Installing Outdoor Tile Over Wood Deck

The combination of tile grout wood and water in an environment with temperature and moisture fluctuations makes it nearly impossible to get the long term performance that most occupants expect.

Installing outdoor tile over wood deck. If your existing deck subfloor is level you can install an overlay made of weather resistant composite materials manufactured to resemble real wood or tile. Tiling the deck 1. Installing outdoor tile over a wood deck options assess condition of the wood deck. Installing tile over a standard deck frame in an exterior environment is a recipe for trouble.

For decks built over occupied living space there s a kerdi specification called d ext os 13 that requires a roofing membrane installed on a plywood deck followed by a drainage mat and a 1 inch thick reinforced mortar bed. Snap two chalk lines across the center of the deck one in a north south direction and the other in an east west. With enough moisture wood becomes vulnerable to decay and rotting. Incidentally exterior stone or tile should never be installed directly over pt plywood which expands and contracts as it gets wet and dries out.

To minimize cracking and popped tiles the tcna always recommends the use of an uncoupling waterproofing membrane over exterior plywood substrates. A schluter ditra membrane is then installed over the hardened mortar bed prior to actual tile installation. Installing flooring over wood can potentially create a situation where moisture gets trapped beneath deck tiles. Made with naturally mildew and fungi resistant ipe wood from sustainable forests they are designed for easy installation and can be placed over an existing patio concrete slab or other outdoor area.

If you require less than a half tile at the perimeter of the deck shift the. Overlay products come in interlocking tiles or strips and while they are more expensive than some outdoor decking products they last for years. Obviously you don t want to set yourself up for even more damage by creating space for fungi to flourish. Mix a new batch of thinset with water.

Ipe is a stable low flexing high structural strength exotic hardwood. Watch for structural warning signs. Install tiles to resurface worn out decks concrete slabs porches walkways balconies roof tops or patios. There are a few signs that your wooden deck is structurally at risk.

It s imperative to make sure your deck and the foundation are still structurally.