POLL, Do you tile direct to Plywood

[Sir Ramic]

Do you tile direct to plywood.

Poll added as requested by Deanotile

[garythetiler]

I put on all my quotes that I do not guarantee any direct fixing to plywood

[Bri]

Only cement boards for me now. No exceptions.

[doug boardley]

no, cement/insulation boards for me

[Dave]

If the choice is mine then NO but on the rare occasion i have been asked as floor is pre-prepped for me..

So i have added "Sometimes" to the Poll.

[Alan.P]

I do on occasion, as per Dave, sometimes the prep is done, a retailer ( won't mention names ) has areas that we fix straight to ply. otherwise I prefer a de-coupler or board.

[enduro]

If i said no to every job that had ply i would be short of work, as long as it is the right thickness and fixed properly i will tile it...but explain to the customer it is not the best thing to tile onto.

[nybor62]

ive voted sometimes , as others have said prep work all ready done , but i do let them no that its not the way i would have done it

[whitebeam]

Turn up and the floor has been plyed, not often, so voted sometimes.

[hillhead]

I really don't want to ever tile on it again.
I seen me having to replace 6 tiles on ply lately so told the customer the builder has probably used the wrong ply and i won't guarantee the installation unless i re-board with a proper backer.

[Stewart]

I occasionally install and tile on ply, but mostly in conjunction with a decoupler or insulation boards.....

[TF Ed]

as dave said, if its my choice then definately no!
if i do have to tile on ply, then i insist on installing the ply or at least overviewing the installation so that i can give a suitable guarantee period.

things have moved on now. we now know the science of 'why' an installation can fail on ply.
we also now know that the imports that we recieve into the uk are substandard and more susceptable to delamination due to various glues used/grades of timber used etc..

we should be educating our customers so that they get the best possible installation. we should be aiming to prove that the initial extra outlay, far outways the extra added cost and inconvenience of a failed outdated substrate!

[Rob Z]

I would click on "rarely". Whenever possible, I try to sell a membrane as part of the job.

From what I've read here at Tilersforum about the various setting materials sold in the UK, I think we have an advantage here in the US and Canada in this regard because there are some really high quality products that have been develped specifically for setting tile and stone over two layers of plywood (quality plywood of course, properly installed).

[Scott]

I do it, the hardest floor i have ever had to take up was a ply floor. People have been doing it for years and will carry on doing it im afraid. My local tile shop use 9mm!

[deanotile]

I do it, the hardest floor i have ever had to take up was a ply floor. People have been doing it for years and will carry on doing it im afraid. My local tile shop use 9mm!

but m8 people used PVA for years and some still do.

[Scott]

Some PVA the ply......

[jay]

nope

[grumpygrouter]

CTD actually supply 5.5mm ply FFS!!!

[kilty55]

CTD actually supply 5.5mm ply FFS!!!

terrifying isnt it

[grumpygrouter]

Isn't it!!!

[Gazzatile]

Yes I have done but the quality of the ply is not what it used to be so recommend backerboard