Can Tile Be Installed Over Plywood?

The answer to this question is a definite yes, although there are alternatives as well.

Some professional installers still subscribe to a time tested application of mud or mortar combined with roofing felt and mesh. This is a time tested underlayment older professionals usually prefer, but requires a lot of skill and time.

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And, of course, tile can be installed over concrete. When installing over concrete, there are prep requirements as well that need to be researched.

Cement backerboard or plywood are two of the most common choices today, even for professionals. It saves a lot of time and makes laying tile easier.

So what is the difference between plywood and backerboard?

Backerboard comes in sheets like drywall and is created when cement is combined with a fibrous material or with mesh. This product is designed to be used in moist areas, and may be a better choice for a bathroom or kitchen. That being said, many builders still swear by plywood.

Should you select to use backerboard, do yourself a favor and purchase screws designed to be used with this product. They will be much easier to drive and become flush with the surface, which is important when installing tile over it.

Plywood is good for many applications. Plywood, like backerboard will present a smooth stable surface over which to install your floor tile. One such application is over resilient flooring which is going to remain in place.

Before removing an older resilient floor, it is important to be sure it contains no asbestos. This type of flooring needs to be removed by a professional to safeguard your health. This can be an expensive process.

Another option is to simply apply a plywood base over the flooring and leave it in place. The plywood is necessary in this application to provide a stable surface and remove the give factor of the underlying flooring.

One of the biggest fallacies in a DIY tile installation is failing to have a stable and smooth (meaning flat) underlayment. Be sure the surface is smooth with no depressions or bumps. This is what creates cracking tiles. Tile that is secure over a flat surface is a tough surface. When there are hollow spots underneath, it can be very unforgiving and crack.

Whether you use plywood or backerboard, do your homework, acquire the proper tools (kneepads recommended), and realize it will take more time than if done by a pro. The payoff is a sizable savings and a beautiful floor that will last many years, add value to your home, and still be in style.

Can Tile Be Installed Over Plywood?

Get information on a variety of bathroom flooring choices and tips for a successful bathroom remodel.

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Ceiling Fans - Safely Installed

There are so many styles of ceiling fans to choose from out there. We have one in our dining room. We do not have Air Conditioning and we have about a dozen days a year that it is very nice to have the ceiling fan for air circulation.

sheetrock dolly

I was talking with one of my clients whose new house we are trimming out right now and the topic came around to the ceiling fan/light combination that is going into the family room. He told me of his neighbor across the street who had installed a ceiling fan by just replacing a light fixture on the ceiling. After about a week while it was running they saw the fan fall from the ceiling. No one was hurt, luckily.

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I reassured him that the fan going into the new house was solidly anchored onto a truss joist in the ceiling. When I am done you will be able to hang on that fan and it will not move in the slightest from its anchor point.

If you want to install a ceiling fan in your house then, I suggest that you make sure that it is securely anchored to a joist or ceiling beam. Most ceiling light fixtures today are hung on plastic boxes that are nailed onto a joist with two nails. These are defined in The National Electric Code (NEC) 314.27(A) as able to suspend fixtures weighing less than 6 lb.

For ceiling fans there are two specifications, these are in NEC 314.27(D), specialty boxes marked for up to 35 lb of fan, and those that can support 70 lb of fan. These boxes usually straddle a joist or beam, or it has a very serious anchoring mechanism that spans between two joist/beams and suspends the fan between the joists.

Ceiling fan mounting base sizes range from the rather common of about 4" diameter to 8". You have now reached a decision point. If you have a fan with the small base, mounting it on the joist without changing the box will mean that the box will be exposed and possibly the wiring too. With the 8" base you can anchor it onto the joist and still cover the box.

I would consider using a 3/0 pancake box (metal) or a special fan box that straddles the joist. Find the edge of the joist (next to the existing box), the joist is usually a 2x something so it is 1 ½ inch wide, therefore the center is ¾" from the edge. I then place the 3/0 pancake on the ceiling and draw an outline of the new box on the sheetrock. If you have a hole saw that size you can use it, otherwise use a razor knife to cut the rock away from the joist. I want to save the cut out piece of rock to use as a filler in place of the old box.

Next, remove the old box. This can be done with a metal hacksaw blade to cut the nails holding the old box to the joist. CAUTION, you do not want to go deep and cut or damage the wire to the box which is stapled close by. Once the box is loose, remove the wire from it. Pull the wire through the ceiling, insert it into the pancake box and anchor the box to the joist. The mounting ears of the box need to be in line with the joist. Use 10x2" screws to anchor the box.

Now find a paint stir stick or something similar to go into the ceiling hole. Run it parallel to the joist centered on the existing hole. Attach it to the ceiling with two 6x1' or 6x1 ¼" sheetrock screws. Next, fit the cutout piece of rock to the hole. Once it is properly sized, get some caulking to go around the edge of the piece and on the stick, press it into place and use another rock screw to anchor it to the stick. Wah Lah, hole gone, use caulking as necessary.

I mount the fan mount base to the pancake box using the 8x32 screws AND I use a 10x2" screw at each end of the mount, anchoring it securely to the joist. The fan will now be securely anchored to the ceiling. Install fan.

If it turns out that your light is on a span mount between joists, then this entails a bit more of a challenge. Start by removing the screws holding the box to its span bar. Box comes out smoothly. If there is attic access above this, go up there and remove the span bar and replace it with a 2x4 that you nail between the joists, put a pancake or fan saddle box on the 2x4, pull in the wire and install the fan.

When you do not have attic access, then the real fun begins. You will need to go to the supply store and get a span mount for a ceiling fan. You get to do all of the work through the 3 ½" hole where the original light box was. Reaching in to remove the span bar nails or staples can take a while. Once that is done then insert the new heavy duty span bar and make sure that it is perpendicular to the joists AND is at the right height for the new box to be flush with the ceiling. Turn the center section of the span bar to expand it solidly into the joists. Mount the box and then mount the fan.

We have finally reached the point where we can turn on the fan/light. Enjoy!

Ceiling Fans - Safely Installed

I have been working as an electrical contractor on the Russian River for 30+ years and installed many hundreds of fans in that time. I also do electrical design and consulting. Keith Hall, Electric Services, Guerneville, California http://www.HowToHomeWiring.com

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