# Forum Home Renovation Tiling  tile on chipboard

## ndaki

Can you lay tiles straight onto chipboard?  Any recommendations on glue/adhesive for this process?

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## dib

I have seen a lot posts of tiles / grout cracking and tiles coming up when laid straight onto chipboard.  Chipboard, glue manufactures and the building code all say you can.  But I wouldnt risk it, put  a tile underlay down or don't you chipboard.

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## hadiya

Tile can provide you with a very durable floor that looks great. However, if it is not installed properly, it can present you with some real problems. You need to measure the area before you can do anything. Break everything up into rectangles and get the length and the width of the space.installing over chipboard, you need to install concrete board over the top of it before tile can be installed. If you install tile directly onto the chipboard, it will eventually crack and break. Mix up some thinset and apply it to the bottom of the concrete board. When laying tile, you want to find the center of the room and work out, towards the walls. This gives the tile a centered look when you come in the room. Use your trowel to apply some thinset to the top of the concrete board. Make sure that the thinset is smooth and then lay a tile square with the chalk lines that you drew.Use your trowel to apply some thinset to the top of the concrete board. Make sure that the thinset is smooth and then lay a tile square with the chalk lines that you drew. Use a tile spacer to place on one corner of the tile and place another tile right next to it. Make sure that the tile spacers stay in place on each corner of the tiles and this will help you keep everything straight.The next day, you can apply the grout to the joints between the tile. Use a trowel to spread the grout around between the tiles. Once it is in the joints, wash it with a sponge. This will help remove excess grout and give the grout a smooth, finished look. Let the grout dry overnight and it should be good to walk on the next day.

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## ndaki

Just to clarify my initial comment, when I mention chipboard I was actually refering to particleboard - tongue and groove - 19mm.  We have layed the particleboard as flooring, but dont' want to lay tile underlay also.   
Furthermore, when working up the walls, can we lay directly on plaster or is underlay required?  Is a special plaster required or will the usual 10mm thick Gyprock kind be fine?

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## BLUEICE

> Tile can provide you with a very durable floor that looks great. However, if it is not installed properly, it can present you with some real problems. You need to measure the area before you can do anything. Break everything up into rectangles and get the length and the width of the space.installing over chipboard, you need to install concrete board over the top of it before tile can be installed. If you install tile directly onto the chipboard, it will eventually crack and break. Mix up some thinset and apply it to the bottom of the concrete board. When laying tile, you want to find the center of the room and work out, towards the walls. This gives the tile a centered look when you come in the room. Use your trowel to apply some thinset to the top of the concrete board. Make sure that the thinset is smooth and then lay a tile square with the chalk lines that you drew.Use your trowel to apply some thinset to the top of the concrete board. Make sure that the thinset is smooth and then lay a tile square with the chalk lines that you drew. Use a tile spacer to place on one corner of the tile and place another tile right next to it. Make sure that the tile spacers stay in place on each corner of the tiles and this will help you keep everything straight.The next day, you can apply the grout to the joints between the tile. Use a trowel to spread the grout around between the tiles. Once it is in the joints, wash it with a sponge. This will help remove excess grout and give the grout a smooth, finished look. Let the grout dry overnight and it should be good to walk on the next day.

  What would be an estimate price to install and lay 100 squares of underlay over chip board and also install 100 squares of 400 x 400 ceramic tiles on top of the underlay? and then 89 squares of tiles over the top of existing tiles?  I was given a "cash" quote for $7300.  Is the close to what I should be paying. Approx $53 per square metre. cheers

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## ndaki

Gee, thanks Hadiya, perhaps a little more specific and not so much cut and paste type answer.

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## Master Splinter

Hadiya is (was) a forum spammer.  They do a few cut and paste answers, usually with links to whatever semi-related crap site they are being paid to promote, then they disappear (or get the banhammer). 
Tile on yellow tongue board is fine - it's no more likely to move than tile underlay - as long as the floor is good (not springy)  Some builders seem to delight in saving every dollar they can by using spans from the left hand side of the span tables (where the beam size just scrapes in) which means the floor is less stiff than you'd like.   
A waterproof membrane over the whole floor is a really good idea, though.  
I like using the two part (cement-y powder and a white latex-y goo) 'rubber modified' tile adhesives as the only way you can remove them is sloooowly, with an angle grinder.

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## ndaki

Thanks master! I'll give it a go.

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