How to lay tiles on a wooden floor, preparing the base for laying tiles. How to competently lay tiles on a wooden floor Is it possible to lay tiles on a wooden

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

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

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

Taking on the laying of tiles, if there is at least any, even the smallest, suspicion of the instability of the wooden base is the height of recklessness. This is explained simply:

• Wood is a fairly flexible material, tending to assume its original configuration after deformation. But what is “forgivable” for a wooden floor (slight deflection, springing, etc.), absolutely unacceptable for ceramics. Each individual tile is very rigid, not bendable. In the case of a “game” of the floor, it can simply crack.
• Another case, if, for example, ceramic tiles are small. cement-containing tile adhesive also does not like dynamic bending loads. He will definitely go small cracks, will begin to delaminate, and the tile, even retaining its integrity, will simply move away from the base.

At the same time, one should not forget that the load on the coating will increase significantly - in addition to everything else, the ceramic tile itself has considerable weight, mortars, other possible elements construction of the created multi-layer "pie" of the floor. In this way, wooden base must be guaranteed static. This is what needs to be achieved at the first stage of work.

It is clear that the first step is always a thorough visual inspection, making efforts on the most problematic areas of the wooden floor in order to identify its possible vibrations and sources of squeaks. If there are any, then questions should not arise at all - the coating is subject to a thorough sorting and repair, 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 "terrible" picture appears

Moreover, experienced craftsmen always advise, in all cases of laying tiles on a wooden base, to carry out its complete enumeration. If a ceramic coating is planned, then one must think that this is for the long term, and not for a year or two. Where is the guarantee that the hidden floor with wooden flooring is a defect or the process of wood decomposition that has begun today, which does not manifest itself in any way today, will not be detected in just a month or even a year, when tiled flooring will it be fully installed? To carry out repairs, you will have to remove all the tiles, dismantle the wooden base - and all due to the fact that proper integrity was not shown during the preparation. Isn't it better to be completely, 100% sure of the reliability and stability of a wooden floor before you start laying tiles?

Let such a prospect not be especially frightening - in comparison with complete dismantling wooden floor and pouring a new concrete screed to replace it, this procedure is much simpler, requires much less labor and financial investment.

So, the usual scheme of a wooden floor is a plank flooring mounted on logs. The logs themselves can be installed on a concrete base. Another option is that they are a double wood flooring system, with a rough and finished floor and a space in between that can be filled. thermal insulation material. With any kind of floor revision, the boardwalk will have to be completely removed in order to open the logs for their inspection, repair and alignment.

• If the condition of any of the logs causes even the slightest concern - there are cracks or areas with signs of wood decomposition, it is subject to unconditional replacement.
• In the case when the distance between adjacent lags exceeds 500 mm, it will be necessary to install additional bars, otherwise even the thickest batten can give a bend in this place.
• Be sure to align the lag horizontally. If they are securely embedded, and there is no way to change the height of the supports, this can be achieved. urging using a planer, or, conversely, building it up with a wooden plank.
• Of course, if there is a subfloor, it should also be given a certain repair - replace dilapidated or cracked boards, eliminate possible distortions, squeaks, etc. When it is ready, both it and the logs are covered with a layer of dense waterproofing film.
• If it has already become possible to get to the log and the subfloor, you should take the opportunity and treat all the details with antiseptic and water-repellent compounds. You should not attribute your unwillingness to carry out this procedure to the fact that such processing was carried out earlier, during the initial laying of the floor - the compositions are inexpensive, the process itself will not take much time, but the durability of the structure will increase for sure.

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

Such cleaning can be done in several ways:

So, paint or varnish can be removed in advance by scraping or using abrasive materials - grinding and polishing machines, sandpaper or special nozzles on the "grinder" or electric drill.

Sometimes a chemical cleaning method is used - washing off the paint with the help of solvents. However, this is not the best option, because organic solvents are actively absorbed into the wood, violating its natural qualities and reminding of themselves with an unpleasant pungent odor for a long time.

The thermal method is widely used - with the help of building hair dryer or even blowtorch. Under influence high temperatures paintwork or burns out, or melts to such a state that it is easy to remove it with an ordinary scraper (spatula).

• Before proceeding with the re-assembly of the floorboards, it is possible to think over and additional insulation gender. Expanded clay can be poured between the lags, mineral wool mats or expanded polystyrene plates can be laid. Additional thermal insulation will never hurt anyone.
• The reverse flooring of the boards on the logs is not “solid”, but leaving a gap of 3-5 mm between them, it is necessary so that the wooden floor under the tiles has the opportunity to “breathe” and to compensate for possible linear fluctuations of the material. Another option is to drill through holes in the boards in random order. Be sure to leave a gap near the walls around the entire perimeter of the room, about 10 mm. All gaps left can be slightly closed with adhesive tape or mounting foam.
• After the final installation of the floorboards on the logs with the help of self-tapping screws, a thorough quality control of the coating is once again carried out. 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, a repaired solid plank base has been obtained. How to proceed further in order to fully adapt it to laying ceramic tiles?

