# Installing tile and wood- what order?



## DIMDAL (Feb 7, 2008)

Red Shoes! I hope someone answers your question, I have the exact same dilemma. Which comes first? The wood floor or the tile hearth (same level) and how do I transition between the two? Help us Oh-Knowledgeable-Floor-Persons, you are our only hope. :notworthy:
Dimdal


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> 1.) In what order should the floors be laid? wood then tile or tile then wood and why?
> 
> 2.) also should the would wrap around the hearth like a border and then the planks run up to it?


 
Doesn't usually matter which goes in first.
Doesn't matter if you trim the hearth or not, your choice.

You don't say what the subfloor is made of. You'll probably need a tilebacker which will blow your elevation theories out of the water and require additional underlayment under the wood to re-elevate the wood installation.

Is your substrate and structure suitable for a natural stone tile? Natural stone requires a subfloor that is twice as strong as what is required for ceramic tile. Not all existing substrates are automatically suitable for stone.

Sixteen inch tiles require a substrate that is very very flat. Is this the case?

Do you intend to do all this work yourself?



Aren't you asking identical questions in two different threads here at the same time? Why do you want that much confusion?

http://www.diychatroom.com/showthread.php?t=18914


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## red shoes (Mar 27, 2008)

Bud, thanks for taking the time to reply. 



> Do you intend to do all this work yourself?


We're trying to decide hence all these questions. But, after asking around I think we'll be having it done, I've found a contractor who is willing to use us for help and give us a break on the price. We'll get a new floor and learn some new skills at the same time! 



> You don't say what the subfloor is made of. You'll probably need a tilebacker which will blow your elevation theories out of the water and require additional underlayment under the wood to re-elevate the wood installation.
> 
> Is your substrate and structure suitable for a natural stone tile? Natural stone requires a subfloor that is twice as strong as what is required for ceramic tile. Not all existing substrates are automatically suitable for stone.
> 
> Sixteen inch tiles require a substrate that is very very flat. Is this the case?


The substrate is t&g and level, I've been told it is fine for what we intend to do. 

My biggest concern is the matching up of the two floors and having it work out right. I think we could have done either one well but I'm concerned about our skill to have the two meet up as nicly as I'd like. Also we've decided to add heating to the tile undelayment and for me that pushed it into the realm of someone with more experience. This way we'll have the voice of expierience to keep us from screwing it up,:wink: I hope

Dimdal - the thread Bud referenced has some good info about tile meeting wood!


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## oceangirl2008 (Apr 16, 2008)

*tile or wood first*

We have the same problem. Someone told us the tile grout is much wetter and the edge of the wood would absorb the water and this would not be a good thing for the wood. Does anyone know if this is true? We have the wood, but not the tile and would like to get the wood floor installed if possible. Thanks.


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## red shoes (Mar 27, 2008)

Hey Ocean

It turns out that we are going to have the wood floor put in first. The tile person has given us an underlayment request so that the finished height of the wood floor will meet up with the finished tile with heat. The tile person said that he'll be better able to have the tile meet the wood than the wood person would be able to meet the tile. 

It won't go in 'till the second week of july. I'll try and post pic's then.

-red


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Either way you wouldn't install tile-grout against the wood. That particular juncture needs to receive caulk. Both products expand and contract at different rates and the caulk will provide for the movement and required flexibility.


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## oceangirl2008 (Apr 16, 2008)

*Wood or floor?*

Thanks for the replies. We ended up putting in the floor first and then the tile. Whatever they did, the height is the same and they flow together very well.

-oceangirl


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