to use, have excellent aesthetic and strength qualities, but at the same time they impose high requirements to the base on which it is laid. It is easiest to lay tiles on concrete, but what to do if the apartment has wooden floors or partitions? Is it possible to lay tiles on plywood if you choose this material to level the base?
Pros and cons of using a plywood base
Before you figure out how to lay ceramic tiles on plywood, you need to figure out why they can’t just be laid on a wood floor? The answer is simple: physical characteristics wood and ceramic tiles are too different, and such an idea will not lead to anything good.
Laying tiles requires an absolutely motionless base. Otherwise, the tile will collapse or begin to “walk”, and cracks will appear at the seams. Wood changes its geometric dimensions under the influence of temperature and humidity. Therefore, combining these materials requires large preparatory work, during which an intermediate layer is formed, leveling the differences between tiles and wood.
To prepare a high-quality base, you can use various ways and materials. But it has a number of undeniable advantages:
- This is the most quick way: no need to wait long time, as, for example, when a cement or self-leveling screed dries.
- When laying plywood on the floor, much less dust and debris is generated than with other methods.
- The weight of the structure being erected is insignificant, so the load on the logs or wooden floors will increase insignificantly.
- The method is quite simple and does not require specific skills or materials. At the same time, it will provide a basis High Quality with the required characteristics.
Naturally, there are also disadvantages:
- Plywood is incompatible with “warm” floors.
- Quality will matter a lot waterproofing works, especially in rooms with high humidity. This may result in additional costs.
To lay it on the floor you will need thick plywood, at least 22 mm. It is preferable (and mandatory for a bathroom or kitchen) that it is also moisture resistant. This will also affect the final cost of repairs.
Preparing the base
Plywood can be laid both on subfloor boards and directly on joists.
To lay directly on the joists, you will need thicker plywood with a thickness of at least 30 mm, optimal distance between joists is 300 mm.
More often sheet material lay on top of the floor boards, observing the following recommendations:
- Carefully inspect wooden floors. You cannot leave defective or damaged elements: after laying the tiles, access to them will be closed.
- The boards must be cleaned of paint and soaked in an antiseptic solution.
- A gap of 1 cm thick is left between the surface of the wooden floor and the perimeter wall to compensate for possible deformation of the wood. Subsequently it is sealed polyurethane foam or covered with a plinth.
- Good waterproofing is a must. As you know, stone “attracts” water, and this will negatively affect the service life of the wooden base. Therefore, it is necessary to protect it: you can soak the boards with hot drying oil or latex, or use other materials.
In order to give the plywood greater rigidity, it is recommended to cut each sheet into at least 4 parts and fasten each piece separately.
- Before installing plywood, you should outline the height of the future foundation. To do this, draw a line on the wall using a level. You can use beacons, but this is less convenient.
It is better to fasten plywood using a combined method: the sheets are first placed on glue, and then additionally fixed with self-tapping screws. A layer of glue will not only provide reliable fastening, but will also smooth out the unevenness of the old floor.
- The thickness of the seam between the elements should be 1–2 mm. With such insurance, the surface of the plywood will not swell.
Laying in two layers of thinner plywood is often used. In this case, the sheets are shifted relative to each other so that the joints do not coincide. The layers are glued together and fixed with self-tapping screws.
- The screw heads should be slightly recessed into the plywood so that they do not interfere when sanding the base.
- Grinding is performed with a special machine in three directions: along, across and obliquely.
- Using a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth, the plywood base is thoroughly cleaned of dust and debris.
- Plywood is primed in at least two layers. After applying each of them, you should wait at least five hours for the primer to dry.
- The top of the plywood must be covered with a layer of waterproofing. This can be a film laid over walls or other materials.
Laying tiles
Laying floor tiles on plywood is not much different from installation on a concrete base. The main difference will be in the applied adhesive composition. Adhesives are used for silicone based or two-component polyurethane compounds. They retain elasticity after drying, which allows them to compensate for possible fluctuations in the base. Also, such adhesives will provide additional waterproofing due to the components included in their composition.
HELPFUL INFORMATION: How on wooden floor lay tiles in the bathroom
The use of ceramic tiles for flooring is very popular. This material is durable, practical and attractive. appearance. However, to lay tiles, it is advisable to have a perfectly level base. To achieve this, plywood is often used. The result is a flat surface, the tiles lay neatly and easily, however, if you know all the nuances of such work. Laying tiles on plywood on the floor has its own characteristics. These are the ones that will be discussed in this article.
Why choose plywood
Some of the experts in the field finishing works plywood is rarely used. This material, in their opinion, does not have the same strength as concrete screed. But plywood has one thing undeniable advantage– this is simplicity and speed of installation. There is no need to mix the solution, pour it and wait almost a month for the screed to harden. Just lay down the sheet and you can continue working.