1. The tile is supposed to be laid directly on top of 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 rather outdated, and besides, it is very unsafe, so it is better to use a latex impregnating composition. It is applied thickly with a wide brush on the floorboards, which immediately after that, without waiting for the composition to dry, are covered with a fine-mesh fiberglass painting mesh.

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

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

Video: an example of laying tiles directly on the boardwalk

2. It is planned to fill a thin screed

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

• After hardening and full maturation of the screed, 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 dilute dirt with a screed, the room does not belong to the category high humidity, but has a fairly intense dynamic load, then the plank base can be covered with plywood sheets 10 mm thick. The thickness may be more, but we should not forget that this is an extra load on the logs and floorboards. By the way, here you can save on the floorboard - it is enough to lay it with an interval of even up to 150 -200 mm.

The work is carried out in next sequence:

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

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

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

4. Wood floor close up gypsum fiber sheets (GVL)

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

• As a rule, GVL are equipped with a locking part for pairing adjacent sheets. In these places they are connected with a special adhesive and self-tapping screws. The use of self-tapping screws around the entire perimeter of the GVL 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, GVL can be laid in two layers. In this case, the second should be oriented perpendicular to the first. Coincidence of joints is not allowed.

Approximate scheme of the resulting "pie" with two layers of GVL

• The GVL surface after treatment with a primer does not need any additional manipulations - it is ready for laying ceramic tiles.

The very process of laying tiles on a 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 their use for laying tiles on a wooden base. Such installation of tiles will be more reliable.

1. Tiles should be laid in wooden buildings. Most of these structures are wooden beams floors, they were laid on different kinds wooden floors: natural boards, parquet boards etc. It is technically impossible to replace a wooden floor with a reinforced concrete one, it is necessary to use a different technology to create a solid base for ceramic tiles.

   

2. It is not possible to completely dismantle the old coating. The reasons for this situation can be various, from problems with disposal construction debris to the impossibility of dismantling worn coatings due to the peculiarities of existing engineering networks. In such cases, the only limitation can be the unsatisfactory condition of the old wood flooring, it has lost its bearing capacity and cannot withstand the additional load.

   

3. Need for the fastest possible completion construction works with minimal debris and dust. If in a residential apartment there is a need to replace the floor only in the bathroom or toilet, then the work should be done as quickly as possible. People live in other rooms, it is impossible to long time worsen their living conditions.

   

Modern building materials and technologies have greatly simplified the process of laying tiles on wooden bases, but even in this case, such work is extremely sensitive to the slightest violation of the recommended technologies.

Tarkett floor tiles prices

tarkett floor tiles

Process complexity

Wood is a natural building material that has its own specific characteristics and the resulting requirements for operating conditions.

1. Hygroscopicity. With an increase relative humidity air or in direct contact with water, wooden structures absorb moisture. With a decrease in humidity, they give it away. Laying ceramic tiles leads to the fact that one side of the lumber is hermetically closed, the process of natural ventilation deteriorates significantly, and in some cases stops completely. As a result, wooden structural elements for a long time stay in a wet state, as a result of which the processes of decay are accelerated. Even the most modern waterproofing impregnations and antiseptics are not able to stop these negative processes completely and for a long time. As a result, wooden structures critically reduce their original physical characteristics, the floor collapses, and there is a need for urgent, complex and expensive repairs.

   

2. Significant linear fluctuations. With fluctuations in humidity, lumber noticeably changes its dimensions. The tile is fixed to cement adhesives, they have no plasticity and cannot compensate for such changes. As a result, the coating comes off the base. To minimize such phenomena, it is necessary to take special construction measures that exclude the contact of the adhesive with expanding surfaces or create strong screeds that work regardless of the vibration of the wooden floor.

   

3. Big extra weight. Wooden floors are laid on wooden logs, their cross section, pitch and total number are calculated according to the weight of the boards and maximum loads. Not always lags can hold increased efforts, and the increase can be very significant. Under ceramic tiles, you need to make a separate base, to which you need to add the weight of the tile and glue. In total, the new loads are much larger than the existing ones.

   

Can ceramic tiles be laid on a wooden floor? Possible, but highly undesirable. At the same time, you should always be aware of the problems that will appear after laying the tiles on the tree.

