I have all original (1915 home) hardwood flooring throughout.. For the entryway I would like to lay ceramic tile for a more luxurious feel and look. Anything special I have to do first or can I just simply install ceramic tiles over hardwood flooring with mortar and then finish with grout?

Is this hardwood flooring your subfloor or is there another layer of planks underneath? In most cases you'd have another set of planks attached to your joists, possibly installed on a diagonal. Is there a basement under there? Go look from below and report back.

Ideally you will want to removed the hardwood if it's not also your subfloor, then install plywood and then a tile backer and finally the tiles.

Let us know what you find.

Jaz

Lay down 1/4" cement board over the hardwood floor with thinset and screws and the apply your tiles. You will have to compensate for the offset in floors with wood trim.

Sorry Patty, but you won't get very many tile setters to agree with that. Although it can work overall, I'll bet you'll have some minor grout cracks at minimum within a short time. There is no approved method for installing any CBU or membrane over hardwood or dimensional lumber. It should be removed and plywood installed or roll the dice.

Jaz

Have to agree, hardwood is most often T&G and you can see it expand and contract seasonally like all dimensional lumber. Thinset, screws and cement board help but can't stop nature, there will still be movement enough to crack grout lines.

I agree with jaz and bob,do not lay over hardwood

Sorry guys but I have concrete subfloor and don't know the problems with hardwood floors and wood subfloors.