My home reno project is slowly progressing. I'm at the planning/acquisition phase for laying in tile and hardwood. I've purchased a bunch of 3/4" hardwood for the whole first floor, but plan on putting in tile in my kitchen and around the rear patio door. The tile I'm planning on using is 9mm thick.

I've seen pics where the tile/hardwood interface is level. I don't like transition strips so I'm looking to do this as well.

What is the best way to shim up the tile to get it even with the hardwood? I'm thinking some combo of cement board and a membrane like Ditra to get it really close and thinset will do the rest? Is there an optimal laydown order of materials? Any specific materials to avoid, or conversely the best materials to use?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

Maybe some self leveling cement or thinset sloped to make the transition meet.
You're what about a half inch apart?
Maybe use Ditra under the tile too, that should make it close.

What is the kitchen floor now? If plywood I’d probably install 3/8” plywood over it since it’s not a wet area. We always glued and stapled it (not with liquid nails) rolling on carpenters yellow glue and 7/8 Spot Nail staples. Could use 3/8” concrete board over thinset.
Make sure to have factory edge tile meet the factory side of your wood (you may need to 1/4 turn a piece to band or frame up to the tile.) If it can’t be exactly flush let the tile be slightly lower then bevel the edge of your band board to the tile. Obviously have to varnish (and maybe first stain) the bevel. Be sure to allow enough door clearance above the tile for a rug.

Cut your tile 1/8” shy of the patio door and caulk that gap before grouting.

I glued and screwed cement board, (not hardibacker) to the sub floor, made a great base for the tile as well.

We have hardwood throughout our house. They put cement backer board down and then the tile. It’s even with our wood floors.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
What is the kitchen floor now? If plywood I’d probably install 3/8” plywood over it since it’s not a wet area. We always glued and stapled it (not with liquid nails) rolling on carpenters yellow glue and 7/8 Spot Nail staples. Could use 3/8” concrete board over thinset.
Make sure to have factory edge tile meet the factory side of your wood (you may need to 1/4 turn a piece to band or frame up to the tile.) If it can’t be exactly flush let the tile be slightly lower then bevel the edge of your band board to the tile. Obviously have to varnish (and maybe first stain) the bevel. Be sure to allow enough door clearance above the tile for a rug.

Cut your tile 1/8” shy of the patio door and caulk that gap before grouting.

I've got vinyl in the kitchen now. Under that is standard 3/4" subfloor with a 1/4" ply sheet on top.

I think I'll go with cement board over thinset with maybe a Ditra membrane on top to get things flush.

The Andersen door I had put in had a ton of clearance over the floor, so I should be good with a 3/4" tile stack and a rug

Make sure you follow the L/360 deflection rule. I would hate to see your tile joints crack.

Hardibacker was the right thickness for tile job I just did in my place. Durock would've made the tile too high. It turned out exactly level with the 3/4" hardwood I tiled to but I used a very low profile threshold and it looks great. If you tile right up to the hardwood you'll need to take into consideration the expansion or shrinking of the wood due to humidity throughout the year... Could cause problems. I considered tiling right to mine with a small gap and was planning on using the grout color matching sanded caulk along the wood line to account for expansion, etc. At the end I decided the threshold would look better and I believe it does.