Revision of the state of the wooden floor

This is where work should begin after a decision has been made. How to technically correctly assess the actual state of the structure, because the strength and durability of a ceramic tile floor largely depends on this?

Tiling work may only be started after quality repair grounds. Boards in the future can not be changed and not used, but the logs change without fail.

Important. If the wooden floor is affected by putrefactive processes, this indicates gross violations technologies for its construction. Most often missing or ineffective natural ventilation. Be sure to correct the detected technological errors, otherwise the new floor will quickly become unusable.

Foundation preparation

The quality of preparation of the base for the floor has a significant impact on the technology of laying ceramic tiles. Currently, builders use two methods of subfloor preparation, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Table. Foundation preparation methods.

The choice of a particular method depends on many factors and must be done by the foreman on site.

Questions regarding laying ceramic tiles on a wooden floor can puzzle even an experienced craftsman. Are these materials compatible, because wood tends to expand and contract under the influence of moisture and temperature, and tiles do not tolerate any “movements”.

Consumers are concerned about the possibility of cracking, chipping of seams and detachment of trim elements. If you try to do the work without knowing in advance these subtleties, then all of the above may well happen. A careful study of the technology of laying tiles on a wooden floor will help you avoid disappointments and mistakes.

Is it possible to put?

Of course, laying tiles on a wooden floor is possible. But before deciding to take this step, it is worth considering the rationality of such a choice. Only one advantage of the latter can push the idea of ​​replacing a natural wooden floor with a tiled floor - the ease of hygienic care.

It is worth considering the following problematic nuances:

• Under tile adhesive the tree will not "breathe", because of which the process of its destruction may begin.
• The service life of any boards is much shorter than the service life of floor ceramics, their integrity can be broken by rotting or, conversely, drying out, so after 5-6 years you can get a cracking floor covering.
• Tiled flooring requires a stable and static base.
• Laying tiles on a tree in a new house is strictly prohibited. Within 2-3 years, the building will shrink and the floors will move.

If you have definitely decided that you need a wooden-based ceramic floor option, then you should choose the most suitable technology and purchase the necessary materials. When choosing a tile, pay attention to the characteristics of the flooring, since not every room can be laid with a standard tile.

Choose a material for the floor that can withstand heavy loads, but at the same time contains a minimum amount of chemical additives in the form of plasticizers or stabilizers. An excellent option would be quartz-vinyl tile.

This is a modern floor covering containing up to 80% quartz. durable natural the material is moisture resistant and does not conduct electricity.

PVC tiles (polyvinyl chloride) - a budget option tiled floor. It consists of wood flour or talc (the main filler), a plasticizer and polyvinyl chloride. The advantages of such a finish are not only cost-effective, but also that it is practically not subject to any chemical attack and is water resistant.

Floor installation on a wooden floor

In order to choose the installation technology that is right for your space, you need to understand how most wood floors work. There are many options for wood flooring. It is simply impossible to consider them all at once, so it is logical to focus on the most common variations.

Any wooden floor is multi-layered, so craftsmen have to deal with different "layers". But the choice of technology for laying ceramics does not depend on whether you inherited only logs, chipboard flooring or high-quality board flooring. The tile laying process itself is always carried out according to the standard algorithm, and the differences are only in the preparation.

Mounting technology

Regardless of which floor will be used as a base, you should try to create the most even and solid base for laying tiles. In this section, we will walk you through the basic steps for installing tiles on a wood floor.

The installation technology includes three main stages:

• preparation of the base for laying tiles;
• alignment;
• waterproofing.

An even base is a guarantee of simple and quick styling tiles. The adhesive will lie unevenly on an inhomogeneous base, which means that over time, voids will appear under the adhesive solution, and the tile will simply chip off or burst. Even experienced master without the right tools, he will not be able to draw a conclusion about the evenness of the floor or walls.

If the house does not have a laser or water level, you should not spend money on buying it for the sake of a single floor repair, the hydro level can be made from two syringes connected by any transparent tube (for example, from a dropper).

Only after completing all the steps - from the preparatory to the screed - you can start laying the tiles.

Foundation preparation

Preparation of the base in most cases consists in leveling it. In some cases, it is required to replace some wooden elements, such as logs, with similar ones. Main principle work with the base - to prevent the subfloor from wood from destroying the tiled floor due to movement and temperature changes.

The master is given the task of constructing a specific "tray" installed above a moving wooden base. There are many options for making such a “tray”, so it is recommended to get acquainted with at least the main ones.

Waterproofing

As a rule, there is already some kind of insulating layer between the lags in the wooden floor. It can be a very different material - clay, sawdust, expanded clay. You do not need to remove it - install the screed over the heat and soundproof materials. If there is nothing, then lay a new light-weight insulation, for example, foam or mineral wool . These materials will not heavily load wooden structures.

