If possible you should always use concrete board underlayments rather than plywood.
How to install wood tile on the wall.
Apply a uniform layer of all purpose adhesive to the back of the piece with a plastic putty knife.
Test a tile to make sure the mortar is mixed and spread correctly.
Plank tiles often look best when the length of the tile runs parallel to the longest wall in the room.
Patch any holes or cracks with spackling compound and sand the entire surface with medium grit sandpaper.
Create a starting line for the tile measure from the center of the room to the starting wall then subtract the 1 4 inch expansion gap and the width of two tiles and two spacers.
Pull the tile up and look at the pattern that is create on the back.
Draw a grid on the wall behind the stove using a pencil and 4 foot level.
A wood plank wall can add a rustic focal point to a room.
Vacuum to remove dust.
Remove any remaining dust oils and grease from the wall with tsp tri sodium phosphate or an ammonia based cleanser.
Scrape the wall to remove any texture and to create a flat surface.
Use thinset with a higher latex content thinset is the wet base that you first trowel on the plywood to make the tile stick.
The hard part in adding distressed planks to a wall is preparing the wood cutting and painting all the planks to get a uniform look.
Rebecca and shannon of petite party studio are accomplished diyers and decorators and they love the look of distressed wood.
Mortar a small spot and then place a tile.
The preferred method for tile installations is to use a sheet of underlayment.
For the average small wall tiles which are currently popular you will want to use a 1x4 square notch trowel.
While tile can be laid on plywood do not install tile directly onto the plywood subfloor itself.
Use intervening layers of two sheets of plywood.