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I have read recently that you are able to tile directly onto floorboards without having to ply line it, provided that you use a flexible adhesive and grout. I can't remember what magazine said it though....I think that it was from a handout in Wicks........
I know the sticky thread says otherwise but what are your thoughts on this?

I can't confirm this but i am going to be doing this as i have no back door clearance so i will have too.

I hope somebody says you can as i can't see no other way of doing it.

I would remove the floorboards and noggin and ply direct onto the joists

dinolep wrote:I have read recently that you are able to tile directly onto floorboards without having to ply line it, provided that you use a flexible adhesive and grout. I can't remember what magazine said it though....I think that it was from a handout in Wicks........
I know the sticky thread says otherwise but what are your thoughts on this?

Some adhesive manufacturers now claim that their adhesive works on floorboards, but it is all down to specifications. In the old days the boards may not have been fitted to the same standard as today and so the adhesive manufacturers may try and use this as a clause to get out of paying if the tiles come loose.

You need to check a few things-


Ask the people selling the adhesive if it suitable for tiling onto your floorboards, if they say it is then get it in writing.

Then contact the adhesive manufacturers and ask them, again get it in writing. Then check the instructions on the adhesive, if it says anything like " we will not be liable for any consequential loss" then it means that if the adhesive fails and a tile comes loose, then they might just have to replace the adhesive that was holding down the tile.

The adhesive may well work, but I know quite a few people that would be sceptical and so it is all about covering your back!

Yes you can, as long as there is no movement or deflection in the floorboards, best way to test this is fill a glass of water to the brim & place at certain points on the floor & jump across it, if any spills then you have some deflection which needs fixing.

Use a suitable adhesive like Bal fastflex or Ardex 7001 timber systems & a suitable flexible grout.

I personally would overboard any floorboards as even the most strongly fixed boards will move overtime so I guess it depends on how long you want the floor down & to stay down.

If your going to use the above adhesives I would suggest dry laying with spacers, get all your cuts done pre-laying as this adhesive goes off fast & only mix a quarter to a third of a bag at a time to give you chance to lay properly if your not a pro