Also, waterproofing can be done using special mastics or any rolled waterproofing materials. Plain polyethylene film affordable option waterproofing. Construction stapler will help to attach it to the walls of the room.

After laying the waterproofing material reinforcement can be made, giving the floor greater reliability during operation. To do this, you need to purchase any fittings. The best option would be a reinforced mesh Ø10mm - Ø12mm, and a chain-link mesh can be laid on top. Install supports 2-3 centimeters high under the bars (you can make them from scraps of plastic pipes) so that the reinforcement does not directly touch the insulating material.

Today at construction stores you can purchase a special fiber that is added to the screed solution. Thanks to the fiber fiber, you can do without a reinforcing mesh.

Alignment methods

There are several technologies for leveling flooring. Let's consider them in more detail.

Dry leveling method

It is the most common, since it allows you to simultaneously prepare a subfloor suitable for laying tiles from various moisture-resistant materials.

This technology uses several methods:

• The use of ready-made sets from the category of "adjustable floor". They are screw plastic supports, thanks to which you can quickly install logs and arrange plywood or other sheets.
• If there is an initial strong boardwalk, it is necessary to make a lag or log system with your own hands. point supports followed by the installation of plywood flooring.
• It is possible to lay another layer of plywood on an already existing layer with fixing a new layer of GKLV OSB with self-tapping screws.

Once the leveling sheets have been installed, the coating should be sanded along the seams. If the joints between the plywood sheets are more than 3 mm, then the gaps should be carefully filled with silicone sealant. Do not forget to impregnate the plywood sheets with a primer. compatible with special glue. After impregnation, tile adhesive can be applied (two-component polyurethane is suitable).

The obvious disadvantage of dry leveling is that the height of the floor will increase, which means that the height of the room itself will decrease. In addition, a “step” will be formed between the floor area with tiled flooring and the floor area without finishing, which will have to be decorated accordingly. If dry leveling is done in a bathroom or part of bath rooms, then the level of the tiled floor must be made below the level of the wooden floor, otherwise the water will flood adjacent rooms.

If this option is not suitable for you, when the tiled floor rises above the rest of the surface, then it is better to refuse dry leveling.

"Wet screed"

It is used when full-fledged dry leveling is not possible due to the characteristics of wooden floors.

The difficulties of performing a "wet screed" on a wooden floor are that it is made, observing the obligatory presence of a special deformation gap between the walls, base and new floor. Such a pouring scheme is called "floating", it allows the wooden elements of the floor to move without disturbing the ceramic coating.

The poured screed should not be more than 3 centimeters, otherwise the floor structure will become too heavy. It is also not worth making the fill thinner, as there is a risk of increasing the fragility of the floor.

Step by step process screed fill looks like this:

• If necessary, we disassemble the floor and assess the condition of the timber, beams, flooring. If any element is in doubt, we replace it with a similar one.
• We install new logs (if they have not yet been installed) or strengthen existing ones with the help of additional structures, while the step between the logs should not be more than 0.5 meters.
• We leave a gap of about 1 centimeter between the ends of the log and the walls of the room.
• Impregnate all the details antiseptic for a tree.

• We make wooden flooring, and even old building materials in good condition will do.
• Between the boards we leave gaps of about 1 centimeter - they are necessary for ventilation. If the boards are wide, you can make additional ventilation holes.
• We attach plywood to the boards across their direction. Moisture-resistant plywood at least 1.2 centimeters thick is suitable, any other pressed particle boards are also suitable. We arrange plywood as for brickwork(there should be no cruciform joints of plywood sheets), and we fix the elements with galvanized self-tapping screws every 20 centimeters.

• We leave 2-3 mm ventilation slots between plywood sheets.
• We cover the prepared flooring with waterproofing materials. Thick polyethylene, bituminous paper, glassine, paraffin paper can be used as waterproofing. We roll out rolls of insulation with overlaps and sides, fix them with construction tape.
• Along the perimeter of the walls between the sides we lay a damper tape at least 10 centimeters wide and about a centimeter thick.
• We put sleeves on all pipes.

• We fill the screed with a ready-made purchased mixture or a do-it-yourself solution (using liquid glass (2 parts) and clean coarse sand (2 parts)). Homemade mixture must be closed with clean water (1 part).
• After hardening, you can lay the tiles.
• « Quick option» screed is a simple fastening of moisture-resistant drywall boards with a special adhesive (two-component polyurethane). The glue is so elastic that wood movements will not destroy its integrity. It is permissible to lay GVL-plates in two layers to give the base additional strength, while making sure that the seams of the 1st and 2nd layers do not match.

