Tile on particle board

[wrdabney]

My brother in law is getting ready to tile his kitchen and it has particle board sub floor with 1x6 sub floor under the particle board. I realize tiling on particle board is not a good idea but is there any way to do it without replacing the whole sub floor? Can we put maybe 1/4" OSB on top of the particle board, thinset, hardiboard, then tile and be good or is this a bad idea? We're trying to avoid taking up the particle board if we can help it.

[fireplug]

hardiboard over your partical board and lay your tile.

[wrdabney]

That's what I thought at first too but from doing some reading it seems that if moisture ever gets to the particle board it will de-laminate and cause cracking of the tile/grout.

[fireplug]

MDF board or OSB?

Seams should be taped and thinset troweled over them to preven them from separating. Use modified thinset to allow for expansion or movement.
Use an additive in your grout if you feel like there is high potential for flexing in the floor.

[wrdabney]

It's not OSB. It's what I would call particle board. I guess it's like MDF but not as smooth. It's what you see used as sub floors in houses built in the 80's. I don't think it's within code to use it as sub floor anymore.

Edit: It's this stuff: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... B00101.jpg

[Deltaquack]

If you want to do it the right way.......look at Ditra. If you find really good tile guys.........they won't place tile without a layer of Ditra.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Schluter-Dit ... l2tNrQo7cs

http://www.schluter.com/4087.aspx

[teul2]

Do it right so you won't have to worry about it later. Get to the wood subfloor and put hardi board on it, tile on that.

[BAY KINGFISHER]

I say go with ditra unless the joist are far apart (any sag?) Make sure you use modified mortar to set ditra to the wood floor and unmodified to set the tile to the ditra. Backerboard can be used if the joist spacing is inadequate. If the floor sags some and you use backer, you could always make sure it is screwed down well ( typically you would set the backer in mud, but not with the particle subfloor), float seams and then blue guard the whole floor for moisture protection. Then use a high end thinset like laticrete 254 (good stuff but expensive!)