Installing Tile Floor


installing tile floors

Installing Tile Floor is a very good investment to your home.  It’s easy to care for and with some patients can be installed easily. Any item you do not have can be rented. 


WHAT YOU WILL NEED


  • Cement backer board
  • Tile nippers
  • Sponges
  • Tape measure
  • Knee pads
  • Tile cutter or tile saw
  • Grout
  • Square
  • Rubber float
  • Chalk line
  • Ceramic or porcelain tile
  • Lots of clean water
  • Eye protection
  • Thin set
  • Buckets

  • Hammer
  • Notched trowel



STEP BY STEP GUIDE


  • Remove all existing baseboards and moldings as well as all floor coverings

  • Stabilize the floor. If you walk over the floor and it moves you will need to add nails to the existing sub-floor before Installing Tile Floor, by adding the nails to the joists. If need be you can add bridging under the floor between the joists
  • Install the cement backer board with the recommended glue, and then add 2 inch galvanized nails into the joists.
  • Check your doors to see if they will close properly. Lay down a tile on the backer board and open the door. If the door does not open or close you will need to trim the bottom of the door.
  • Clean the area before laying down the tile. Remove all of the dust and debris, before Installing Tile Floor.
  • Measure the length and width of the room to determine the areas square feet, then divide the area of the room by the coverage of the box.  This will determine how many to order. When Installing Tile Floor, always order more because some might break, and you may need some for later repairs
  • Make a chalk line that intersects in the middle of the room. One line on the length and the other from the width of the room, make sure they are square at 90 degree.
  • Dry fit the tiles by laying a row on the length and a row on the width use tile spacers between each tile to make room for the grout.
  • You will want as many full size tiles as possible from the center of the room out to the sides and make sure your edges of cut tiles match on all sides of the room.

  • Use thinset to adhere your tiles. Thinset is a cement product that needs to be mixed to the consistency of peanut butter.
  • Using a notched trowel lay down the thinset. Put only down what you can reach while laying the tile.
  •   Install your tile into the thinset by pushing down on the tile to make sure it is attached use a rubber mallet on each corner. Be sure to add your spacers to keep room for the grout.
  •   Start in the middle of the room and work your way to the edges laying as many full tiles as possible. The borders and cut tiles are last to be placed. You can rent a wet saw to cut the tiles.
  •   If you have pieces that need to be cut to go around an obstruction, you can use nippers to cut away small pieces until the tile fits.
  •   Leave the tile to set up overnight.
  • Mix your grout according to the directions of the manufacturer.
  • Use the float trowel to lay down the grout. Work it into the spaces between the tiles on angles not in straight lines. This ensures the grout will cover the entire space.
  •   Go over the grout with a wet sponge to remove as much of the left over grout as possible. You may have to wipe over an area several times before it is all removed.
  • Once dry you can use a dry towel to remove any haze to the tiles.

Watch how ceramic tile is made, don't forget Installing Tile Floor includes cleaning the grout.

to top / back

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

house cleaning guide / contact us / legal disclaimer / privacy policy /site map /