<p>“My last experience with a boat was the one I brought home with the sign that said “free”.”</p>
<p>LOL, same with kittens and puppies.</p>
<p>washdad - my h has had great success laying tile using Schluter-DITRA, a polyethylene membrane with a grid structure of square cavities. google Schluter-DITRA.</p>
<p>It seems to me Pergo on your stairs opens all sorts of cans of worms. I assume you have plywood steps now. If you just put Pergo on top of them your bottom step will be higher by the thickness of the Pergo than all of the other steps. Most building codes won’t allow this. Also you need to finish the front edge of the step. If the treads are less than 11" deep the International Bldg. Code requires a nosing.</p>
<p>I am sure you were all waiting with great expectation to hear more about my floor. At the advice of a really knowledgeable kitchen and flooring sales rep at the local Home Depot, I pulled up the loose tile and checked out the subfloor. She told me that a lot of homes in the area built when mine was (1979) used particle board under tile. I said “no way” and she said “way.” She was right. I have particle board – not OSB – under the tile. I am gobsmacked.</p>
<p>So, now we have a sizable project ahead of us. I just hope there is real T&G plywood under the particle board. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all the advice and suggestions. I will use them when I start putting this back together.</p>
<p>You may have another layer of particle board, you may have plywood. You may only have the one layer of particle board. Depends how badly the corners were cut. My condolences. :(</p>
<p>“gobsmacked”</p>
<p>what fun! I love that!</p>
<p>See the John Bridge Tile forums at <a href=“http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php[/url]”>http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php</a></p>
<p>You’ll find no questions about college there.</p>
<p>“gobsmacked” -!!! This has to be added to the list of words College Board puts on the SATs!</p>
<p>WashDad, particle board in floors has to be outlawed! Our first house had it, and the darn thing squeaked so badly we would wake up when the cats walked in the hallway. Second house was built from scratch, and H made sure that “scratch” meant “silent floor” installed during the dry season and a roof above it installed immediately.</p>
<p>You’ll probably have plywood sheathing under the par board, just pull everything up to the plywood. Clear it out, make sure it’s clean and check for level. If it’s not level you may need to take care of that first. If it’s level buy some cement board (actual cement with plastic mesh) with consideration of finish height of the cement board a layer of thinset and the tiles. You can purchase different thickness of cement board, obviously the thicker the firmer. At any rate attach the cement board with nails (I used long roofing) about every 6 inches along floor joists and as well a few between. The goal is a solid unbending, unmoving surface. That done and starting clean, you should be able to set your tiles without too much trouble. Watchyour grout lines as if they are too wide, you invite cracking. </p>
<p>The tile I put down has been down for 14 years and still looks very good.</p>
<p>Opie, don’t you live in WA? Time for a CC field trip to WashDad’s house for some instructions- no work, just sitting in the directors chair pointing out the errors of his ways :D</p>
<p>“Opie, don’t you live in WA” </p>
<p>Between my house and my moms my dance card is pretty full. 
Besides when I work around the house doing anything involving plumbing, I can make a longshoreman blush these days. ;0</p>
<p>Taking a toilet off that isn’t leaking is asking for murphy’s law, which means when you put it back on your new tile floor it will leak… </p>
<p>The secret to any of these things is prep if you get the floor good and solid and clean, the tiling is actually fun.</p>