Anybody Have Tiling Experience?

[John Hollander]

I am making a small outdoor table with tiles on the top. It was recommended to me to attach the tiles to construction grade plywood. I have the tiles cut and adhered to the plywood with ceramic adhesive. I have since read that adhering the tiles directly to the plywood is not a good idea ( I should have done my homework before trusting the advice I was given...:(). The adhesive has dyed for about 16 hours and is still flexible. Should I pop off the tiles and put down cement board? Can I use a special kind of grout and just leave the tiles adhered to the plywood? Is there anyway of saving what I have already done, or do I need to rip the tiles off and start over?

[Maurice Ungaro]

I've lived in a humid envrironment most my life. My suggestion would be to use treated ply as a substrate wth cement tile board on top of that. Better safe than sorry.

[Dan Neuhaus]

Cement board is probably the better route. I would probably use Advantech subfloor. We've used it in several places where its been nearly submerged in water and it really doesn't swell. But the biggest thing is to use thinset mortar. I would only trust mastic in a kitchen backsplash or something thats not going to see much moisture. Thinset is more of a pain to work to with but on a horizontal surface isn't a big deal.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Heck Dan, I've used thinset as stucco on foundations! Just mix it thick. Pretty indestructible stuff.

[Dan Neuhaus]

Absolutely, its a tried and true material. However I've seen the damage and mold from guys trying use mastic/tile adhesive in baths and showers. Mastic definitely makes for a quicker install but any cracks in the grout and your in trouble.

[brad jansen]

If it is a small outdoor table, I would probably leave it as is. Worst case scenerio, you will have to re do the top in a few years ...which is really the the alternative you are considering now. After you pop the tiles off now, they will be hard to clean and re-use thus I would say there is little at risk of simply trying it as is.

[Harry Hagan]

If it is a small outdoor table, I would probably leave it as is. Worst case scenerio, you will have to re do the top in a few years ...which is really the the alternative you are considering now. After you pop the tiles off now, they will be hard to clean and re-use thus I would say there is little at risk of simply trying it as is.

No professional tile setter would reuse those tiles for a multitude of reasons.

[Kevin Bourque]

Adhering tile to bare plywood isn't really a good idea, especially outdoors. The expansion and contraction will crack the grout joints eventually. At the very least I would seal all the edges of the plywood with waterproof glue or some other sealant.


I do a lot of tile work. I've never done an outdoor table, but I think I would cover the plywood with Schluter-Kerdi waterproof membrane. It can be wrapped over the edges of the plywood so no water can infiltrate inside, unlike backer boards. Plus it acts as an isolation membrane allowing the wood to move without cracking the tile or grout as easily.

Incidentally not all backer boards are waterproof, and they are susceptible to freeze damage in winter. You must also use a thinset adhesive, and a grout, rated for outdoor use.

[John Peterson]

Adhering tile to bare plywood isn't really a good idea, especially outdoors. The expansion and contraction will crack the grout joints eventually. At the very least I would seal all the edges of the plywood with waterproof glue or some other sealant.


I do a lot of tile work. I've never done an outdoor table, but I think I would cover the plywood with Schluter-Kerdi waterproof membrane. It can be wrapped over the edges of the plywood so no water can infiltrate inside, unlike backer boards. Plus it acts as an isolation membrane allowing the wood to move without cracking the tile or grout as easily.

Incidentally not all backer boards are waterproof, and they are susceptible to freeze damage in winter. You must also use a thinset adhesive, and a grout, rated for outdoor use.

Still, I believe to correctly install the Schluter system, it is suppose to be bonded to the plywood with thin set. If it is not, the tile will only be attached to the the plywood however the Schluter system is "wrapped" i.e. staples? Not sure if thats how you were thinking.

I too also recommend an exterior grade plywood with a cement board top, and not the HardiBacker material, but actual cement board.

Ive used the Versabond brand thin set (Home Depot) for adhering pavers to a set of cinderblock step of our patio. Im not sure if it is exterior rated but it has survived 5 Wisconsin winters.