GVL-base, like the previous version " liquid screed”, requires maintaining the technological gap between the GVL-plates and the walls of the room, priming the entire surface with a primer, as well as filling the joints with sealant.

popular material for to make a high-quality basis for a tiled floor, are cement-bonded particle boards (DSP). If you carefully consider the choice of products (make sure you have a manufacturer's certificate and a product passport, which indicates the composition of the DSP according to GOST), then you can be sure that you will receive an environmentally friendly building material that is reliable and high quality. Many professionals are convinced that the quality of DSP is higher than that of most modern materials, while being relatively economical.

Laying

The following rules will help you properly lay ceramic floor tiles:

• Apply the adhesive solution with a "comb" - a special spatula with two edges - flat and notched. The flat edge will help distribute the glue properly, and the “teeth” will make the surface even. The spatula must be worked in one direction (traces of the teeth must be directed in one direction).

• Excess glue removed with a “comb” is returned to the glue bucket, mixed and used further.
• Examine the back side of ceramic products, most often there is an arrow there that allows you to determine the direction of installation relative to the direction of the applied adhesive solution. The grooves on the adhesive mortar and the stripes on the tile must be perpendicular, which will ensure the most reliable adhesion of the adhesive and finishing material.
• In order not to worry about the same width of the joints (even a millimeter shift in the first row of tiles will lead to a shift of several centimeters in the future), use plastic crosses - special parts of different thicknesses. The most common option is flexible cruciform parts with a thickness of 5 mm. The plastic from which the crosses are made must be of high quality, otherwise, when removed, they will break and remain in the seams.

• After laying the tiles, allow the adhesive solution to dry for 2-3 days, and then you can start grouting.
• The grouting solution is prepared from a special dry mixture, its consistency should be similar to the consistency of thick sour cream.
• Grouting is carried out with an elastic rubber spatula (it should not bend under pressure) and correct, if necessary, with your fingers. If after 3-4 hours you see holes or cavities in the seams, then feel free to put on rubber gloves and “finish” what you missed.
• Remove excess grout from the tile with a dry cloth or sponge.
• After 1-2 days, the tiles can be washed.

Installation troubles

If you are just learning the technology of laying tiles on the floor, then some defects in the process of decorating the floor cannot be avoided. But it's not scary if you have time to fix them until the solution has dried up. Consider the most common options for possible errors:

• We fix the lopsided row immediately, until the adhesive solution has hardened. Therefore, it is necessary to check the "horizontal" of the entire row immediately after laying. If the "horizontal" is broken, the row will have to be removed.
• "Steps" - a defect that usually occurs on the walls. But floor tiles can also begin to move in steps if the angle of the walls in the house is not straight. Trim the tiles, if necessary, to ensure proper flooring and corner support.

• If one of the tiles in the row lay obliquely, then there is no cross in the seam and it must be urgently inserted, and the tile should be strengthened with masking tape.
• If you did not notice the marriage on the tile, then this may also be the reason for its displacement. There is only one way out - to remove the product and glue it again.
• If the tiles are too deep into the adhesive, then you have applied the adhesive unevenly. This often happens if you are gluing for the first time and apply the adhesive solution before gluing each tile.

In many houses, the floor is made of joisted floorboards. When walking, it bends, so proper styling tiles or porcelain stoneware on a wooden floor becomes a no-brainer. In this article, we will tell you how to lay tiles on a wooden floor and how to prepare the base.

Unlike wood, tile has a number of advantages. Its qualities are excellent for use in the hallway, kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Tile:

• does not ignite;
• non-toxic;
• not afraid of contact with chemical solutions;
• withstands heavy loads;
• does not conduct electricity;
• does not lose appearance from moisture sun rays or frost;
• ceramics is unpretentious in cleaning.

The main drawback of the tile is the cold surface, so it will not be very pleasant to walk barefoot. To get rid of this, often use underfloor heating. installed even on a wooden base.

Laying process

Installation of tiles is designed for a durable and hard surface. Therefore, first you need to survey the existing floor.

As a rule, old floors consist of several layers:

• coating (laminate, linoleum, parquet, painting);
• substrate (chipboard, boards, plywood), which is fixed on the logs;
• The lags that lie on concrete base along the entire floor with a gap of about 50 cm - they serve as the frame of the structure.

Wood floor preparation

First option

Suitable for those who have and bends.

1. 1. Remove old coating and backing. If the old lags are in good condition, then you can leave them as a basis.
   2. Remove the floor sheathing with a nail puller. Then set the logs on the substrate in a horizontal position using a level.

For greater preservation of the tree, treat the logs with a protective impregnation.

1. 1. Fill the logs to the upper level with fine expanded clay. This will prevent the boards from bending when walking.

