Tiling on Particleboard

[adrian]

My kitchen floor is yellow tongue particleboard. Is it ok to lay tiles directly to it? It was suggested to me that I put down a layer of masonite first but that just seems to be covering seams that may move with more seams that are just as likely to move. I intend to go over the entire floor and nail or screw the boards down to the joists because there are a couple of spots that sound a bit 'drummy.'

[elphingirl]

We laid a layer of yellow tongue over the joinst, and then covered this with tile underlay (6mm FC sheet I think, with special recessed points for all the nailing it requires. We were advised to do this because the tile underaly is a great surface to bond to the tile adhesive (although that stuff bonds to anything and everything really). Also the relative height to the adjacent surface works really well (carpet + underlay over yellow tongue next to 8mm tiles over 6mm FC over yellow tongue).

10 months later we have no cracking anywhere on the floor, and it does sound really solid to walk on.

Cheers
Justine

[adrian]

Thanks. That's good info.

[silentC]

You can do it and they make flexible tile glues to handle it. However the couple of times in the past I have laid tiles on chipboard I have put down tile underlay first. You glue and nail it to the flooring so it wont lift. Just about to tile the floor in the new house and will be doing the same. Adds a bit to the price but I reckon it's worth it.

Some friends laid tiles straight on chipboard and a few of them came unstuck after 12 months.

[Simomatra]

Use two part rubber adhesive Davco probably make the best. Some people use silicone but it has a limited life for holding the tiles