Ultimate Guide: Tiling On Wooden Floor

- Floor tiles

- Flexible tile backer boards or 12mm plywood

- SBR primer

- Caulking gun and quick grip adhesive

- Flexible tile adhesive and grout

- Notched tiling trowel

- Rubber grout float

- Tile cutter 

- Diamond drill bits and blade with electric grinder

- Electric drill and mixing paddle

- Mixing buckets

- Sponges

- Tile spacers 

- Short, countersunk screws

- Electric cordless screwdriver

- Spirit level

- Measuring tape

- Pencil

When deciding on which tiles you want to use for your DIY project, it’s important to remember to choose floor tiles that are extremely strong and hard-wearing, so they can withstand heavy footfall and impacts. 

Before you get stuck into your DIY project, you’ll need to accurately measure the floor with a tape measure and calculate how many square metres of tiles you’ll need – multiply the length of the area by the width. 

Use our handy tile calculator, located on each of the individual tile pages of our website, to calculate how many of your chosen tiles you’ll need.

Next up, it’s time to clear the furniture from the room and have a good stomp around to check for any creaking and loose floorboards. Make sure you mark up with a pencil, any floorboards which move or creak when you walk on them.

You’ll then need to secure down those floorboards you’ve identified as troublesome. Keep an eye out for hidden pipes and wires when nailing down the loose floorboards! When securing the floorboards, you’re aiming to screw into the joists below, which run perpendicular to the floorboards. Using shorter countersunk screws, and looking for where current screws are placed, will help reduce the risk of puncturing any hidden pipes or wires.

You will now need to cover your floorboards with a smooth, rigid surface to prepare the floor for tiling. 

There are two main options of overboard available: plywood or backer board, and both are easily accessible from most DIY stores.

If you opt for plywood, you’ll need to ensure it’s at least 12mm or more in thickness, to create a rigid surface for your tiles. This, along with your tiles, will raise the level of your flooring, so be sure to bear this in mind.

The other alternative is backer board, such as STS No More Ply, which is specifically designed to provide a smooth base when laying tiles. Backer board offers excellent rigidity, and is thinner than plywood, which helps maintain a more consistent floor level from room to room. Waterproof backer boards are also available, for use in bathrooms and wet rooms.

Before you lay your STS No More Ply or overboard, give the floor a good clean. Measure the plywood or backer boards and cut them to size to make sure the whole area to be tiled is covered, take care to ensure there are no gaps that could cause movement. 

Start with the larger, easier areas and save any awkward corners and crevices until the end. When laying the overboard, it’s a good idea to place all the pieces down first to check that you have enough, before securing the boards in place.

A combination of screws and adhesive will ensure that your overboard is nice and secure, to prevent any movement underneath the tiles.

To lay your first board, use a caulking gun to apply tile adhesive to the overboard. Lay the boarding adhesive-side down and use your foot to tap the board down to ensure it’s firmly adhered to the floorboards. 

Immediately after securing the boarding down with adhesive, use short countersunk screws every 15cm, in a grid like pattern, not forgetting each corner, to ensure that the overboard is fixed firmly in position. Repeat this process until the entire floor is covered with the overboard.

You’re almost ready to tile, the last step before you start laying your tiles is to apply an even coat of diluted SBR primer to your newly created flat surface. This will support better adhesion, flexibility and waterproofing, and result in an improved overall tiling experience. Leave the primer to dry for approximately two hours before you begin tiling.

When tiling a floor, you should always start in the centre of the room and work your way out. It’s important to make sure that the tile pattern looks uniform and that you are not left with any small, untidy cuts around the edges.

To find the centre of the room, measure both the length and width of the floor and mark the centre point where the two lines cross.

Now that you have found your central point, you can decide how you want to lay your tiles by pre-planning your design. A dry run design allows you to play around with the tile layout to achieve your required design. It also enables you to pre-cut the edges so that all the tiles can be laid in one go.

Prepare your tile adhesive using a mixing bucket, cold water and electric mixing tool to create a smooth paste. 

It’s best to work a square metre at a time, applying an even layer of tile adhesive onto the boards and using the notched edge of the trowel to create grooves in the adhesive. 

Next, carefully press your tile into the adhesive, making sure it’s level and straight. Continue to lay the remaining tiles following the same method, remembering to use plastic tile spacers between each tile edge for even spacing between each tile.

Now that you have laid all your floor tiles, once your adhesive has set and the tiles are firmly in place, it’s time to grout and seal your tiles. 

To apply the grout, use a rubber float to push the grout paste all the way into the tile joints, then use a damp sponge to gently wipe over the joints for a smooth, even finish. Before the grout is totally dry, use a damp sponge to go over the area again to remove any remaining excess grout. It’s best to repeat this process a few times once the tiles are completely dry, to get rid of any grout residue.

Finally, use a silicone sealant to seal the floor edges. Silicone will allow your tiles to flex as you walk over them, rather than pulling away from the wall or skirting board and cracking.

Once you understand the importance of thorough preparation and correct installation, to ensure the correct balance between flexibility and rigidity, tiling on floorboards should be fairly painless, following our straightforward how-to guide.