1. We sheathe the surface with boards (see article about) or thick plywood. Boards should be fastened with 2 self-tapping screws about 5 centimeters long.
2. For ventilation, leave small gaps between the boards or then drill holes.
3. We lay parchment paper on top of the boards and lay a new substrate. For this, gypsum fiber sheets with a thickness of 20 millimeters or a cement-bonded particle board of 10-20 millimeters are suitable. Sheets need to be fastened in a run-up using self-tapping screws around the perimeter of the lags, in increments of 15-20 cm.
4. The gap between the wall and the floor can be filled with mounting foam.
5. Now prime the surface and lay the tiles as you would a normal floor.

Second option

Suitable for those whose floor is in poor condition, but the conditions allow for a screed.

1. Remove old floor covering. To prevent moisture from penetrating inside, the wooden floor is waterproofed under the tile.
   The easiest way to waterproof is to use a plastic film.
2. Using a laser or water level, mark the horizontal line of the floor around the perimeter of the room.
3. At a distance of about 1 meter from each other and about 10 centimeters from the walls, install beacons. For this use metal profiles by screwing them to the concrete with dowels.
4. The screed is made either with a solution of cement and sand (composition: 1 part of M-400 cement to 3 parts of sand), or cast concrete.
5. The average consumption will be approximately 15 kg per sq. meter with a layer of 1 cm.
6. If you need to fill in too large a layer, then first pour expanded clay between the beacons, 2/3 of the layer thickness. Fill with a screed and wait for drying during the day.
7. After drying, clean the surface from the floating expanded clay. Prime and fill with mortar. This time you need to align it with the lighthouse rule so that the floor is even. Start leveling from the far corner towards the exit.
8. After three days, prime the screed and preferably fill it with a self-leveling mortar.
9. All! The screed is ready - now feel free to proceed with the usual methods.

Third option

Suitable for those who have a floor in good condition and sheathed with chipboard sheets.

1. Waterproof the gaps between the wall and the tree with mounting foam.
2. Soak the chipboard several times with protective impregnation or heated drying oil (be careful, this is flammable).
3. Then apply a thick layer of latex to the chipboard surface.
4. Immediately after applying it, place a masking net on the surface, and leave to dry.
5. When the latex dries, the mesh must be fixed with screws to the floor.
6. Treat the surface with a mixture of the following composition: 1 part water, 2 parts liquid glass, 2 parts coarse sand.
7. It is advisable to additionally level the surface with a self-levelling mortar. When everything is dry, tiles are laid on the wooden floor.

Video on laying tiles on a wooden floor in an apartment:

That's all the basic methods on how to lay ceramic tiles on a wooden floor. As you can see, this is not an easy task, which will require a lot of additional preparation. And if you put a tile directly on a tree, the tile will quickly crack and fall off due to constant movement.

The ardor of those who want to cover the wooden floor with ceramic tiles is usually cooled by the “ice shower” of the incompatibility of the base and cladding materials. Wood tends to expand, contract, changing dimensions due to the instability of the humidity-temperature background. Floor tiles that are too sensitive to linear movements will be rendered useless by the zealous movement of lumber. Cracks, chips will appear, seams will crumble, elements will detach from the base if the independent performer does not know how to properly carry out the work. The listed troubles will not threaten the craftsmen who have learned the secrets and rules of ceramic flooring.

Why is it undesirable to combine ceramics and wood

Cladding wood floors with ceramic coating is justifiably considered not a very reasonable undertaking, because:

• covering a “warm” tree with a “cold” tile does not make much sense;
• under water-repellent floor ceramics, planted on tile adhesive, the tree hardly breathes, which is why it begins to rot and collapse;
• the service life of building ceramics significantly exceeds the service life of the timber and boards of the rough base;
• strong, slightly abraded ceramics are easily pricked with linear expansion of neighboring elements;
• the wooden floor is not static, which is required for laying ceramic products.

Wood can lose to tiles in terms of aesthetic parameters, but this is not a very convincing argument either. After all, tiles are mainly used not because of the beauty of the pattern, but because of the sanitary and hygienic advantages. Its use as a protection of wooden floors from moisture is a moot point, although it can be the cause of ceramic flooring in wooden bath, in the shower room, in the kitchen or in the combined bathroom. In general, where constant wet cleaning is needed.

Suppose there is a reason, there is a material and a desire to lay a ceramic coating on a wooden base. It remains to find out how and in what ways this can be done, and to choose a rational technology.

From laying floor tiles in a new house, one should flatly refuse, as well as from arranging floors with new wooden floors in any other building. It is necessary to wait for the end of intensive shrinkage. It's 2-3 years at least.

