subfloor question. What do I do in this situation?


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Old 09-19-17, 02:12 PM
K
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subfloor question. What do I do in this situation?

Hi everyone- sorry if this has been addressed before, I'm new to this forum.

I'm looking to install porcelain tiles in my kitchen. Currently the floor is outdated linoleum, and underneath is a layer of plywood to which the linoleum is glued, between the subfloor and the linoleum.

My question is this- when I demo the linoleum, do I just remove the linoleum and leave the plywood in place, and install the porcelain tiles on top of the existing plywood? Or do I remove the plywood as well, and then install the tiles on the subfloor? But if I remove the plywood, do I need to install a new in between layer such as wonder board?

I am hoping I can install the porcelain directly on the subfloor, without having to add another layer in between, whether it's the existing plywood or adding wonder board. I'm afraid that if I have to have another layer in between, the height will be too tall and the tiles won't fit underneath the baseboards, and won't match up with height with existing laminate floor that connects to the kitchen.

I'm not an expert, so please correct me if I'm wrong and I hope this doesn't sound dumb, but if there does need to be something else in between the subfloor and the porcelain tiles, I'm not seeing the reason for it?

Any help is appreciated, thank you.
 
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Old 09-19-17, 03:03 PM
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First, height is the last thing you should be worried about in a good tile installation.

Second, the linoleum (actually probably is sheet vinyl) needs to come up as well as the 1/4" underlayment.

After that, we need to know what's left in the subfloor along with the size, spacing and unsupported span of the floor joists.
 
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Old 09-19-17, 04:49 PM
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I'd have to get under the house to be able to measure the joists, which unfortunately I can't easily do at the moment. I may be able to check it later and will report back when if I can check. The house is pretty new as far as construction, as it was built in 2004. Not sure if that helps, but if I were to venture a guess I'd say they are probably spaced at 16 inches.

I do know that what is left after removing the linoleum (or sheet vinyl) is a plywood subfloor that covers the joists. Not to be confused with the additional layer of plywood that the sheet vinyl was on. I know this because I've previously installed laminate near the same area and it floats directly on the subfloor. But in the area where I'm looking at tiling, there is that second layer of plywood, and if I'm able to remove that, the height will match up perfectly. I know you said not to worry about it, but it would be a nice convenience if it did.
 
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Old 09-19-17, 05:58 PM
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Sorry just not going to happen, tile needs a far more solid floor then any other type of flooring.
It's a one shot deal, not done right and you will be one of the hundreds of other posters asking how to fix cracked grout and tiles.
As mentioned the spacing and width of the joist, thickness of the subflooring is needed to even make a guess on what's needed.
No way would I be trying to attach tile to just plywood!
 
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Old 09-20-17, 10:14 AM
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Thanks everyone for the responses, and what you are saying makes sense. I'm planning on consulting an expert before I begin anyhow, but for budgeting purposes I was trying to figure it out beforehand.
 
 

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