It is very important to choose the right material. To lay tiles you must use moisture resistant plywood. Most often this turns out to be the veneered variety. It costs a little more than usual. It should also be remembered that the sheet thickness should be within 20–30 mm. But otherwise, provided all the rules are followed, using plywood as a base for laying tiles is quite acceptable.
Preparing the base for the tiles
Before you start laying the plywood sheets, it is worth doing some preparatory work. Namely:
- delete old one finishing gender;
- clean the base from dirt and dust;
- seal cracks and joints between the floor and walls. This is done using sand-cement mortar;
- if the subfloor is wooden, then you need to cover it with an antiseptic;
- Install beacons using a building level. As an alternative, a line can be used that is drawn on the wall around the entire perimeter of the room. It will indicate the level at which the plywood sheets should be installed.
Glue is used to install plywood. Using a notched trowel, the adhesive mass is applied to the base in the place where the first sheet will be laid. The plywood itself must be degreased and free of contaminants before installation. After placing the sheet in place, tap it with a mallet and move it slightly from side to side. Such “maneuvers” will allow the glue to adhere better.
The sheet must be leveled horizontally, checking the position with a building level. You can adjust the position of the sheets using the thickness adhesive mass. If the unevenness is too large, you can use wooden blocks or pieces of plywood. But they must be firmly fixed to the subfloor.
After laying the first sheet, move on to the next. In this case, it is necessary to leave a gap between them.
Note! If installation is carried out in a warm room, then the width of the seam should be within 1–2 mm.
After gluing the sheet, holes are made in it for additional fastening using dowels to concrete floor. The number of holes will depend on the size of the plywood, but there should be at least four of them. On wooden base plywood can be secured with self-tapping screws.
Sometimes it's hard to find plywood suitable thickness. In this case, you can glue two sheets together. Such a base will be more reliable and will eliminate possible peeling of the tiles.
The next step will be sanding and removing dust. Then the primer should be applied. There must be at least two such layers. If work is carried out in a room with high humidity (for example, in a bathroom), then it is necessary to apply a layer of waterproofing. After this, you can begin laying the tiles, of course, allowing the primer to dry.
How to style
Now let's talk about how to lay tiles on plywood on the floor. In principle, there are no special differences here from installation on a conventional concrete screed. First it is mixed glue solution, it can be two-component or silicone based. The volume of each portion should be enough for 1–1.5 m2 of laid tiles. It's not worth doing anymore. The glue hardens in an hour, and during this time it will be possible to lay no more than one and a half square meters tiles
Work can be started either from the far corner of the room or from the middle. Everything will depend on your skills and room configuration. But in any case, you should first lay it out dry. Thanks to this, you can avoid large quantity pruning
Note! During installation, ensure horizontal positioning. For this, a building level of at least one meter in length is used. This will be more accurate. To level the tiles, you can change the thickness of the adhesive layer.
When laying, use plastic crosses that are inserted between the tiles. With their help, they achieve the same width of seams.
After all the tiles have been laid, you need to wait until the adhesive mass has completely hardened. Typically, one or two days will be enough. Only after this can you start grouting the joints.
Video
This video clearly shows how tiles are laid on plywood:
If you are thinking about what base to choose as a subfloor for tiles, it is preferable to choose plywood. This is because this material helps to cope with the task of leveling uneven floors in the shortest possible time. Before laying tiles on plywood, you should know a few rules for carrying out the work.
Features of choice
Some craftsmen try to avoid using plywood as a base for tiles, because... they consider it not strong enough and resistant to various influences, as opposed to concrete screed. You should prefer plywood only because it is easier and faster to install than screed. In addition, the plywood does not have to be further prepared after installation.
However, when choosing this material, you should take into account that the following rules, on which the quality of tile laying work depends. When purchasing a substrate, you should take into account that the plywood must be moisture-resistant; it can be veneered plywood. In order to strengthen it to the surface, glue should be used and mechanical method fastenings in the form of self-tapping screws.
The plywood must be laid in such a way that there is a groove between adjacent sheets, the width of which is equal to the limit of 2 to 4 mm.
As for the cost of plywood, it is determined by many factors, including the dimensions of the sheet and the type of material. If you are not pursuing the goal of saving money, then you can purchase 2nd grade material, but for those who want to cost more budget option, may prefer combined option– 2/3 grade. Sheets belonging to the 3rd grade will also become an inexpensive solution.
Laying tiles on plywood in rooms that need insulation should be covered with an additional heat insulator.
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Tools and materials
- rubber spatula;
- sealant;
- mallet;
- plastic crosses;
- notched spatula;
- self-tapping screws;
- glue;
- building level;
- tile;
- primer.
