How can I tile a veneer surface?

The grout should stick, but if you're worried, you could always lightly rough up the veneer with sandpaper first.

The grout only sticks in the cracks between the tiles. That is what it is designed for. You need sanded grout for large grout lines. Unsanded can be used for small grout lines. Once dried, it should be sealed.

Now for the thinset...... This is usually applied to a concrete backer board. You could use a thin backer before you start your tile, or rough up your existing surface and hope for the best. The biggest concern with NOT using backer under the thinset is flex. If the surface flexes, you will get cracks in the tile.

Before you grout, you must use a floor tile mastic to glue them to the veneer.

Buy a disposable notched trowel, per manufacturer’s instructions.

Blue tape off the edges & have Q Tips & paper towels ready to clean up an excess. Dry clean up is miserable, so clean up while it’s wet.

It stinks & the area must be well ventilated and wear gloves.

As long as the veneer is solid not peeling broken, if it gets too wet it may buckle/bubble. Grout is what goes between the tiles,Mastic is what adheres them to top/wood itself; grout when they are completely dry.use water resistant mastic for high humidity use.

Hi and thank you everyone that’s replied. The product I’ve bought is a combined tile adhesive and grout ‘suitable for plastered walls’. I think I will sand the top first as most of you suggest and then perhaps prime with some thing like PVA glue before applying the adhesive/grout. That is for the tip about cleaning while wet 😀

thank you all!