Ceramic tile over maple floor! yes or no
kneetwoods
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
To the wise ones!
Want to apply ceramic tile on 1/4″ hardie underlayment -over-
existing maple 2 1/4″ t&g floor boards. Is this a bad idea and why?
The tile is on mesh (mosaics) and in a kitchen of a old home in chi-town. the floor may be original finish floor. Home built ~ 1915. Not level but is flat. I think i know the answer but not sure and why. If I can go over maple, what’s best course of action.
CHeeRS!
-bobby t
Replies
If you do, I will personally hunt you down and shoot you like a mad dog !
; )
That is, if others here don't beat me to it.
LOL
Seriously though, just float the floor surface even, then use a tile underlayment, and yer good to go.
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
It is easy to be friends with someone you always agree with.
Mr Luka,
Thanks to you and all others for the tips.
This is for a neighbor. I have revealled my kit floor as it is maple and very warm and beautiful. They want ceramic tile. "it's not up to me to ask why, just do and die!".
My concern is mainly how it will hold up as I'm a "great carpenter" wanabe.
Is 1/4" hardie sub-strate over 3/4" maple topped with ceramic mosaics gonna hold up for a good loonng time??
Should I apply glue, screws, and or thinset under the hardie board?? Or all the above. or some of the above? Or don't do it cause ??
cheers, -bob
If your gonna do tile, pull up the finish floor before you put down a new one.
Think for one moment what the elevation difference at the doorways will be.
Remove finish floor, install new finish floor.
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
over maple ya say...
nobodt wants to talk to ya now...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Fast foward 30 yrs............Holy shid! I can't believe what's under this crappy lookin tile!
EricI Love A Hand That Meets My Own,
With A Hold That Causes Some Sensation.
[email protected]
now let's see if we can restore this..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Thats exactly what happened in my case. I was shocked to find pristine hardwood underneath ugly tiles.
Thats exactly what happened in my case. I was shocked to find pristine hardwood underneath ugly tiles.
So are you telling him to go ahead and put the tile over the maple so that a renovator decades from now can uncover the maple? :)jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
Nice floor; I have the same issue in my kitchen. Maybe I'll do it this summer.
This was a very popular "upgrade" in the 60's and 70's, clean maintenance free "no wax!!" vinyl/lino over old dirty wood, particularly in kitchens.
I would'nt do that over any hardwood floor never mind maple, one of the most unstable species. You will get too much movement in all directions for a tile floor
the only way is to tear out the maple and install an appropriate tile underlayment
No.
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Funny, I just found the same thing under the tile in my front foyer. Hickory hardwood flooring under really heinous looking tile. Getting it refinished next week. What a sweet find. No pics yet.
Hardwood flooring is not an appropriate substrate. Depending on deflection issues, I recommend at least a half inch sheet of EGP under the Hardi; and of course, embed the Hardi in non-modified thinset.Regards,
Boris"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
I've got three rooms where hardwood is covered with carpet and/or lino and am just itchin to get it up and refinish.
First, the renovations, then the floors.
The hardwood floor is too unstable for tile. Rip it up and put down a good grade of exterior plywood -- not CDX as it has too many voids.
Billy
thanks to Billy and all who responded,
I wasn't sure, but thought the wood wood move too much and cause problems down the road.
cheers,
-bob
As a great carpenter wannabe, you oughta practice educating your customers as well as swinging yer hammer. This is a dumb idea your neighbour has. It is up to you to persuade him/her of that and sell a refinish job on the maple instead.
If you fail in that, you've got two choices: (1) bail, and let the goniff hire some cheap whoor to cover up the maple; or (2) use a stiffening /bond-breaking membrane such as Ditra, and don't tell anyone you want to respect you....
BTW, demo-ing the maple and replacing it with plywood then hardi OR using the Ditra membrane will effectively double the cost of the job, maybe more. Refinishing and sealing the maple flooring will probably cost about half of a tile job, even without the needed stiffening. This is a good way to convince your neighbour of the error of his ways. You could also point out that if he likes to cook, the wood floor will be easier on his feet while he is communing with that bechemel sauce on the stove....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
as I am a slow learner for business, I hear you. I wood much rather work with wood any day of the week than with other stuff (ie tile or drywall).
they have purchased the tile already, think they know what they want, what it should cost, etc. They also want a return vent in the floor in front of the fridge for the HVAC. Any comments - jokes for this one?? Approx size 1 ft sq. (They are slower learners than me).
With all this good advice, THANKS To All, I will steer them to the right path and/or bail.
-bob
On that HVAC return vent, just ask them what kind of garbage disposal unit they want you to install in the plenum to handle all the food that'll get dropped into it over the years....
"They've already purchased the tile..."?
BAIL, DUDE! BAIL....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Not to mention the drain trap they'll need in the plenum for all the spilled milk, beer, icemaker leaks, etc.
I have to agree with you Dino -- I would much rather see the maple floor stay in place. Good idea on the Ditra, but I'm not sure it's spec'ed for use directly over T&G wood flooring, plus you would have to thinset directly to the maple which may effectively prevent someone from easily sanding back to the wood in the future.
The customers in this case need some pretty serious edumication.
Billy
On the Ditra, I've only used the stuff over ply in cases where the thickness was insufficient (with the prices of ply today it's a viable economic option). It's sold as not only a stiffener but a bondbreaker, as it has a fabric membrane bonded to the bottom of the plastic that lets go if the subfloor moves too much, thus not transferring that stress to the tiles or thinset. I have seen a case where it was used to lay a new tile floor (18x18's) over three different substrates in three adjoining sections of a building that was added on to twice. Commercial application; high traffic area (bank); five years since it was laid and no trouble yet. Based on that, I would think it'd be okay for T&G, but you're right about checking the mfgr's specs.
But yeah, the thinset would put the kibosh on the maple pretty much for good.
Somebody oughta show these reno-felons a fancy picture of a super- upscale kitchen with a wood floor...then they'd think it was just ducky.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?