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Surface preparation
The tiles should be laid on the plywood surface using a special glue. It is first necessary to clean the base from dirt and dust after the old one has been removed. finishing coat. The surface must be free of cracks. In addition, it is necessary to seal the joints between the floor and walls using cement mortar.
Using a building level, beacons should be installed indoors. As alternative solution You can draw a line around the perimeter of the room that will determine zero level for laying plywood.
Tools for laying tiles: a spatula, usually a rubber hammer, a tile cutter and others.
A notched trowel will allow you to apply adhesive to the floor, which can be spread over the surface where you intend to place one sheet of plywood. Before placing plywood on the floor, it should be cleaned and degreased. Once the sheet is laid on the surface, you can tap it with a mallet and move it from side to side, this will allow the glue to better adhere to the base.
If temperature regime in the room remains stable and does not change much, then a gap width of 1-2 mm will be sufficient.
Then you can form several holes in the sheet to reinforce it with dowels and screws. The surface of the plywood after installation should be sanded and cleaned of dust. The next layer will be a primer, which must be applied in 2-3 layers, which will be determined by the quality of the material used.
If the tiles are to be laid in a room in which wood is laid as a subfloor under the plywood, it is necessary to treat it antiseptics. This will prevent the formation of fungi, mold and harmful insects under the floor. If necessary, level the floor under the plywood, you can use bars, which should be mounted on steel adjustable fasteners.
Laying tiles on plywood using glue that contains a hardener should be done without delay and in a planned manner, as it dries quite quickly.
Before laying the tiles, you should make sure that the plywood base is strong enough; this is a material whose thickness is equal to the limit of 2-3 cm; only such a surface will become a reliable base. For leveling, it is permissible to use several types of plywood, but the minimum thickness of the substrate is 18 mm.
The tiles can be laid on plywood mounted in 2 layers, this will allow you to get more quality foundation and will eliminate the possibility of tile peeling. In this case, the plywood sheets should be glued together. The base must be allowed to dry for 5 hours between coats of primer. Laying plywood followed by tiling in the bathroom should be accompanied by treating the surface with a waterproofing agent, which should be done before applying the primer.
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Laying technology
You should start laying tiles on plywood starting from the second row from the far wall of the room. The reason for installing tiles in this way is that the first row adjacent to the wall, as a rule, needs adjustment, which involves trimming the tiles due to uneven walls.
Tiles should be laid on plywood after first applying glue to the floor surface.
Laying tiles: 1 – wooden planks; 2 – gaskets; 3 – second row.
The next tile should be laid using plastic crosses placed at the corners of the tile.
The glue should be prepared in small portions, as it dries quickly; the mixture prepared at one time should be enough for 1-2 hours, during which time the tiles can be laid on 1-1.5 m2 of surface. The tiles should be laid taking into account the horizontality check, during which a level should be used, the length of which is 1 m or more, this will allow more accurate data to be obtained.
After you have succeeded in laying the tiles, you should leave them for 1-2 days, only after which you can start grouting the joints. To do this, it will be necessary to use a rubber spatula, a rag and ready grout. It would be more convenient to use a sponge instead of a rag. When laying tiles on plywood, you should get rid of excess glue during the work.
Quite often in the bathroom, a heated floor system is installed under the surface. In this case, before laying the tiles, you should choose the right glue, which should not be elastic; in all other cases, use glue mixture with such characteristics it is advisable. In addition, heated floors can only be laid in tandem with a concrete screed.
The width of the seams, as a rule, ranges from 2 to 3 mm, but in the bathroom when laying tiles this figure can be increased to 5 mm, since temperature and humidity changes are frequent there.
You can prepare the glue using a special mixer, which allows you to obtain greater homogeneity of the mass. It is necessary to install tiles simultaneously on a small area, which can be limited to 1 m2. The tile must take its final position no later than 20 minutes after applying the adhesive, since this period is sufficient for the composition to set. During this period, the tile can be adjusted by lightly tapping it.
Despite the fact that plywood allows you to prepare the surface for further work, it acts as a problematic material for laying tiles, so the adhesive must be designed for this. Glue for ceramics is suitable, but the manufacturer must take into account the possibility of using it for mounting the material on plywood. In addition to conventional ceramic compounds, two-component polyurethane adhesives can be used. This will avoid the need to use a primer. However, waterproofing must still be applied to the surface of the plywood, which is especially true for bathrooms.
In bathrooms and in any other rooms, after laying the tiles, grouting should be done; this process can begin 5 days after installing the tiles. Rubber spatula makes it easy to apply grout to the seams. After half an hour, excess material can be removed by wiping the tile surface with a sponge.
Sooner or later, every master asks the question of how to lay tiles; in bathrooms this finishing method is used most often; you can begin to gain skills in this matter from just such an oversized room.