How to tile over floorboards

[skater]

We are currently renovating our PPOR. It has polished floorboards throughout. The problem is that it is softwood and marks very easily and the original job is quite poor as the varnish has worn through in some areas. I would like to tile the kitchen/dining area. What precautions would you take to tile over the floorboards. Is putting masonite down beforehand enough or is there some other way? I want the finished job to look professional.

Thanks

 

[MJK]

Skater,

We did this in our bathroom with great success. What they do is staple down a fine chicken wire sheet to act as a re-enforcement, then a screeding layer of sand and cement ( possibly mixed with a bonding agent aka bondcrete ). This then cures and provides the surface for tiling. The screed needs to be at least 10mm thick...you canget nice brass edging for the step up.
Note we didn't do this ourselves. Our tiler did that job for us. I can lay a mean tle but the floor leveling I wanted done proffesionally.

MJK

 

[Sunfish]

Many moons ago I had a tiller lay 12" ceramic tiles on my hardwood floor. He used a rubber based adhesive so that a little flexing would not crack the tiles, which is true. None have cracked that way but the ones in front of the fridge and sink are all buggered. My guess is that the soft base allows them to break when frozen chicks (haven't a clue how that happens) and stainless knives get dropped on them.

Just another good idea which wasn't. Being a timber home I'd opt for cork next time.

Thommo.

 

[Jas]

we've always laid down cement fibre board. There is a particular thinkness with nail marks on it designed to go over floorboards.

You need to nail it down very securly, then you can waterproof as needed and tile over the top.

Easy.

MJK,
You can buy floor leveling stuff from the hardware store. I had to do a floor recently that had a 5cm difference in heights, and the one product (one coat) covered it all.
I mixed it up and threw it down, it was self levelling

Jas

 

[sbe]

I'm with Jas.

The flexible glue isnt really. Tiles and grout still crack (been there, done that).

Get the proper tile underlay, a million of the proper nails (have 'rings' around them so they don't pop out), and have fun nailing !!!

Then, normal adhesive and away you go.

Cheerio

Simon.

 

[adaran01]

Sorry to have to disagree, I have used a 2 part rubber adhesive called isoflex. I have probably layed about 5 medium sized rooms over the years with this stuff, and I swear by it. I have never had to worry about a cracked tile, I have layed it over chipboard, and pine floorboards.
It costs about 120 dollars for 40kg of powder and 40kg of the white rubbery liquid, that does about 15 to 20 sqm from memory.
I now even use it on concrete floors as an insurance policy against cracking.
With what thommo said about the tiles cracking from impacting frozen chickens, unless there are big gaps under the tile I would have thought the slightly soft adhesive would have cushioned some of the force from the tile.
regards Adam

 

[geoffw]

Why go for tiles?

They are very unforgiving- Thommo's frozen chooks are perhaps the only thing which would not break if dropped.

I've used floating floors and vinyl tiles- they can both look a million dollars, are much more forgiving, and a re not as cold underfoot. Vinyl is probably more water resistant, but floating floors can be installed by yourself, saving a lot.

 

[Aceyducey]

Why go for tiles?

They are very unforgiving- Thommo's frozen chooks are perhaps the only thing which would not break if dropped.

Maybe we need to use a chicken gun to test various floor surfaces for strength.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[sbe]

The flexible glue probably would work OK - in certain area's.

We tiled the entry of a place, unfortunately, that's also where fridges etc get moved in.

If I only thought of this at the time......
Rubber cement will certainly flex, but in doing so, does not provide a firm underfooting for a tile. A 300mm square tile has a fair old area......a large fridge weighs a lot, and when rested, puts its weight on an area roughly 25mm round. When what's under that area can move, there's no support for the rest of the tile, and tiles aren't known for flexibility.......CRACK.

In a bathroom, I reckon it'd work fine.

For an area where furniture moves in/out, I'd avoid it.

Ours did last in the entry for 4 years before the first cracks appeared. I think the tenant of the time wasn't overly careful moving things (not suprising I guess - not their house). Presently (7 Years on roughly), I think nearly every tile's cracked

Agree about cold underfoot though.

Mind you:

Floating boards have their own issues with not letting them get wet etc.....

Vinyl rips when abused, or holes cut into it by chairs with no stoppers.

Every choice has good and bad - pick which works best for the house and you.

Cheers,

Simon.

 

[Jas]

Maybe we need to use a chicken gun to test various floor surfaces for strength.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_170b.html
Maybe we can borrow theirs?

Jas

 

[Jimmyjamjars]

I had raw slate layed over a timber floor on a home on the Gold Coast years ago and the bloke put down a membrane which looked like pitch, seemed to do the trick tho coz it never cracked and came up a treat.
JIM

 

[skater]

Thankyou everyone for your reply's. Looks like I'll have to get a tiler in.

Cheers