How to lay ceramic tiles on a wooden floor

A wood floor is a multi-layered sandwich created partly or entirely from lumber. The enumeration of all the variations on its theme would be unnecessarily lengthy, we will consider only frequently encountered types. To carry out work on arranging a wood floor, home craftsmen mainly get:

• only logs left after the dismantling of worn floorboards and damaged substrate;
• flooring made of moisture-resistant plywood, OSB or chipboard sheets, of course, with lags under it;
• plank floor in good condition, i.e. not new (!), but slightly worn construction with flooring.

The number of repair operations, and not the choice of arrangement scheme, depends on the condition of the floor, which was inherited. Because the process of attaching ceramic components to any type of surface is carried out according to a standard algorithm, all the differences are in the preparation.

In any case, it will be necessary to create an even, solid and relatively static base suitable for laying ceramics. Let's see how.

The wooden floor must be prepared for laying tiles. In the next article we will tell you several ways:.

First method: dry leveling

The most common and technologically sound way to level floors. At the same time, a relatively stable draft layer is formed from moisture-resistant plywood or similar. sheet material suitable for laying flooring. There is a lot to implement dry leveling various methods, such as:

• ready-made sets of adjustable floors with screw plastic supports, thanks to which you can install logs or immediately plywood sheets possible in a matter of hours;
• independent construction of a system of logs or point supports on top of a “strong” boardwalk, followed by laying sheet material;
• laying a duplicate layer of plywood on an existing plywood substrate;
• fastening of quartered plywood, GKLV, OSB with self-tapping screws directly to the leveled floorboards.

It is clear that the final touch of dry preparation will be chipboard, plywood or similar, thanks to which it can be done on a wooden floor.

Sheet products of pressed veneer or wood waste cannot be considered absolutely non-susceptible to linear movements. True, they do not show agility equivalent to wood. However, to fix the tiles on top of the leveling sheets, it is necessary to purchase a two-component polyurethane adhesive composition, characterized by elasticity, and not ordinary tile adhesive.

Before fixing the ceramic elements, the created plywood cover sand along the seams. Then the joints between the elements are filled with sealant or glue purchased for the upcoming work, the surface is treated with a primer impregnation compatible with it.

The advantages of dry methods of creating a substrate:

• the ability to improve the insulating qualities by: foam, mineral wool, expanded clay backfill between the lags;
• minimum load on wooden floors that do not differ in reinforced concrete strength;
• execution speed, no technological breaks, significantly "tightening" the repair.

There are downsides. Dry leveling will definitely "eat" part of the height of the ceiling. A difference will appear between the finished and unfinished part of the floor, which will have to be decorated under a step or a small threshold.

Please note that by building regulations floor in hygienic premises it is necessary to underestimate at least a couple of cm so that in case of emergency or accidental leaks, water does not flood the floors in adjacent rooms. So, if after dry leveling, to which the thickness of the ceramic coating should be added, the surface will rise significantly above the surrounding floor, the use of dry technology is undesirable.

Video: adjustable floor system

Method two: "wet" screed

Or a lightweight version of the traditional alignment type. Filling the screed in an easy-sparing form is required because bearing capacity wooden floors are not enough for a full-fledged leveling layer. There is another specific feature: the screed on wooden floors must be cut off both from the underlying base and from the walls. Those. it must be arranged as a floating floor with a deformation gap around the perimeter and around the communications crossing the ceiling.

Thanks to the use of a floating scheme wooden elements floors will be able to move as much as they like, and ceramics with monolithic preparation will lie still.

The standard thickness of the screed poured onto a wooden floor is 3 cm. It is undesirable to increase the power, because at the same time the weight will increase. It is also not worth reducing, otherwise it will be quite reliable. Minor deviations in both directions are allowed.

The process of pouring screed on a wooden floor in steps:

• We disassemble the floor to the beam for a detailed diagnosis. We dismantle all the wooden components of the floor that cause the slightest doubt about reliability, and replace them with analogues. If the step between the lags is more than 50 cm, we strengthen the system by installing additional timber. There should be a gap of 1 cm between the ends of the log and the walls of the building. All floor parts must be treated with antiseptic impregnations before reassembly.
• We are constructing a flooring for future pouring. Old boards, 4 cm thick, are suitable if they are suitable for further use. The grooved material does not need to be rallied. Between the boards should be left about 1 cm for ventilation. We do the same with an unedged board in case of replacing worn floorboards. If the boards are laid tightly, then ventilation holes will have to be drilled in the flooring.
• We fasten quartered moisture-resistant plywood to the boards across their direction at least 12 mm thick or other boards made from pressed woodworking waste. The elements are arranged according to the principle of laying bricks, fastened with galvanized self-tapping screws every 20 cm. There should be no cruciform joints. Between the sheets, gaps of approximately 3 mm must be left.
• We cover the constructed flooring with waterproofing. It is better to use bituminous or paraffin paper, parchment or glassine. Thick polyethylene is not prohibited. For forming a monolithic insulating mat roll materials lay with overlaps and fasten with adhesive tape. Along the perimeter, you need to create something like bumpers with a min. 10 cm approach to the walls. For convenience, we also fasten them with pieces of adhesive tape to the walls.
• We lay damper tape along the walls, 0.8-1.0 cm thick, 10 cm wide, we put sleeves on the pipes.
• We fill the screed with the factory leveling mixture or homemade leveling compound. To prepare it, you will need 2 parts of sifted and washed coarse sand, liquid glass in the same amount. shut up homemade mixture you need one part of water without biogenic and man-made pollution.

