How do I replace wood flooring with tile in entrance way?
Question:In my entryway, we have wood flooring that has been warped do to water. My entryway also goes into my dining room using the same wood floowing flow. So, essentially I just want to take a small area (3x6) at the entryway to replace the wood flooring with tile. How would I go about this? Is it possible to cut the pre-existing wood flooring to make an area to lay the tile?
Answers:
It is possible, as a matter of fact I've done it several times. Do you have an idea of the thickness of your wood floor - is it 3/4" or the 1/4" or 3/8" stuff. Knowing the thickness will help to determine what thickness of underlayment - tile backer board and/or your tile can be so your tile will not be thicker than your wood.
To cut the area out, I'd suggest you use masking tape and mark off where your lines to cut will be. The tape will make it easier to see the lines when you are cutting and it will also help to prevent splintering on the end grain cuts.
Once you have the area masked and SQUARED up. Emphasing squaring the area up - usually off the door. If your area isn't square then your tile won't look good. I'd suggest you take a hammer and chisel and remove some of the wood floor in the center of your area to determine the exact thickness of the wood. Once that is determined, take a circular saw with a plywood blade and set it for just a little shallower than that depth (to prevent cutting into the subfloor and weakening it). If the wood floor is oak, I'd suggest you take a utility knife and scribe along the lines you have and then using the saw cut just inside those scribed lines.
You must be careful not to cut beyond your lines - the area that can not be cut with the circular saw can then be cut with a sawzall or a sabre saw. The sawzall with a fine toothed blade is the best way to go. Again be very careful not to cut beyond your lines or cut through the subfloor.
Once the lines are cut, remove the wood and chisel and chips on the edges that the saws missed. Now, I'd suggest that you apply some polyeurathane to the newly cut edges to prevent any moisture from setting and grouting your tile from getting into the wood floor and staining or causing it to warp again.
Now that your area is cut out and the edges are sealed, You are ready to put down backer board and tile. I'd use hardi-backer, durrock, or a similar product - may only need 1/4" thick or could need 1/2" depending on the tile and thickness of your floor. Don't forget to allow for the thickness of thinset ( 1/4" usually) when deciding on tile and backer board thickness.
Set your tiles in the pattern you want and your entrance will look new again.
I hope that this helped answer your question.
Yes, it is possible. You will need to draw a nice square line on the section of flooring that you wish to cut out. Grab a circular saw an adjust the depth so that the saw only will cut into the floor about 3/4". It isn't an exact science, you just don't want to cut really deep and cut through your sub floor.
After making the necessary cuts, pull up the individual boards. A small pry bar (Wonder Bar's are nice) will help.
After you remove the wood floor, lay down a new section of cement board, and set your tile on that.
along with the answers above, may i humbly suggest that you consider a solid sheet of linoleum instead of tile. i know tile can be easier, perhaps, but my experience has been that since this is an entrance way, that water and dirt could possibly penetrate the cracks in tile borders. whereas solid linoleum will not. and they have some very nice patterns to choose from. mine looks and works great and was easy to put down. just a suggestion.
If you have a concrete subfloor yes.Draw a square line across the section of wood you want to remove then check for wood thickness using a skill saw set your blade for that thickness minus one sixteenth.Cut across line until your as close to the wall as possible then use a hammer and a good wood chisel to remove the line the rest of the way.Make sure to scrape the cement to remove as much paint and drywall as possible.Take a scrap of the wood flooring to a good flooring supply company they will have a transition strip that should match.Install tile and transition strip.If your wood flooring is overfloorjoist you have to install a minimum 3/4 thick piece of plywood on the beams and attach a minimum of 1/4 inch backer board to that.Most of the jobs I've installed over wood call for 1 1/4 thick subflooring before backerboard.That's why I wouldn't recomend it over wood subflooring and if you do it you'll have a raised lip that would be a trip hazard.
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