How Do You Install Tile On A Wood Subfloor Without Using A Backerboard?
Installing tile over a subfloor usually entails first putting down a layer of concrete backerboard or extra plywood. If you are trying to avoid raising the level of the floor, you can get away with putting your tiles directly over the plywood subfloor. If the subfloor is study, has no gaps and is not in a wet area like a bathroom, you can seal it with caulk, paint it with an oil-based primer and use thick, small tiles to avoid movement and cracks. Walk over the subfloor with your screw gun and sink galvanized screws through the subfloor surface into the joists below. Put a screw anywhere there is more than 1 foot between the existing nails that are securing the subfloor. The position of the joists under the floor should be clear by the patterns of the existing nails. Lay flat beads of acrylic caulk along all the seams of the subfloor and around the edges of the room, sealing it completely. Roll a thick but smooth layer of oil-based sealing primer over the subfloor. Use your floor paint
