Can I tile a bathroom over hardwood flooring?
Question:I have hardwood flooring in my bathroom. Do I need to rip it out before tiling or can I put backerboard over it and tile?
Answers:
If the room has always been a bathroom, I would be cautious about just covering up the hardwood floor. There may be old water damage lingering underneath.
I would suggest choosing an inconspicuous location, one that will later be covered up, to check the underlay of the current floor. Chances are, there is going to be some moisture damage somewhere.
Second, the floor would have to be perfectly flat and level just to throw some backerboard down. Try to level it before you start.
You are also going to add some "unwanted" depth to the floor. All your connections (toilet) will need to be raised to the new floor level.
When all is said and done, I would probably remove the hardwood (keeping as many pieces intact for other repairs you might need to make), look for water damage, replace/repair those areas, and then proceed with putting down a level, good quality cement board (used specifically for tile flooring).
Believe me, I've tried to do something like this the "quick and easy" way, only to have to go back and start all over.
Do it once, do it right, and you won't have to do it again.
you can put backerboard on and tile over it.
You want to be sure the backerboard will not bend under any weight as you walk on it, and be sure the flooring is in good shape before covering it over.
The best choice in backerboard might be cementitious type as it is waterproof.
you don't need to rip of the wood you could just put the backer board. Its the easy way to do it if you rip of the wood you my find other imperfections and it will take you more time
Real 3/4" hardwood. Sure. And now the floor is about 1-1/2" higher than the adjoining subfloor, which means it is about an 1" higher than the adjoining floor. Recently, someone asked a similar question. Someone suggested using Ditra-mat. I contacted a tile wholesaler who in turn called the sales rep, and they said it can be done, but first put down 1/2" plywood. So now it is even higher. With the Ditra-mat. You definitely don't want to install tile directly to hardwood. Even with specialty additives or mortar. It isn't that hard to rip out hardwood. Remove it and put down backerboard and you will have a well bonded tile floor that will be about the same height as the adjoining floor.
If it is laminate, then definitely remove it.
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