Question about tile backing

[ear3]

I'm looking at taking a commission to do some custom dividers for an attic crawlspace. Details aren't really important here, but what it essentially comes down to is making the equivalent of a standard frame and panel cabinet sized door, except that the panel will be covered in tile.

So my question is about the thickness of the backing material for the panel that will be covered in tile.  Could I safely use a 1/4" piece of good quality ply for the panel, and not worry about distortion/warping? There are no constraints on the thickness of the frame members, so I could always go thicker if need be. Would it instead be better to edge join a solid wood panel for this application? Thanks.

 

[tjbnwi]

At that size, minimum I would go is 1/2".

If this/these will be a door, make sure you use the proper amount of hinges for the weight.

Tom

 

[ear3]

Thanks. It won't be a door, but will be hanging from the ceiling so it can be removed occasionally for cleaning. The attic crawl space sits above the kitchen stove, and so they want these panels as both decorative cover and as a buffer to the grease that has built up over time in the front of the crawl space -- thus the need for occasional removal and cleaning.

 

[Cheese]

Hey [member=37411]Edward A Reno III[/member], have you considered using 1/2" Kerdi-Board for the tile substrate? As this "cover" will require removal for cleaning and also access to the storage area by the owners, tiled plywood may present a weight issue sooner or later...think older. [eek]

Kerdi-Board is absolutely flat and was specifically designed for mounting tile on it. A 1/2" thick sheet of 4 x 8 ply weighs 40-45# while the same size Kerdi sheet weighs 6#. It's worth investigating.

 

[ear3]

Yeah, good point on  the weight issue.  Thought I could control for that by dimensioning several smaller panels.  They only want 1/2 to 2/3rds of the opening covered anyway.  But will take a look at the Kerdi board you mention.  Thanks.

Hey [member=37411]Edward A Reno III[/member], have you considered using 1/2" Kerdi-Board for the tile substrate? As this "cover" will require removal for cleaning and also access to the storage area by the owners, tiled plywood may present a weight issue sooner or later...think older. [eek]

Kerdi-Board is absolutely flat and was specifically designed for mounting tile on it. A 1/2" thick sheet of 4 x 8 ply weighs 40-45# while the same size Kerdi sheet weighs 6#. It's worth investigating.

 

[Brent Taylor]

I have made removal panels similar to what you are looking at doing with the door and I used plywood with the peel and stick tile adhesive with good results, I started using it when it first came out in my market and haven't had a call back yet and that has been a long while.  Give the stuff a try, l think you will like it.  Also epoxy grout and mortar works well. But I like the other material better because it allows for movement in the materials and allows for the access panels being handled,  insert abused in most cases.  Have a great day,  B

 

[tjbnwi]

If you're going with Kerdi Board use 1", half will flex when the panel is moved/removed for cleaning or access.

Tom

 

[ear3]

Thanks.  I think I'll probably go with plywood option, then, as 1" would be a bit too thick for the insert, which I would have to back anyway with some sort of thin wood sheet for the sake of appearance.

 

[Dane]

I concur with the comment above re: adhesive tile mat.  Much lighter than using thinset and flexible so the cracking risk is reduced.  You could also use a tinted silicone instead of grout to further reduce cracking issues.  Won't be noticible up that high.  And one more thought- depending on the tile you are matching, you can make a faux tile look by just cutting an appropriate pattern into a sheet of good plywood and painting it with high gloss to match the color of the tile you are mimicking.  I've done this in a few laundry rooms and it actually looks great.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Have not dealt with tile in a long time and didn't know about the adhesive tile mat. Thanks for the tip! This Musslebound stuff seems like it would be very useful .

 

[bertv]

How about photographing the existing tiling, Photoshop into a panel size image. Have it printed on high quality vinyl, sealed, etc. Stick on a good substrate, like PVC foam board. Install with some magnets.