hi i live in a upstairs flat,and i want to tile my hall with ceramic tiles,i did a square 4 foot patch to see if the tile would stick or would come loose,well they did come loose,so how do i prepare floorboards for tiling over so the grout wont crack when i walk on the floor thanks
Sorry John, definite no-no. Remove the hardwood, put down either Hardibacker or Durock, then tile. If you try to lay tile directly over hardwood, it doesn't matter what prep work, type of mortar, it is destined for failure. Hardwood is not dimensionally stable for a tile substrate.
Any tile laid on a flexible base is doomed to early failure. If you are unwilling to pull up the wood floor, do enough structural change and put down a stiff underlayment, put down a flexible floor such as carpet or vinyl.
First, I'd recommend making sure that the wood flooring is secure with no loose spots. Then you may need to strip any finish off it in insure good adhesion. Finally, you'll need to make sure you have a good tile cement and use a proper tile trowel to apply the cement. It will put grooves in the cement that will help with adhesion. If you go to Home Depot or Lowes, they can probably give you pointers. They also have classes sometimes, including putting down tile. Good luck.
You can, but it's a gutsy try. Hardwood flexes, expands and contracts with temp. humidity and wear. Those are things you DONT want when setting tile. If you really really want to try this without removing the hardwood, it will take some money and time. First like others above mentioned, find a cement backer. Hardibacker and Durarock are brands sold at Home Depot. I would recommend getting the thicker 1/2 sheets as that will help dampen the flex. Then you will want an anti-fracture membrane to coat the backer with. This stuff helps allow the floor to move (slightly of course) without cracking your grout and popping tiles. Next buy a heavily latex modified mortar. It usually has a higher psi strength and also allows for some give. It's more expensive, but it's cheaper than doing the job twice. I'm personally a fan of TEC's SuperFlex mortar, but every tile guy has their favorite. When you go to actually install the tile (after the backer is in and the membrane is dry) use a deep trowel. In these situations, I use a 1/2 trowel. Spread the mortar evenly, and place each tile with the same amount of pressure. This will save time trying to keep the tiles level. When grouting also find a latex modified mix for it as well. Use that stuff instead of water. Hope this helps and you actually read the whole thing. I didn't mean to write a book.
