Sealing Plywood Walls Before Tiling
Learn how to prep a shower wall for tile.
Sealing plywood walls before tiling. Step 1 cut the end of the silicone caulk nozzle at a 45 degree angle using a utility knife. So your nice new clean ply floor isn t so clean anymore and if it s not prepared properly prior to tiling the adhesive will just go onto the dirt on the floor and might not stick. Before finish flooring is installed on top of a plywood subfloor you must waterproof the subfloor especially in a bathroom. When fixing larger format ceramics or natural stone bal ptb or bal fast flex are the ideal adhesives to choose.
Sealing walls with pva is a very much misunderstood operation. Use thinset with a higher latex content. The fact is. This is simply not true.
Plywood or drywall is insufficient as a subfloor because it is a permeable material that will rot away when exposed to water. Find the right trowel and mortar here. As plywood goes under a continuous change in size tiles and grout can crack and cause irreversible damage. It contains oils that are sensitive to temperature changes.
If you do not waterproof the subfloor moisture can make its way under the subfloor and cause mold growth or other damage. Before you start remember that using the correct trowel and mortar is critical to a successful tile project. When tiling onto plywood overlaid timber we recommend using a flexible adhesive s1 such as topps tiles rapid set flexible bal rapid flex fibre or bal flex fibre. For wet areas such as shower walls you must take certain precautions.
Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood. Fiberglas mesh tape sealing your shower walls is essential for tiling the surface to prevent moisture from effecting the integrity of your tile installation. You can use plywood for tiling floors but when it comes to walls it is unfit. Dirt plaster adhesive and all manners of stuff will be ground into it before the tiler gets round to tiling it.
Diy doctor gets many emails saying that pva should not be used on walls before they are tiled. Floor or wall indoors or out tile type and size all are a factor. This is why it is better to prime it than not to.