As soon as the poured layer hardens, the tiles can be laid on the wooden floor with a preparation created on top of it, independent of the overlap.

When conducting facing works of any premises with the help of tiles, it is necessary to lay not only whole tiles, but also their parts. This raises the question of how to cut the tiles so that the edges are even. Pro special tools, with which you can do this, we will tell in the material:.

Method Three: Express Option

It is attached to plank floor sheets of moisture-resistant drywall using a two-component polyurethane adhesive, the elastic structure of which is not disturbed by wood movements.

Previously, the master needs to revise the design and repair, if necessary. In order to increase the rigidity of the floor, GKVL can be laid in two layers so that the seams of the top row do not coincide with the seams of the bottom.

It is constructed by analogy with the previous schemes as a floating floor, according to which a technological gap should be left around the perimeter of the room. The joints are filled with sealant, then the entire area is primed with a universal primer.

It is recommended to fill the expansion joint left along the perimeter after laying the flooring and trimming the excess insulation with sealant and close it with a plinth on top. This is necessary so that water does not leak out during wet cleaning, does not accumulate there and does not spoil building materials.

Expert opinion

Viktor Kaploukhiy

Thanks to my versatile hobbies, I write on various topics, but my favorite ones are engineering, technology and construction.

The best way to lay ceramic tiles on a wooden floor is considered to be a two-layer construction of gypsum fiber boards, which are installed with overlapping seams and mounted to the base using wood screws. In this case, you should pay attention to some important points:

1. The subfloor must be waterproofed. For protection against moisture in this case, it is best suited bituminous waterproofing. Unlike various polymer films, this type of water-repellent composition is applied in liquid form and penetrates into the upper layers of wood. Thanks to this method of processing, it is possible not only to protect the wooden base from various kinds of leaks, but also to prevent the appearance of fungi.
2. If glue in the form of a dry mix will be used for laying the tiles, then the gypsum fiber sheets must be impregnated with a deep penetration primer (for example, Artisan Primer No. 6). Since cement-containing adhesives are diluted to the desired consistency with water, we have one negative factor: penetrating into the structure of the gypsum fiber board, moisture changes the linear characteristics of the GVL - due to the swelling of the material, its dimensions increase, and after the liquid evaporates, they decrease. These movements can lead to cracking of tile joints, and in some cases, damage to ceramic tiles. A thin layer of primer will just serve as a barrier that will prevent moisture from being absorbed into the GVL. If you decide to use a ready-made two-component epoxy-polyurethane composition, then additional processing is not required.
3. It is possible to improve the technical characteristics of even the most inexpensive tile adhesive with the help of a latex additive, for example, the Latexcol-m brand from the manufacturer Litokol. The plasticizer is suitable for any cement-based compositions and allows you to increase their elasticity, strength and water resistance.

Many questions from our readers relate to the arrangement of a warm floor. If it is necessary to mount it on top of a wooden one and cover it with ceramic tiles on top, then proceed as follows. GVL is protected with a waterproof film, on top of which they are laid construction grid with a cell 100×100 mm. Pipes are attached to the latter floor heating, perform a wet screed with a thickness of at least 3 cm and lay ceramic tiles. During installation electrical system a warm floor type, a concrete screed can be abandoned - in this case, the cable is embedded in a layer of tile adhesive. As for the requirement that the floor in sanitary facilities should be below the level of other rooms, in our time it can be considered irrelevant. By using a leak prevention system that automatically shuts off the water supply when sensors placed on the floor become wet, you can reduce the risk of flooding to a minimum.

The above three preparation device methods are just a hint that needs to be improved, taking into account the technical specifics of the object. There are many more variations on the theme of building a kind of fixed "tray" over a freely moving wooden base. It is important to take into account the principle: a rigid substrate should not destroy the floor and vice versa, the subfloor should not destroy the screed with tiles attached to it.